ANGEL NOTEBOOK : Herzog Optimistic He’ll Sign Finley, Not Trade Him

The Angels’ negotiations on a four-year contract for Chuck Finley progressed Monday, giving Whitey Herzog optimism that he won’t be forced to trade the left-hander.

“We have every indication we’re going to get this done in a short time,” said Herzog, senior vice president for player personnel. “This would give us Chuck Finley signed for four years, Mark Langston for three more and we hope to have (Jim) Abbott and (Bryan) Harvey for four.”

Free agent right-hander Kirk McCaskill is scheduled to visit Baltimore to discuss a three-year offer by the Orioles. The Angels offered him two years plus an option but have not heard from his agent, Marvin Demoff.

A possible snag in the Angels’ plans developed Monday when Joe Sroba, who represents free-agent center fielder Otis Nixon, lacked the necessary papers to certify that he represents Nixon. That would delay a deal the Angels were eager to complete. Sroba is scheduled to meet today with Senior Vice President Dan O’Brien.

Herzog also said he’s baffled by shortstop Dick Schofield’s rejection of a three-year, $6-million offer. “We’re pretty fair with what we offered him,” Herzog said. “He’s a .233 hitter and coming off a .225 season with eight extra-base hits. We give him a three-year contract at $2 million a year and he thinks we insulted him. I had Ozzie Smith for eight years (in St. Louis) and the most Ozzie made was $2.2 million.”

Herzog said losing Bobby Bonilla didn’t force him to revamp his game plan, but not re-signing Wally Joyner will result in some readjustments.

“I thought we’d get Wally Joyner and Lee Stevens would be the DH,” Herzog said. “I’ve still got a lot of game plans to go.”

One of those plans includes signing Danny Tartabull to a three-year contract. “He has a history of playing good the first year and his last year, so that way I only get one bad year,” he said.

Herzog talked to the Dodgers Monday about acquiring left fielder Kal Daniels and talked at length with the New York Mets about a deal involving Finley and left fielder Kevin McReynolds. However, Herzog said that if he signs Finley, he won’t be able to make that deal. He might scale it down to trade a spare pitcher for outfielder Hubie Brooks.

The Angels are expected to announce today they have traded right-hander Mike Fetters to Milwaukee for reliever Chuck Crim. Fetters, who failed to win the fifth starter’s job, was 2-5 with a 4.84 earned-run average last season. Crim was 8-5 with a 4.63 ERA in 66 relief appearances.

The Angels selected two Orange County products in Monday’s Rule 5 draft. They used their first pick to take right-hander David Holdridge of Huntington Beach from the Scranton roster of the Philadelphia Phillies, and their second to take left-hander Tim Fortugno, also of Huntington Beach, from the Denver roster of the Milwaukee Brewers’ organization.

Holdridge, 22, began his career with the Angels and was traded to the Phillies in 1988 for catcher Lance Parrish. He was 7-7 with double-A Reading and 0-0 with Class-A Clearwater last season.

“All of our reports said he had a bad year but still had the same arm,” said Bill Bavasi, the Angels’ director of minor league operations.

Pitching coach Marcel Lachemann is also eager to work with Holdridge.

“When we let him go, we figured he was the No. 1 arm in the organization. He’s still above average velocity-wise. His problem was command,” said Lachemann, who will tutor Holdridge in January at Anaheim Stadium.

Von Hayes, acquired by the Angels on Sunday for minor leaguers Kyle Abbott and Ruben Amaro, said the constant booing he endured in Philadelphia drove him to request that the Phillies trade him. The Angels were one of four teams he listed as destinations, and he agreed to waive his veto rights if the team that acquired him agreed to drop the last two option years so he could become a free agent.

“What was happening had begun to destroy my enthusiasm for the game. It got to the point where I was looking forward to road games. When that happens, you have to look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘Maybe it’s time for a fresh start.’

“I think going to California will be good for me. I’m excited.”

Angel Manager Buck Rodgers said he plans to open the season with a four-man pitching rotation and a center field platoon of Dave Gallagher and Junior Felix.