Angels’ Offer Probably Served Simply as Wedge for Bonilla

Although Bobby Bonilla’s agent, Dennis Gilbert, said the Angels finished “a very close second” to the New York Mets in the competition for Bonilla’s services, it appears the Angels’ offer was merely used as bargaining leverage to spur the Philadelphia Phillies and Mets to increase their bids for the free agent.

According to Gilbert, Bonilla told him by phone late Sunday to try to complete a deal with the Mets. Yet, before Gilbert called the Mets on Monday, he called Phillie President Bill Giles and told him Bonilla would play in Philadelphia if the Phillies would pay him $28 million for five years and give him an option to become a free agent after the third and fourth seasons.

When the Phillies increased their offer to $26 million but wouldn’t agree to the free-agency clause or guarantee Bonilla would be paid during a lockout, Gilbert called the Mets.

After intense talks Monday that included Met General Manager Al Harazin increasing his offer by $1.5 million, Bonilla agreed to terms with the Mets--terms that for at least the first three years were identical to those proposed Nov. 23 by the Angels.

Gilbert did not negotiate with the Angels Monday, perhaps because Bonilla never intended to play in California. The New York native said of his decision: “A lot of it was location because the money was basically the same.”

Said Angel President Richard Brown: “Do I feel used? No, I don’t feel used because I was smart enough to realize, along with the other clubs involved, that there was a very good chance he was going to New York all along. Were we used? Yeah, to bring up the price we probably were.”