Rather than go to salary arbitration, pitcher Scott Erickson and the Baltimore Orioles agreed Friday to a $6 million, two-year contract.
Erickson was among 14 players who agreed to contracts on the day salary arbitration figures were exchanged. After having a $1,862,500 salary in 1995, Erickson gets $2.8 million in 1996 and $3.2 million in 1997. The Orioles have a $3.6 million option for 1998 that becomes guaranteed if he pitches 200 innings in 1997.The Chicago White Sox settled with all three of their players in arbitration: pitchers Alex Fernandez ($4.5 million), Wilson Alvarez ($2.7 million) and Roberto Hernandez ($1.9 million). All three got raises from last season, when Fernandez made $3.25 million, Alvarez made $2.25 million and Hernandez made $1,175,000.
Cubs center fielder Brian McRae settled at $3.4 million, a raise of $750,000, and Houston outfielder Derek Bell settled at $2.6 million, a raise of $1.15 million. Pittsburgh pitcher Denny Neagle agreed at $2.35 million, more than triple his 1995 salary of $740,000.
Oakland agreed to one-year contracts with shortstop Mike Bordick and outfielder Geronimo Berroa. Bordick gets $1.85 million, a raise of $500,000. Berroa gets $1.15 million, a four-fold increase from his salary of $235,000 last season.
Shortstop Royce Clayton and St. Louis agreed at $1.6 million, more than three times his 1995 salary of $475,000. Texas pitcher Roger Pavlik settled at $1.1 million, a four-fold increase from his $255,000 salary last season.
Toronto settled with pitchers Paul Quantrill and Mike Timlin. Quantrill gets $775,000, up from $242,500, and Timlin gets $635,000, up from $500,000.
Right-hander Ryan Bowen and the Florida Marlins agreed to a $305,000, one-year contract, a raise of $120,000.