Angels Sign Don Sutton; Two Remain Unsigned

Free agent pitcher Don Sutton, seeking a two-year contract from the Angels, settled on a compromise Thursday--reaching an agreement for the 1986 season plus an option for 1987.

Sutton, 40, ended a long quest to play for a major league team near his Laguna Hills home when he was traded from the Oakland A’s to the Angels Sept. 10. Sutton went 2-2 with a 3.69 earned run average in five starts with the Angels. Overall, Sutton was 15-10 and had a 3.86 ERA in 1985, leaving him five victories short of 300 for his career.

According to Sutton’s business partner, Jim Riskas, the pitcher had negotiations with three other teams but “was always hopeful of signing here. This will bring some continuity to his career. He’ll be able to play at home for 1986 and, hopefully, 1987 and then call it quits.”

Sutton reportedly agreed to terms similar to his 1985 contract, which included a guaranteed salary of $500,000 plus incentives tied to the number of games started. Sutton started 34 games last season, earning him $260,000 in bonuses.

“He didn’t take a cut in pay,” Riskas said. “Mike (Port, Angel general manager) is a real fair guy. We have no gripes.”

Sutton is in Hawaii on a promotional trip with a sporting goods company. He handles his own negotiations and completed the deal with the Angels with a long-distance phone call.

“It was an unusual negotiation,” Port said, “but it shows that there is a little honor left in this world. We have an understanding. Once we’re on the same continent, we can get the contract typed and have Don sign it.”

The option in the contract is the Angels’, meaning the team will decide whether it wants Sutton back after 1986.

“Don could probably pitch for two or three more years,” Riskas said, “but if he has just one year left in him, the Angels have the option to let him go.”

Port said the agreement with Sutton is “an important finalization for us. We very much like the way our pitching staff stands up now.”

For once, the Angels appear to have a surplus of starting pitching. Sutton figures as part of a rotation that includes John Candelaria, Mike Witt, Ron Romanick and Kirk McCaskill, but the team also has three other experienced starters in Ken Forsch, Geoff Zahn and Urbano Lugo.

“We won’t go to San Diego (for the baseball winter meetings) looking to move a pitcher,” Port said, “but we might now be in a better position (to trade) if someone is looking for a starting pitcher.”

Port will go to the winter meetings, which begin Sunday, with two players still unsigned--relief pitcher Donnie Moore and outfielder Juan Beniquez. Port said he plans to resume talks with Moore and his agents there, but remains at an impasse with Beniquez.

According to Port, the Angels will request arbitration with Moore, which would extend the team’s negotiating rights with the pitcher until Jan. 8, but are uncertain about Beniquez.

“Juan is still solid in his interest for a multi-year contract and we are still solidly not in favor of taking that direction,” Port said. “We have not yet decided whether or not we want to enter arbitration with Juan.”

Under the new Basic Agreement, teams have until midnight, Saturday, to notify their own free agents if they wish to enter arbitration. If a team asks for arbitration, the player has until Dec. 19 to decide whether he wants to join the club in arbitration. If he declines, the team retains negotiating rights with him until Jan. 8.

But, if the team fails to notify a player by the deadline, it cannot re-sign him until May 1. That means Beniquez and the Angels may be parting ways if Port lets the deadline pass.