BASEBALL WINTER MEETINGS : Dodgers Win Worrell War : Bidding: They don’t require a physical to sign free-agent relief pitcher to three-year, $9.5-million deal.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —  The Dodgers won a different type of game Wednesday when they signed Todd Worrell to a three-year contract worth $9.5 million, including a $1.25-million signing bonus.

That brought the native Californian back home and gave the team its first premier closer since 1989.

Worrell spent Tuesday night deciding which team to choose after the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves made comparable offers to lure the right-handed reliever, who has spent his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals.

But the Braves had some questions about Worrell’s injuries to his right elbow and shoulder, which caused him to miss the 1990 and 1991 seasons. They wanted Worrell to get a physical before he signed, which would have delayed negotiations another week.

The Dodgers did not require a physical, but then, they had the advantage of listening to the advice of team doctor Frank Jobe, who performed both of Worrell’s surgeries. The Dodgers did not want to risk keeping the negotiations open and losing out to another club. (The Boston Red Sox were also interested.)

“I offered to take a physical for both the Dodgers and the Braves, and I have nothing to hide and everything was out in the open,” Worrell said from St. Louis, where he lives.

“But the Dodgers were hot on my trail from the first day that I became a free agent. I was trying to keep the Dodgers happy and interested and the physical would have put a decision off for another week and I felt I couldn’t do that. I didn’t want to jeopardize it. Not after all I have been through. That’s the way it developed and it pushed me over to the Dodgers.”

Worrell, who is from Arcadia, pitched in 67 games last season in the set-up role for Lee Smith and had a 5-3 record with three saves and a 2.11 earned-run average. He had 64 strikeouts and gave up only 15 runs in 64 innings, with five of those runs in one outing.

Worrell was the Cardinals’ closer for four seasons from 1986 through 1989, during which he had 121 saves. At the end of the 1989 season he injured his right elbow, had surgery to repair ligaments and sat out the next season.

In 1991, Worrell pitched in a few rehabilitation games, but his elbow wasn’t strong enough and he injured his right shoulder. He underwent rotator cuff surgery and again sat out an entire season.

Last season, the Cardinals nursed him back slowly, rarely pitching him on consecutive days and for more than one inning on only three occasions.

“We watched Todd pitch, we saw him pitch late in the season and pitch in back-to-back games,” said Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ executive vice president. “We know what kind of program he was on, what kind of player he is. He wants to be the person who is out there in the ninth inning with the game on the line and that’s what we want.

“There are always concerns when a player has had surgery. We had to make the same call on Orel Hershiser last year and he went out and pitched in 30-plus games. Todd is the same type of player as Orel, his work ethic is the same. I bank on Orel giving 110% every time he goes out there, and I think Todd is the same.”

The Dodgers had only 29 saves last season, but then, there were not many opportunities. They finished last in the league in saves and lost 40 games by one run. They had 18 blown saves.

“I think it’s outstanding that we got him,” Hershiser said. “I know we will be able to count on him. The way he threw the ball at the end of last year was unbelievable. From midseason on he was ready to be the closer, but he had Lee Smith there.

“Now we have three guys in him, (Jim) Gott and Roger (McDowell) that have been through the wars and know how to do it.”

The team expects to use right-handers McDowell and Gott in the set-up role for Worrell. The left-hander in the bullpen is Steve Wilson. But Worrell, thinking about the resiliency of his rehabilitated arm, has already spoken with Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda about overuse.

“It’s best for me and the team not to run me ragged,” Worrell said. “If I need a day off, I need to take it. Even before I got hurt there were days that I needed off.”

Worrell, 33, graduated from Maranatha High in Arcadia and obtained a bachelor of science degree in Christian education from Biola College in La Mirada. He was the Cardinals’ first-round draft pick in 1982 and in 1986, his first major league season, he established a rookie record for saves with a league-high 36 and was named rookie of the year. He had 33 saves in 1987, 32 in 1988 and 20 in 1989, despite injuring his right elbow in September. In 348 relief outings, he has 129 saves, a 33-33 record with a 2.56 ERA.

Worrell will be paid $2 million in each of the next two seasons and $4.25 million in 1995.

The Dodgers have not had a reliable closer since 1989, when Jay Howell saved 28 games. But Howell’s effectiveness dwindled the next three seasons as he suffered numerous injuries. The Dodgers cut him loose Monday when they chose not to offer him arbitration.

“The Dodgers came after me as a piece of their puzzle,” Worrell said. “There is only one way to go with the team, and that’s up.”

The Dodgers are still talking with third baseman Wade Boggs. Boggs’ agent, Alan Nero, flew to Florida to meet with Boggs, but the Dodgers are believed to be the only team interested.

In spring training last season, Boggs turned down a two-year $9.25-million offer from Boston.

“We want four guys we can put in that infield 150 games a year--we have to have consistent defense,” Claire said. “We signed Jody Reed for second base, we have Eric Karros at first and Jose Offerman at shortstop and we have to have someone at third who can play every day.”

Todd Worrell’s Statistics

The statistics of relief pitcher Todd Worrell in his six seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was signed Wednesday by the Dodgers.

REGULAR SEASON

Year G IP W-L SV BB SO ERA 1985 17 21 2/3 3-0 5 7 17 2.91 1986 74 103 2/3 9-10 36 41 73 2.08 1987 75 94 2/3 8-6 33 34 92 2.66 1988 68 90 5-9 32 34 78 3.00 1989 47 51 2/3 3-5 20 26 41 2.96 1992 67 64 5-3 3 25 64 2.11 Totals 348 425 2/3 33-33 129 167 365 2.56

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Year G IP W-L SV BB SO ERA 1985 4 6 1/3 1-0 0 2 3 1.42 1987 3 4 1/3 0-0 1 1 6 2.08 Total 7 10 2/3 1-0 1 3 9 1.69

WORLD SERIES

Year G IP W-L SV BB SO ERA 1985 3 4 2/3 0-1 1 2 6 3.86 1987 4 7 0-0 2 4 3 1.29 Total 7 11 2/3 0-1 3 6 9 2.31