Orioles Get Davis to Angels’ Surprise : Baseball: Deal to send Joyner to Astros falls through when Baltimore trades three players to Houston.

ANAHEIM —  Neither Glenn Davis nor Angel President Richard Brown went where Brown intended Thursday.

When he left his office Wednesday, Brown thought he was close to acquiring the power-hitting Davis in a package that included trading Wally Joyner to the Houston Astros. While driving to Anaheim Stadium Thursday morning, Brown was stunned to hear on the radio that the Astros had traded Davis to Baltimore for right-handed pitchers Curt Schilling and Pete Harnisch and outfielder Steve Finley.

“I was so surprised, I missed my turnoff on the 55 Freeway and ended up in Newport Beach,” Brown said. “I had to turn around. . . .”

Thursday’s unexpected turn meant the Angels will renew their pursuit of Gary Gaetti. After offering Gaetti a four-year, $10.8-million contract last month, the Angels held back to see if they could acquire Davis, who earned $1.985 million last season and reportedly will seek a contract worth $4 million annually when he becomes a free agent after next season.

“If we would have gotten Davis, we would have been candid with Gary and told him our offer was off the table,” Brown said. “We’re in contact with his agent to once again push the thing forward.”

Brown also said the Angels are not offering Joyner around and discuss him only when other clubs ask.

“Wally Joyner is going to be our first baseman for 1991 unless something dramatic turns that around,” Brown said.

After shopping Davis vigorously, the Astros took the Orioles’ offer because it gave them pitching and a pared-down payroll. Harnisch, a member of Baltimore’s rotation last season, was 11-11 with a 4.34 earned-run average in 31 starts. Schilling was 1-2 with a 2.54 ERA in 35 relief appearances. Finley hit .256 last season with three home runs, 37 runs batted in and 22 stolen bases.

The other key statistics, however, are their salaries. Astro owner John McMullen, who is attempting to sell his club, is reducing the payroll to make a purchase more attractive. Together, Harnisch, Finley and Schilling earned $348,000 last season, $1,637,000 less than Davis.

Houston considered it a drawback that Joyner will be eligible for free agency after next season and undoubtedly will want a long and lucrative contract. Because of high salaries, the Astros have let first baseman Franklin Stubbs, outfielder Terry Puhl and pitchers Dave Smith, Danny Darwin and Juan Agosto depart through free agency.

“(Davis’) value became more important on the trade side in the midst of a rebuilding program,” Astro General Manager Bill Wood said. “We’ve helped ourselves immensely with three individuals who are highly regarded. . . . We made every effort to sign him right up until recently, but it became obvious that we would not have the dollars to keep him.”

Davis, who batted .251 with 22 homers and 64 RBIs last season, had conflicting emotions Thursday. “I’m a little disappointed and upset, and at the same time I’m excited,” he said. “I know that the situation for me now is the best thing that can happen, based on what I’ve seen of other players coming through this organization--Nolan Ryan and others.”

The Astros failed to sign Ryan after the 1988 season and he has prospered with the Texas Rangers.

Brown was surprised that the Astros got relatively little for Davis. “Had Houston held out, they might have gotten a better package,” Brown said. “But that’s evaluating that package today. Tomorrow, they may have two 20-game winners. If things were allowed to develop and we decided that was the avenue we wanted to pursue, we might have offered a more attractive package.”

At least one Astro believed Baltimore got the better of the deal. “I think this is a bogus trade,” pitcher Mark Portugal said. “I don’t know where 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in per year are going to come from. I’m not happy about this.”