They Are More Than Ready to Start : Angels: Offensive and defensive needs seem resolved, although bullpen remains unsettled.

Angel Manager Doug Rader finally has the set lineup he wished for last season, when injuries and defensive shortcomings forced him to devise new combinations almost daily.

The trade that brought center fielder Junior Felix and second baseman Luis Sojo from Toronto are expected to boost the Angels’ offense, and Sojo has shown more dexterity in the field than Johnny Ray ever dreamed of. The acquisition of Dave Parker gives the Angels an everyday designated hitter, and a fit Dave Winfield gives them formidable punch in the middle of the lineup.

The Angels’ offensive and defensive needs appear to have been resolved, and their pitching rotation has been set--Chuck Finley will start tonight, followed by Kirk McCaskill, Mark Langston, Jim Abbott and rookie Scott Lewis. However, their bullpen remains unsettled as they start the season tonight against the Seattle Mariners in the Kingdome.

Only Bryan Harvey, the club’s all-time save leader with 67, has a definite role, as the closer. Rader indicated that he will leave the other roles undefined, using pitchers in long, short or middle relief according to circumstances and their history against specific hitters.

In exhibitions, Rader used left-hander Scott Bailes as a closer, a job filled last season by Harvey and right-handed submariner Mark Eichhorn. On a special diet to combat hypoglycemia, Bailes this spring regained the energy and concentration he lacked last season. He gave up one run in 13 1/3 innings and won the last bullpen spot over Mike Fetters, who will start the season with triple-A Edmonton.

Bailes will probably be used in a setup role.

“He literally pitched himself onto this ballclub and that’s difficult to do,” Rader said. “He deserves a lot of credit.”

Left-hander Floyd Bannister and right-hander Jeff Robinson, signed as free agents during the off-season, are likely to pitch mostly middle relief. Rader has said left-hander Cliff Young might not be ready to replace the injured Bob McClure, whose forte was coming in to face a batter or two in pressure situations, but Rader hasn’t ruled anything out.

“We’re going to try and match (pitchers and hitters) up as best we can,” said Rader, who lost reliable middle reliever Willie Fraser to Toronto when he gained Felix and Sojo. “As far as having a specialist along the lines of Bob McClure two years ago, we don’t have that yet. I’m sure someone will filter through.

“They all have the capability (of pitching long or short relief). It might be Ike (Eichhorn) against a specific left-handed hitter. We’re going to match the best we can based on past success and current workload.”

Of the Angels’ relievers, Harvey worked the most in spring training. He made 14 appearances and was 1-1 with a save and a 1.84 earned-run average.

“We had a close group in the bullpen last year, and I’m missing Willie myself,” Harvey said of Fraser, his longtime friend. “But Robbie (Robinson) came in and we all get along with him and Bannister.

“With three lefties and three righties, Doug can do a lot of matching. You can do that to a certain degree. I think we have a good group.”

Bannister believes the relievers’ versatility will prove useful. Bannister has been a starter for most of his career--including last season in Japan--but he is enthusiastic about working out of the bullpen.

“We have different styles and different amounts of experience,” said Bannister, who pronounced himself pleased with his spring despite a 6.59 ERA in nine appearances covering 13 2/3 innings.

“The big thing is picking each other up. There’ll be times the breaks don’t go your way, and I know from being a starter how important it is to have a good pen that can pick the starters up.

“There are studies on how pitchers do against individual hitters and Doug knows the American League, I know the AL and Lach (pitching coach Marcel Lachemann) knows the AL. You might come in to put a rally out, or there may be situations we have to flip-flop. It can work.”

Young, who made 17 relief appearances for the Angels last season, is ready to fill whatever role is assigned him.

“I want to do what I can and open some eyes,” he said. “I don’t really know what my job is going to be, but I don’t care. I’m just happy to be here.”

Left-hander McClure, who has an injured left shoulder, said there is a chance he will be ready to pitch when he gets off the 15-day disabled list.

“It’s hard to tell because I don’t know how it’s going to react to throwing two, three days in a row,” McClure said. “Right now, everything seems real encouraging. I can’t do what I did last time (in returning from left elbow tendinitis last year). I ended up rushing it and missed another two months.”

As evidence of the change in the club’s makeup, of the 10 players who appeared in the Angels’ 1990 opening-day lineup, only first baseman Wally Joyner and catcher Lance Parrish will be in today’s opening-day lineup.