Angels Fulfill Two Goals, Continue to Pursue a Third : Baseball: After retooling infield and cutting their payroll, emphasis will be on talks with Chili Davis.

In revamping their infield and reducing their payroll, the Angels accomplished two of three objectives they had set for the winter meetings. Accomplishing their third goal--re-acquiring Chili Davis to be their designated hitter--was delayed Wednesday while club executives returned to California from the meetings. Talks are scheduled to resume today and both sides are optimistic an agreement will be reached.

Lengthy discussions that recessed at 2:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) Wednesday shaped a deal that would pay Davis about $2.5 million per year for two years. The last offer from Minnesota, where Davis spent two seasons after departing the Angels as a new-look free agent, was for a one-year deal with a salary of $800,000 plus up to $700,000 in incentives.

Davis, who played for the Angels from 1988-90 and twice led the team in runs batted in, earned $2.8 million with the Twins in 1992.

“We want to try and get this resolved in the next day or so,” said Davis’ agent, Tom Reich. “I like the fit and I think it makes a lot of sense. Chili would like to go back and we’re going to keep working on this.”

Angel Senior Vice President Whitey Herzog was equally eager to settle the details. He completed two major trades, sending Jim Abbott to the New York Yankees for first baseman J.T. Snow and pitchers Jerry Nielsen and Russ Springer Sunday and acquired Toronto third baseman Kelly Gruber for Luis Sojo Tuesday.

“If we can get this done, we can go on and get that fifth starter we need and we can be competitive,” Herzog said from his home outside St. Louis. “I really think right now, if I was a manager, I would not mind managing the Angels next year because I think we have a chance of winning.”

Herzog again said Dave Winfield would be his next choice if negotiations with Davis break down, but Winfield’s agent, Jeff Klein, said he hadn’t been contacted by the Angels.

Klein said he talked to the Boston Red Sox until they signed Andre Dawson and is continuing talks with the Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers.

“If they’re going to get into it, they ought to get into it soon,” Klein said of the Angels.

Winfield, 41, hit 49 home runs and drove in 164 runs in two seasons with the Angels but Herzog elected to buy out his contract rather than pay him $3 million in 1992. After rejecting the Angels’ attempt to re-sign him at $2 million, Winfield signed with the Blue Jays for one year at $2.3 million.

Notes

Hubie Brooks, who wasn’t offered arbitration by the Angels, is still shopping for a job. Brooks’ agent, Richie Bry, is hopeful the Dodgers might sign Brooks as a pinch-hitter. “He wants to stay in Los Angeles,” Bry said. . . . Reich, who also represents Lance Parrish, said he hasn’t received any offers for the 36-year-old catcher. Parrish finished the season with the Mariners after the Angels released him in June. . . . The Blue Jays have ended their talks with former Angel Dick Schofield, who wasn’t offered arbitration by the Mets. . . . The Mets asked Herzog if he’d part with Julian Vazquez, the pitcher they sent to the Angels with Julio Valera for Schofield. Herzog said no.