Angels Sign Witt to 3-Year Contract

Mike Witt, who had filed for salary arbitration seeking $600,000 in 1985, avoided the arbitration process Wednesday by signing a three-year contract with the Angels.

Terms were not revealed, but the deal is thought to guarantee Witt about $1.8 million, with a shot at about $360,000 more through an incentive package tied to innings pitched and season-ending awards.

Witt, who capped a 15-11 season last year by pitching a perfect game, would have been eligible for free agency as a six-year veteran in another two years had he not signed this contract. He said the security compensated for the loss of that option.

“Mike will be only 27 when the contract expires,” attorney Nick Lamprose said. “He’ll probably have two more contracts still open to him and he can consider free agency then. The security aspect of this contract was obviously appealing to him.”

Said Witt: “I feel I finally began to put my potential together last year and I’m glad the Angels feel I have the ability to continue that development over the next three years.”

Angel Notes The Angels held a luncheon at Anaheim Stadium Wednesday to introduce newly acquired relief pitcher Donnie Moore and outfielder Ruppert Jones. . . . Said General Manager Mike Port: “I’m now going after starting pitchers.” Port would not discuss specifics, but said he has had recent talks with Philadelphia, Toronto and Oakland, the latter regarding Don Sutton, who has said he will retire if he is not traded to the Angels, Dodgers or San Diego Padres. Said an American League executive Wednesday: “The A’s are willing to let Sutton sit rather than making a weak trade for him, particularly with a club in their division. They want a bona fide player in return.” . . . Of Moore’s addition to a bullpen that featured only Luis Sanchez and Doug Corbett, Manager Gene Mauch said: “We now have more people with better credentials than we had three years ago. (Don) Aase was only a sophomore reliever then, and we didn’t know about Sanchez.” Mauch alluded to 1982, when he managed the Angels to a division title. . . . Asked if Moore will be his No. 1 reliever, Mauch said, “The best man wins. We’ve now got some pretty good competition--in the bullpen, at first base (among Rod Carew, Daryl Sconiers and Bobby Grich), at second base (between Grich and Rob Wilfong) and in right field (among Mike Brown, Juan Beniquez and Jones). I think they’ll all welcome the challenge.”