Dodgers Join Bidding for Infielder Hudler

On a day the Dodgers officially bade farewell to second baseman Delino DeShields, they picked up one infielder off waivers and made a serious bid to acquire another.

The Dodgers picked up infielder Nelson Liriano off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates and have offered a two-year contract for about $1.5 million to free-agent second baseman Rex Hudler.

“We like [Hudler] a lot and we are very much interested,” said Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president, “but we’ll see where it all leads.”

Hudler, who batted .311 last season with the Angels, scoring 60 runs with 16 homers and 40 runs batted in, said that he also has two-year contract offers from the Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians.

“I like the Dodgers, and what a great organization,” Hudler said, “but they would have to up their ante. I’m willing to take a little less, but not that much less.”

Liriano, 32, a switch-hitter, will compete for a utility role. He batted .267 with three homers and 30 RBIs in 112 games. The Dodgers made room for Liriano, who batted .304 in the second half, by releasing DeShields, who ended his three-year tenure with the Dodgers by signing a one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals for about $1.6 million, with a club option in 1998. The Cincinnati Reds had been interested in DeShields but were unable to trade second baseman Bret Boone to make room for DeShields.

“I don’t have any hard feelings toward the Dodgers or anybody over there,” DeShields said. “It was just very frustrating. It was just a matter of me playing through some nagging injuries. I feel confident this will be a good move for me.”