Baseball

Dennis Gilbert, who represents Bobby Bonilla, said he did not use the Angels’ offer as a bargaining wedge to extract higher bids from other teams. Bonilla signed with the New York Mets Monday for a record $29 million over five years.

“The Angels were in it up until the last minute,” Gilbert said. “It was never our intent to use the Angels to get more money from some one else.”

Asked why Gilbert told the Phillies early Monday that Bonilla would sign with Philadelphia if it offered $28 million over five years and met other conditions, Gilbert said: “Bobby had a change of heart at the last minute. I didn’t call the Phillies until 10 a.m. (PST). Philadelphia said no, then we called the Mets . . . the whole thing with the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets was done at the last minute.”

Gilbert also said that, although Bonilla told him Sunday night to try to forge a deal with the Mets, the Angels were his next choice.

“He said he wanted to stay in the Eastern Division of the National League,” Gilbert said. “He gave me the proposal he wanted me to make and said, ‘If the Mets don’t accept, make a deal with the Angels. . . .’ ”