Padres Sign Martinez for Two Years

The Padres reduced their list of arbitration-eligible players to two Wednesday when they signed left fielder Carmelo Martinez to a two-year contract.

Mark Davis and Chris Brown are the only two remaining unsigned players who have at least three years of big-league service and thus are eligible for arbitration.

Martinez finished the 1987 season with a .322 average in his final 27 games, good for .273 overall, with 15 homers and 70 RBI. He has played well in Puerto Rico this winter and reportedly has lost weight. Club officials hope his concentration will improve this season, as he no longer will be shuttled between positions. Last season, he played 76 games in left field and 50 at first base.

The Padres now have six players under multiyear contracts: Martinez, Garry Templeton, Ed Whitson, Tony Gwynn and Eric Show.

FOOTBALL

Haywood Mathis, a 6-foot 3-inch linebacker from Mount Miguel High School, has orally committed to San Diego State. Mathis was a first-team San Diego Section All-County selection last fall.

Former Iowa quarterback Dan McGwire has been admitted to San Diego State for the spring semester, SDSU Athletic Director Fred Miller said in a news release. McGwire, a sophomore from Claremont High School in Los Angeles County, will not be eligible to play for the Aztecs until the 1989 season.