BASEBALL MEETINGS : Molitor Heads for Toronto; Bonds, Giants Move Closer

Paul Molitor severed his ties to the Milwaukee Brewers Monday by accepting a contract from the Toronto Blue Jays for $13 million over three years and a maximum of $16 million including a fourth option year.

Molitor, 36, had spent 15 years with the Brewers, but when the cost-conscious club was unwilling to offer him significantly more than the $3.1 million he earned in 1992, he took the Blue Jays’ offer.

Molitor hit .320 and drove in 89 runs last season.

“I can’t begin to tell you how difficult it was to leave,” Molitor said. “You play for a team for 15 years and the relationships you establish become a big part of you. . . . There was no question in my mind at the end of the season that I would return to Milwaukee. But as the talks progressed, I became more open to changing teams. I was looking for a club that not only was competitive, but had a real chance to win.”

The signing indicates that the Blue Jays will not re-sign Dave Winfield.

The World Series champions also re-signed outfielder Joe Carter for three years. Carter’s contract is worth a guaranteed $19.5 million over three years and a potential $25 million including a fourth year at the club’s option.

The agreement between Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants moved closer to a settlement but remained on hold after lawyers spent the day trying to finalize the six-year contract worth an estimated $45 million.

The deal hit a snag when Giant owner Bill Lurie, who is in the process of selling the team to Peter Magowan, chairman of Safeway Inc., said he would not be responsible for paying Bonds if the sale of the team is not approved by the other major league owners.

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said it was difficult for him to say goodby to veteran catcher Mike Scioscia, who was not offered arbitration and is not in the Dodgers’ plans for next season.

“It will be tough not having Mike with me next year,” Lasorda said. “He’s been with me since we brought him up in 1981, and I can truly say he has been one of the greatest Dodgers of all. Never once did he show me one minute of disrespect, never once did he not give his best for me, the fans or the team owner. “

Also not offered arbitration were infielder Dave Anderson and pitchers Bob Ojeda, Jay Howell and John Candelaria.

Scioscia, 34, is reportedly talking with the Montreal Expos.

Although still confused by a trade he never sought, Jim Abbott says he has had no second thoughts about rejecting a four-year, $16-million contract offer by the Angels and triggering a trade. Claiming the team had to trade Abbott if he wouldn’t sign a long-term contract, Whitey Herzog, the club’s senior vice president, sent Abbott to the Yankees on Sunday for three minor leaguers--pitchers Russ Springer and Jerry Nielsen and first baseman J.T. Snow.

“I don’t have any regrets. It’s just unfortunate the way things happened,” Abbott said Monday. “The Angels made a proposal for a four-year offer and it wasn’t what we’d asked for. It wasn’t that I wanted to leave the Angels, but they took it as that.

“The Angels were very fair to me, and I’m not going to say that they weren’t. The contract was something we chose not to sign. We made an offer that was fair ($17.5 million for four years) and we made an offer for a one-year deal. If that’s the way Whitey wants to play it in the papers, I can’t do anything, but I hate to be played as sounding greedy. I didn’t think what we asked for was out of the question.”

Baseball Notes

The Boston Red Sox refused to offer arbitration to Wade Boggs. The Red Sox also decided not to offer arbitration to Tom Brunansky, Herm Winningham and Steve Lyons. If clubs did not offer their free agents arbitration by midnight Monday they cannot sign them until May 1. . . . Free agent Andre Dawson, bitter over the way management has treated him, will not return to the Chicago Cubs next season. Dawson, 38, had until 11 p.m. Monday to accept a $200,000 raise from the Cubs for one year at $3.5 million. He had been seeking $5.5 million for each of two years. The Oakland Athletics offered salary arbitration to six players--first baseman Mark McGwire, outfielder Ruben Sierra, catcher Terry Steinbach, outfielder-designated hitter Harold Baines, pitcher Ron Darling and pitcher Dave Stewart. The AL West champions declined to offer arbitration to pitchers Kelly Downs, Rich Gossage, Rick Honeycutt, Mike Moore and Jeff Russell, and catcher Jamie Quirk, second baseman Randy Ready, and outfielder Willie Wilson. Honeycutt agreed to a one-year, $725,000 contract with Oakland and and Gossage agreed to a minor league contract worth $5,000 a month. Curt Young also agreed to a minor league deal.

The Detroit Tigers re-signed right-hander Bill Gullickson for two years at $2.3 million per year. The Tigers re-signed Lou Whitaker to a three-year contract worth $10 million. . . . The Dodgers have reportedly offered Lenny Harris to the Houston Astros. . . . The Cleveland Indians are talking with Bobby Ojeda. . . . The Dodgers chose Dera Clark, a right-handed pitcher, and Doug Fitzer, a left-hander, in Monday’s minor league draft. . . . The Seattle Mariners signed former Dodger Mike Marshall, 32, to a triple-A contract and invited him to spring training. Marshall spent last season in Japan, where he failed to produce and was sent to the minors by the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Angel executive Whitey Herzog’s other talks involved the Braves, but his ability to swing a deal hinged on several factors. Atlanta was awaiting a response to its $32-million contract offer to free-agent pitcher Greg Maddux, who on Monday went on a tour of the New York suburbs with Yankee General Manager Gene Michael. If the Braves sign Maddux, they will rid themselves of other high-salaried players; one they deem expendable without requiring much return is left-hander Charlie Leibrandt, who earned $2.6 million plus incentives in 1992. That’s high for the Angels, but they might take it if they can’t find a proven starter for the fourth or fifth spots in their rotation. The Angels are also interested in outfielder Ron Gant, but that hinges on whether Deion Sanders signs a contract to play baseball exclusively instead of playing both baseball and football. . . . Of the Angels’ five free agents, only infielder Rene Gonzales was offered arbitration.

Material from the Associated Press is included in this story.