Early Trade of Mlicki Pays Off . . . for Tigers

General Manager Kevin Malone traded pitchers Dave Mlicki and Mel Rojas to the Detroit Tigers on April 16 for three pitching prospects in a payroll-cutting move.

Mlicki was an expensive insurance policy for the starting rotation, and Malone figured the group would be fine. And Mlicki didn’t fit into Manager Davey Johnson’s plans because he couldn’t work out of the bullpen.

So off Mlicki went.

As it turned out, Malone and Johnson were wrong. The Dodgers could have used Mlicki this season, and the Tigers benefited from their mistake.

Mlicki has established a new career high in victories, going 13-11 with a 4.53 earned-run average for Detroit. He has been outstanding during the second half of the season, going 9-2 with a 3.57 ERA since the All-Star break.

Moreover, Mlicki has victories in his last eight starts. Not bad for a Dodger castoff.

“I’ve always tried to do too much and think about too much,” said Mlicki, whose best previous season was 9-7 for the New York Mets in 1995. “Now, I’m not thinking two or three batters ahead. I’m not trying to overthrow pitches like I did in the past. It has been a matter of me putting my stuff together.

“I give [Tiger pitching coach] Dan [Warthen] a lot of credit for that, helping me with the mental aspect. I used to be negative when they’d have runners on first and second. Now, I think about getting ground balls.”

The right-hander is making $2.25 million this season. Mlicki will earn a $50,000 bonus if he pitches at least 200 innings. He has already worked 180 2/3 innings and is scheduled to make make another three starts.

Mlicki will be eligible for free agency after the 2000 season. Not surprisingly, the Tigers want to sign him to a multiyear deal this off-season.

“We’ll wait until the off-season to sit down with Dave,” Tiger General Manager Randy Smith said, “but he’s somebody we want back, and we believe he wants to be back.”

The three pitchers the Dodgers received in the Mlicki deal are not considered major prospects, several scouts said.

Right-hander Robinson Checo hasn’t distinguished himself while primarily working out of the bullpen for the Dodgers. Right-hander Apostol Garcia went 7-5 with a 3.36 ERA for double-A San Antonio, and left-hander Richard Roberts went 1-4 with a 6.04 ERA for Class-A Vero Beach.

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Pitcher Darren Dreifort said his throwing shoulder felt fine Friday two days after being forced from his last start because of stiffness.

“No problems,” said the right-hander, who also experienced shoulder stiffness late last season. “Nothing at all.”

Johnson isn’t convinced yet.

The manager said he is considering moving Dreifort back in the rotation to give his shoulder more rest. Dreifort was scheduled to start Monday against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium.

Rookie right-hander Eric Gagne will start Monday if Dreifort is moved to Tuesday, Johnson said.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’ CHAN HO PARK (10-10, 5.69 ERA) vs. ROCKIES’ PEDRO ASTACIO (15-10, 5.24 ERA)

Coors Field, noon PDT

Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330)

* Update--Park has victories in his last four decisions. However, the right-hander also has given up 15 earned runs in 25 innings during that span. Astacio has established a new personal best in victories. The former Dodger leads the Rockies’ staff in several categories.