FREE AGENTS : Detroit Slugger Kirk Gibson May Spark a Bidding War; Reliever Donnie Moore Gets a Serious Offer From Angels

By ROSS NEWHAN

Oct. 29, 1985 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

The conclusion of the World Series trumpets the beginning of the Winter Games. Monday was the first day that a modest list of 77 eligible players could file for free agency.

The name that stands above the rest is that of Detroit right fielder Kirk Gibson, who was expected to file immediately and will ultimately challenge for one of the finest contracts ever generated by this procedure.

Even the traditionally conservative Kansas City Royals, baseball’s new champions, are expected to compete for Gibson, who feels that he has yet to be offered satisfactory dough by pizza king Tom Monaghan, the Tiger owner.

The New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs are expected to join a bidding war that may be matched only by the availability of Angel relief pitcher Donnie Moore, who filed for free agency at 9 a.m. Monday, then received a new offer from the Angels that left agent David Pinter thinking that the club is now serious in its desire to keep Moore.

Moore, 31, and Gibson, 28, are at the top of their game.

There is a secondary group of veteran players, who, in some cases, may be comparably pursued because the financial demands will be less than those of Gibson and Moore.

They are:

Catchers--Carlton Fisk of the Chicago White Sox, Darrell Porter of the St. Louis Cardinals, Butch Wynegar of the New York Yankees and Steve Yeager of the Dodgers.

Starting Pitchers--Danny Darwin of the Milwaukee Brewers, David Palmer of the Montreal Expos, Tommy John of the Oakland A’s, Phil and Joe Niekro of the Yankees, Scott Sanderson of the Chicago Cubs and Don Sutton of the Angels.

Relief Pitchers--Doug Bair and Bill Campbell of the Cardinals, Jamie Easterly of the Cleveland Indians, Al Holland of the Angels and Dan Spillner of the White Sox.

First basemen--Bruce Bochte and Dave Kingman of the A’s, Rod Carew of the Angels, Mike Hargrove of the Indians and Tony Perez of the Cincinnati Reds.

Infielders--Tony Bernazard of the Indians, Tom Brookens and Doug Flynn of the Tigers, Rich Dauer and Len Sakata of the Baltimore Orioles, Phil Garner and Dickie Thon of the Houston Astros, Richie Hebner of the Cubs and Bobby Grich of the Angels.

Outfielders--Dusty Baker of the A’s, Juan Beniquez of the Angels, Cesar Cedeno of the Cardinals, Jim Dwyer of the Orioles, Steve Henderson of the A’s, Lynn Jones of the Royals, Garry Maddox of the Philadelphia Phillies, Gary Mathews of the Cubs and Al Oliver of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Managers--Pete Rose of the Reds.

Any eligible player opting for free agency must file within 15 days after the World Series. The player can sign only with his previous club in that period but can be contacted by other clubs, who are not allowed to make offers until the 15 days are up. Under the terms of baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement, there is no longer a re-entry draft. A player who has filed for free agency can sign with any of the 26 clubs.

In addition, the use of a professional player as compensation for a club that loses a free agent has been eliminated.

Last year, for example, when Type A free agent Fred Lynn left the Angels and signed with Baltimore, the Angels ultimately found a relief ace in the compensation pool, selecting Moore, who had not been protected by Atlanta.

Now, when a club signs a free agent of any stature, it must compensate the players’ former club with a selection from the next amateur draft.

Technicalities aside, the Dodgers already have announced that they will not participate in this year’s free-agent carnival, choosing to pursue the needed left-handed relief pitcher by trade while continuing to emphasize farm-system development.

In addition to Yeager, the Dodgers could lose pitcher Bobby Castillo and pinch-hitter Jay Johnstone. Castillo may be retained, but Johnstone seems certain to go. Steve Kaller, representing Yeager, will meet with Vice President Al Campanis today.

Yeager is believed to want a two-year contract that would include the guarantee of future employment as a coach or instructor. The Dodgers, convinced that Gilberto Reyes is ready to become Mike Scioscia’s backup, may be unwilling to go beyond one year.

The Angels are looking for a defensive-oriented catcher to spell Bob Boone, who set an all-time record by catching 150 games at 37. A possibility, in addition to Yeager, is the switch-hitting Wynegar, who caught under Manager Gene Mauch when he was with the Twins. Otherwise, the Angels are expected to take a conservative approach to a market they once subsidized.

Owner Gene Autry already has ruled out Gibson, saying he would not enter a bidding war with the Tigers or enter the market “at the level Gibson will demand.”

Of nine potential free agents, the Angels will not retain Carew and Holland, seem certain to sign Grich and Sutton and are expected to offer spring invitations to pitchers Ken Forsch and Geoff Zahn, who are coming off arm operations and will have to prove they are contract worthy.

That leaves:

--Reggie Jackson, who can become a free agent by waiving his option year. Jackson, 40 next May, wants a raise from $975,000 and another option for 1987. It would be a surprise if he left.

--Beniquez, who led the Angels in hitting again (.304) while earning $365,000. Agent Ray Negron is chasing a multiyear contract at more than $500,000 per year, but Beniquez will be 36 in May. It is unlikely that the Angels will offer more than two years, creating the suspicion that Beniquez will definitely file and ultimately leave. He may find a benefactor in division-rival Kansas City.

--Moore, who earned $375,000 while registering a club-record 31 saves. The Angels have offered two years at $700,000 per year, but the proposal was extended to three years Monday. Agent Pinter is talking four years at $5 million to $6 million, but of the new proposal he said: “I feel we now have a basis for continued negotiations.” He said, however, that Moore will definitely test the market and is confident that both New York teams, in addition to the Orioles and Phillies among others, will make significant bids.

Gibson, meanwhile, reportedly is seeking a five-year contract at $1.5 million per year. The Tigers have offered only three years, but are ultimately expected to match Gibson’s best offer, fearful that the loss of Gibson in the wake of a disappointing defense of their world championship would destroy fan support.

Agent Doug Baldwin, reached by phone at his Seattle office, said Gibson has not shut the door on the Tigers “but my last conversation with (General Manager) Bill Lajoie left little room for negotiations. I know they’d love to have Kirk stay in Detroit, but on the basis of our conversations, Kirk has no other choice but to test his value.”

Gibson, of course, has it all. Speed, power, arm. He made $675,000 in 1985 and earned it with a .287 average 29 homers, 97 RBIs and 30 stolen bases.

“Kirk has no preference as to leagues,” Baldwin said. “But he wants an environment in which the organization is committed to winning.”

Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, whose offer would include a right-field porch even more tempting than Tiger Stadium’s, will provide tough competition, but the intriguing pursuit will come from the Royals, who seldom travel the free-agent route but are now determined to find hitting help for George Brett.

Gibson is an outdoorsman, an iconoclast away from the field. Kansas City and its rural atmosphere would seem more to his mold than the Bronx Zoo. He is also a former Michigan State football star who has strong ties to the Detroit area.

Complicating the picture is speculation that the Angels will ultimately get involved, particularly if it appears that Kansas City has the inside track to Gibson. A Brett-Gibson tandem parlayed to the Royals’ quality pitching would seem to leave Kansas City unbeatable in the West.

Elsewhere:

--The Yankees, faced with the loss of Wynegar, are hopeful of acquiring Fisk, either by trade or free agency. If Fisk remains with the White Sox, it will be as a left fielder.

--The Niekro brothers, apparently operating as a tandem and once believed headed to Atlanta, are now thought to be in limbo. The Yankees reportedly would like to retain Joe but feel they have gotten all they can get out of Phil. Atlanta’s new management team of Bobby Cox and Chuck Tanner is not thought to be high on either.

--The A’s are hopeful of retaining Baker and Kingman, but at less than their 1985 salaries of $700,000 and $875,000, respectively. Outfielder Dave Collins could become the 78th free agent if the A’s, as expected, cough up $175,000 to buy out his contract by Nov. 1.

--The Cubs are hopeful of retaining Sanderson, Mathews and Hebner, though the versatile Hebner will be widely pursued, particularly by the Braves and Mets.

--The Blue Jays are not expected to retain Oliver, while the Cardinals will reportedly pass on Porter, Cedeno and Campbell. There are seven Cardinals eligible for free agency. Only one, pinch-hitter Steve Braun, seems likely to stay.

--The Reds, of course, are expected to retain two of the players responsible for their surprising success, the first-base platoon of Perez and Rose. The latter will forfeit free agency in favor of the continuing opportunity to do a little managing.

The names have changed from last year, but not the environment, perhaps. There was considerable anger expressed by agents and lawyers in response to the difficulty, the slow progress, in getting many of the free agents signed. There were hints of collusion among the owners, a conspiracy. Now the wails may be heard again. Aside from Gibson, Moore and some of the other familiar names, many of the 77 could come up empty or find they have sadly overestimated their value. It may not be collusion as much as sanity.

Let the games begin.

FREE AGENT LIST

AMERICAN LEAGUE Angels--Juan Beniquez, Rod Carew, Ken Forsch, Bobby Grich, Al Holland, Reggie Jackson, Donnie Moore, Don Sutton, Geoff Zahn.

Baltimore--Rich Dauer, Jim Dwyer, Len Sakata.

Boston--Rick Miller.

Chicago--Carlton Fisk, Dan Spillner.

Cleveland--Benny Ayala, Tony Bernazard, Jamie Easterly, Mike Hargrove, Vern Ruhle.

Detroit--Tom Brookens, Doug Flynn, Aurelio Lopez, Kirk Gibson.

Kansas City--Lynn Jones, Dane Iorg, Hal McRae and Jamie Quirk.

Milwaukee--Danny Darwin, Pete Vuckovich.

Minnesota--None.

New York Yankees--Joe and Phil Niekro, Rod Scurry, Butch Wynegar.