Free Agents Can Go Back Today : Owners Get Way as Most Will Sign With Original Teams

It is being construed as a victory for management, but the ultimate decision will be rendered by arbitrator Tom Roberts when he rules on the contention of the Major League Players Assn. that baseball’s owners have acted in concert to restrict the movement of free agents.

A decision on the union’s collusion grievance is expected in July or August.

In the meantime, it should become apparent again today that the owners have achieved a major objective, which was to force the top free agents to return to their previous teams.

As of 12:01 today, May 1, the following free agents were eligible to re-sign with their previous teams and were expected to do so:

Outfielder Tim Raines of the Montreal Expos, catcher Rich Gedman of the Boston Red Sox, pitcher Ron Guidry of the New York Yankees, pitcher Doyle Alexander of the Atlanta Braves and catcher Bob Boone of the Angels.

All could be in uniform tonight--or, at least, by the end of the weekend.

Although they were prohibited from negotiating with their former teams between Jan. 8 and today, it is believed that a number of agreements already are in place:

--The Expos are expected to re-sign Raines, last year’s National League batting champion, for the same three-year, $4.8-million package he originally rejected. He was romanced some by the San Diego Padres and Houston Astros, but would have had to take a cut from his $1.5-million salary of last year.

Neither the Padres nor Astros permitted counter negotiations--and Raines was unable to elicit a bid from the Dodgers, his first choice. He has been working out in Sarasota, Fla., where his attorney, Tom Reich, has an office. Reich was expected to complete the deal at a 12:01 meeting with Montreal officials.

--Gedman, it is believed, was close to a March deal with the Oakland A’s only to have A’s owner Walter J. Haas--under suspected pressure from the owners’ player relations committee--intervene at the 11th hour and thwart the attempt of General Manager Sandy Alderson and Manager Tony LaRussa to sign him.

Gedman also talked with the Astros, but didn’t get an offer comparable to the three-year, $2.65-million contract initially proposed by the Red Sox. Gedman is expected to accept that same offer, minus, perhaps, a prorated April salary, when his agent, Jack Sands, meets with Red Sox officials this morning.

Gedman has been working out in the Boston area after earlier working out with Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens in Texas. He and Boone could both be catching in a weekend series between the Red Sox and Angels in Anaheim, though the Angels may first send Boone to the minors for conditioning.

--Boone rejected a Jan. 8 deadline offer of one year at $883,000. He later told The Times that the Angels had assured him that the offer would remain on the table May 1.

General Manager Mike Port has refused to confirm or deny that and says now there is nothing wrong with the jobs Butch Wynegar and Darrell Miller have done as Boone’s replacements.

Still, it would be a surprise if the Angels did not re-sign Boone, who is held in high esteem by Manager Gene Mauch and Angel pitchers. At 39, Boone follows a rigorous workout schedule. He is a Gold Glove catcher who received no other offers.

--Guidry, the Louisiana farmer, has acknowledged that he will rejoin the Yankees, probably for a year, maybe two, at the $825,000 a year he originally rejected. His agent, Reggie Ringuet, will meet with Yankee officials in Florida this morning.

Guidry is tentatively scheduled to make two starts for the Yankees’ Columbus farm team before rejoining the varsity’s rotation. He talked with the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles, but did not receive an offer.

--Alexander is scheduled to meet with Atlanta officials this morning. He has had little contact with anyone in baseball and seemed to be out of the Braves’ plans until the team got off to another struggling start.

Alexander initially rejected a two-year, $2.37-million Atlanta offer. It is unlikely he will be offered as much now.

Three other free agents chose other routes:

--Atlanta first baseman Bob Horner signed a contract to play in Japan.

--Montreal outfielder Andre Dawson rejected a two-year, $2-million offer from the Expos and eventually signed with the Chicago Cubs for a 1987 guarantee of $500,000.

--Detroit catcher Lance Parrish turned down the Tigers’ $1.2-million offer for 1987 and signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for $800,000.

Altogether, 80 players filed for free agency at the end of the 1986 season. Only 15 have moved to other teams and 34 remain unsigned, including Dave Kingman, Charlie Moore, Danny Heep, Tom Seaver and Lonnie Smith.

A victory for the owners?

“If by victory you mean that collusion is working, yes it’s working,” Donald Fehr, executive director of the players’ association, said Thursday. “That’s why we’re fighting it,”

Alluding to Raines, Gedman, Boone, Guidry and Alexander, he said: “You have all these people and they’re not good to anyone except their former teams. You tell me if that’s not collusion. Yes, it’s a victory, but in my mind it will be a short-lived one.”