Finley, D-Backs On Verge Of Deal

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

December 3, 1998 / 11:17 PM EST / CBS Sportsline

Arizona just doesn't stop spreading the big bucks around.

After spending $95.6 million to overhaul their pitching staff, the Diamondbacks had more money left and were on the verge of signing center fielder Steve Finley to a four-year contract worth at least $20 million.

"Maybe this was supposed to happen," Finley said Thursday. "Arizona wanted me over there real bad."

Finley's agent, Tommy Tanzer, said San Diego's offer was less than half of Arizona's -- and the lowest of the six he received.

"I think San Diego wanted me here, but they wanted me under their terms," Finley said from his home. "It was unfortunate that it's the way it happened, but the game's a business."

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After helping San Diego reach the World Series for the first time since 1984, Finley was surprised the Padres offered him only a three-year contract worth about $12 million.

"If I can't be in San Diego, Arizona is the next-best option," Finley said. "If San Diego doesn't contend the next few years and Arizona does, I want to play for a winner. That's where I'll be."

Tanzer said the deal was pretty much together but details couldn't be completed Thursday. Owner Jerry Colangelo was at the NBA labor talks in New York (he also owns the Phoenix Suns) and general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. was at the baseball owners' meeting in Chicago.

Finley hit a career-low .249 this year with 14 homers and 67 RBI. Two years ago, Finley set career highs in batting average (.297), doubles (45), home runs (30) and RBI (95) and won his second consecutive Gold Glove.

"My year was not a bad year, it was inconsistent," Finley said of 1998. "I expect to be back up to my peak level. I do a good job of keeping my body in shape."

Arizona ws looking to replace the hole created when Devon White agreed to a $12.4 million, three-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Diamondbacks' off-season improvements caught the eye of Finley, who visited Arizona on Nov. 23 but expected to stay with San Diego. On Tuesday, he called Tanzer and said, "Did you see what Arizona did?"

Arizona reshaped its rotation by signing Randy Johnson to a $52.4 million, four-year contract, Todd Stottlemyre to a $32 million, four-year deal and Armando Reynoso to a $5.5 million, two-year contract.

Greg Swindell joins the bullpen with a $5.7 million, three-year deal and backup first baseman Greg Colbrunn comes to Arizona with a $1.8 million, two-year contract.

"The day they got Randy Johnson, he got a little more sold," Tanzer said. "If those guys (the Padres) had done Kevin (Brown) right away, it would be a whole different dynamic. Instead, they were waiting to do Kevin. I don't know why Kevin would want to do this.

"If they tried to save dimes to spend dollars, now they got dollars. But I can't imagine that the top pitcher would want to take those dollars and be there without a lot of the veterans who helped them get on top."

By the time the seasons starts in April, Arizona probably will have worked out a trade for either Brian Anderson or Omar Daal, since they both won't fit in the starting rotation.