Orosco Says He Hasn’t Received an Offer : Sax, Pena and Soto Are Latest Dodgers to File, Joining Griffin

At least one of the seven Dodgers eligible for free agency believes he has no realistic chance of signing before the club’s deadline of Friday midnight, so he will file for free agency today.

Agent Alan Meersand said Wednesday night that relief pitcher Jesse Orosco has been “used and misused” in the negotiating process after being “used and misused” by Manager Tom Lasorda during the course of the season.

Meersand and Orosco said the Dodgers have yet to make a contract offer.

“It seems clear to us that Jesse will be pitching elsewhere next year,” Meersand said, adding that he will file for free agency today.

Orosco will be the fifth of the seven eligible Dodgers to preserve that option. Shortstop Alfredo Griffin filed Monday, the same day that the Dodgers signed pitchers Jay Howell and Fernando Valenzuela, who were also eligible for free agency. Second baseman Steve Sax and pitchers Alejandro Pena and Mario Soto filed Wednesday, leaving only outfielders Mike Marshall and Mickey Hatcher yet to file.

In an effort to avoid a bidding war with other clubs, Executive Vice President Fred Claire said he will sever negotiations with any unsigned Dodger who has filed for free agency at Friday midnight.

All free agents become eligible to accept bids from any club Saturday.

Meersand said he is confident there will be a market for Orosco, the 31-year-old left-hander who was 3-2 with 9 saves and a 2.72 earned-run average in 55 appearances, pitching primarily in spot situations after Howell emerged as the late-inning closer.

Orosco was paid $1 million in the final year of a 3-year contract he originally signed with the New York Mets. Meersand said Orosco believed he was still a $1-million pitcher, despite his irregular use by Lasorda, and hoped to sign a 2-year contract at the same salary. But the Dodgers, Meersand said, have been stringing him and lawyer Steve Solomon along through a meeting Monday and a series of phone calls.

“We sat in the meeting Monday and heard Fred say that he considered Jesse a valuable part of the club and wanted him back, but they keep putting off an offer. How can we negotiate against a deadline if there’s no offer?” Meersand said. “It comes down to the fact that they don’t have the guts to make an offer. They want us to make the decision for them.”

Meersand said he received three calls from either Claire or club counsel Sam Fernandez Wednesday, with Fernandez finally telling him that the Dodgers weren’t prepared to make an offer.

“He went on to say that if they did make an offer it would be for one year at the maximum 20% pay cut, which is completely unacceptable to Jesse,” Meersand said, adding that the rejection of Orosco at a time when the Dodgers have guaranteed $2.2 million to the oft-injured Howell compounded the hurt.