Advertisement

Angels, Joyner Exchange Their Arbitration Figures

Share
Times Staff Writer

The Angels and Wally Joyner exchanged arbitration figures Friday, but not pleasantries.

The Angels filed at $750,000. Joyner, who earned $340,000 last season, came in at $965,000. If it goes to a February hearing, an arbitrator will choose one of the two figures as Joyner’s 1989 salary.

Joyner and the Angels can continue negotiating until the arbitrator makes a decision, but attorney Barry Axelrod, who represents Joyner, said the $215,000 difference seems too large to produce a compromise.

He said the $750,000 offer was another example of the Angels’ refusal to negotiate in good faith with Joyner, who held out last spring, when he was not eligible for arbitration, before accepting the $340,000 proposal.

Advertisement

“In a word, I was amused, as was Wally, who was also somewhat hurt--again,” Axelrod said.

Axelrod said that Joyner’s $965,000 figure was carefully arrived at and took into consideration his accomplishments compared to other players of his experience.

Axelrod listed Kirby Puckett, Jose Canseco, Will Clark, Eric Davis, Joe Carter and Danny Tartabull, all of whom are now in the $1-million range or will be when they sign 1989 contracts.

Axelrod conceded that Joyner’s home run production fell off significantly last year, from 34 to 13, but said that he still had another outstanding year, batting .295 with 85 runs batted in.

“He had more RBIs than Mike Marshall, who led the Dodgers,” Axelrod said.

Marshall drove in 82 runs and signed a multiyear contract that raised his salary from $760,000 to $1 million in 1989.

Angel General Manager Mike Port disagreed with Axelrod, saying the exchange of arbitration figures defined the floor and ceiling and left “a lot of room in between for (compromise) possibilities.” He said he was hopeful of conducting serious discussions leading to an amicable settlement.

If it goes to arbitration, the Angels’ case will be argued by Tal Smith, former general manager of the Houston Astros

Advertisement
Advertisement