Hershiser Files for Arbitration : Total of 136 Players Includes 5 Dodgers, Gooden and Clemens

Orel Hershiser was among five Dodgers and 130 players who filed for salary arbitration Monday, beating the 9 a.m. deadline.

A total of 136 players filed, the second-highest number since the process began in 1974, including two special cases involving relief pitcher Stewart Cliburn of the Angels and Steve Lyons of the Chicago White Sox.

The players and their clubs will go before impartial arbitrators sometime in February, with the arbitrator choosing either the salary figure submitted by the club or the player.

Negotiations between the club and player, however, can continue until the arbitrator makes his decision. In fact, two of the players, outfielder Tony Armas of the Angels and pitcher Scott Bailes of the Cleveland Indians, reached contract agreements Monday.

The 130 players who filed Monday will exchange salary figures with their clubs Thursday.

It seems certain that the arbitration record of $1.975 million, awarded to New York Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly before last season, will be broken.

Hershiser and two other renowned pitchers who filed Monday, Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox and Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets, are expected to seek more than $1.975 million.

Hershiser made $1.1 million last year when he went 23-8 with a 2.26 earned-run average and was voted the most valuable player in both the World Series and National League championship series.

Clemens made $1.5 million as he went 18-12 with a 2.93 ERA and led the American League in strikeouts. He is said to have already rejected Red Sox offers of $6.6 million for 3 years and $2.2 million for 1.

Gooden made $1.4 million as he went 18-9 with a 3.19 ERA. He is reportedly seeking a 3-year, $6-million contract, but the Mets are said to have offered only 2 years and an option on a third.

Hershiser is expected to submit a figure between $2 million and $2.5 million. He has said that if he emerges from the current negotiations with only a 1-year contract, he will leave the Dodgers as a free agent when the 1989 season ends.

Asked Monday if Hershiser or his attorney, Robert Fraley, had indicated as much in their negotiations, Dodger Executive Vice President Fred Claire refused to comment.

Neither Fraley nor Hershiser returned calls Monday, but Claire said he had talked with Fraley for several hours again Monday morning, that the negotiations on a multiyear contract were still alive and that he viewed Hershiser’s arbitration filing as nothing more than a procedural step.

Is he optimistic that the Dodgers can satisfy Hershiser’s quest for a multiyear contract?

“I try to view everything optimistically, but at the same time we haven’t reached an agreement yet,” he said.

Four other Dodgers exercised their rights and filed for arbitration: pitchers Tim Leary (1988 salary of $190,000) and Ray Searage, catcher Rick Dempsey ($250,000) and infielder Dave Anderson ($262,500).

Six Angels filed for arbitration Monday, bringing the total number still eligible for arbitration to eight.

Armas, who had filed for arbitration, agreed to the same $425,000 he made in salary and bonuses last year. Newly acquired catcher Bill Schroeder, who was eligible for arbitration but did not file, agreed to a $2,500 raise to $375,000.

Pitchers Kirk McCaskill (1988 salary of $262,000) and Greg Minton ($500,000), infielders Jack Howell ($200,000) and Dick Schofield ($552,222), outfielder Chili Davis ($850,000) and catcher Darrell Miller ($107,500) exercised their arbitration rights Monday.

First baseman Wally Joyner filed last Tuesday and exchanged arbitration figures with the Angels Friday. Joyner is seeking $965,000. The club countered at $750,000.

Cliburn also filed, although there is a grievance pending over whether he has sufficient major league service to qualify.

Two other players who had previously filed exchanged figures Monday. Pitcher Sid Fernandez of the Mets, who made $580,000 last year, is seeking $898,000. The Mets countered at $705,000. Pitcher Keith Atherton of the Minnesota Twins, who made $345,000 last year, filed at $500,000. The Twins countered at $400,000.

Lyons, a White Sox outfielder, also filed, even though he already has agreed to a 1-year contract for $325,000. The contract calls for a reopening of negotiations if he is traded later in the week.

Among the other players who filed Monday were Danny Jackson, the Cincinnati Reds’ Cy Young Award candidate, and his teammates, relief pitcher John Franco and outfielder Eric Davis; Twin center fielder Kirby Puckett; Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Ted Higuera; Montreal Expos first baseman Andres Galarraga; Met pitchers Roger McDowell and Ron Darling; Kansas City Royals outfielder Danny Tartabull; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andy Van Slyke; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Tom Henke, and outfielder Jose Canseco of the Oakland Athletics, the American League’s most valuable player.

Canseco earned $355,000 last year and is expected to seek an arbitration increase of $1 million or more, though he is eventually expected to sign a multiyear contract with the A’s.

Nine players who had been eligible for arbitration agreed to 1-year contracts Monday.

The Indians came to terms with outfielder Carmen Castillo, $432,500, and pitchers Jeff Dedmon and Bailes, $300,000 each.

The Detroit Tigers reached agreement with catcher Mike Heath at $425,000.

The Atlanta Braves signed infielder Paul Runge for $145,000, the Expos signed infielder Otis Nixon for $175,000, and the Seattle Mariners reached agreement with outfielder Henry Cotto for $250,000.

The Baltimore Orioles signed pitcher Jay Tibbs for $175,000, and Kansas City and infielder Larry Owen agreed to a split contract. Owen will get $125,000 if he makes the Royals and $90,000 if he is in the minors.

A total of 108 players filed last year, but 90 settled with their clubs before their arbitration hearings. The clubs eventually won 11 of the 18 cases and lead the overall series, 140-118.

SALARY ARBITRATION LIST

There were 136 players who filed for salary arbitration. Players with three or more seasons of major league service whose contracts have expired and are not eligible for free agency were eligible to file (x--settled after filing):

AMERICAN LEAGUE BALTIMORE (1)--Mark Thurmond, p. BOSTON (3)--Dennis (Oil Can) Boyd, p; Roger Clemens, p; Wes Gardner, p. ANGELS (9)--x-Tony Armas, of; Stewart Cliburn, p; Chili Davis, of; Jack Howell, inf; Wally Joyner, 1b; Kirk McCaskill, p; Darrell Miller, c; Greg Minton, p; Dick Schofield, inf. CHICAGO (5)--Ivan Calderon, of; Carlton Fisk, c; Ozzie Guillen, ss; Donnie Hill, inf; Steve Lyons, of. CLEVELAND (6)--x-Scott Bailes, p; Tom Candiotti, p; Joe Carter, of; Brad Havens, p; Brook Jacoby, 3b; Oddibe McDowell, of. DETROIT (4)--Chris Brown, 3b; Dwayne Murphy, of; Gary Pettis, of; Pat Sheridan, of. KANSAS CITY (6)--Jim Eisenreich, of; Steve Farr, p; Jerry Don Gleaton, p; Mark Gubicza, p; Kurt Stillwell, inf; Danny Tartabull, of. MILWAUKEE (6)--Rob Deer, of; Ted Higuera, p; Paul Mirabella, p; Juan Nieves, p; Dan Plesac, p; Bill Wegman, p. MINNESOTA (5)--Keith Atherton, p; Greg Gagne, 3b; Dan Gladden, of; Steve Lombardozzi, inf; Kirby Puckett, of. NEW YORK (3)--Charles Hudson, p; Mike Pagliarulo, 3b; Joel Skinner, c. OAKLAND (4)--Jose Canseco, of; Mike Gallego, inf; Ron Hassey, c; Curt Young, p. SEATTLE (8)--Steve Balboni, 1b; Scott Bradley, c; Darnell Coles, inf; Alvin Davis, 1b-of; Mark Langston, p; Jim Presley, 3b; Harold Reynolds, 2b; Dave Valle; c. TEXAS (4)--Jose Guzman, p; Pete Incaviglia, of; Geno Petralli, c; Jeff Russell, p. TORONTO (5)--John Cerutti, p; Tony Fernandez, ss; Kelly Gruber, 2b; Tom Henke, p; Jimmy Key, p.

NATIONAL LEAGUE ATLANTA (6)--Albert Hall, of; Dion James, of; Gerald Perry, 1b; Charlie Puleo, p; Zane Smith, p; Andres Thomas, ss. CHICAGO (4)--Shawon Dunston, ss; Al Nipper, p; Calvin Schiraldi, p; Curtis Wilkerson, inf. CINCINNATI (6)--Tom Browning, p; Eric Davis, of; John Franco, p; Danny Jackson, p; Jeff Reed, c; Jose Rijo, p. HOUSTON (4)--Juan Agosto, p; Glenn Davis, 1b; Jim Deshaies, p; Bill Hatcher, of. DODGERS (5)--Dave Anderson, inf; Rick Dempsey, c; Orel Hershiser, p; Tim Leary, p; Ray Searage, p. MONTREAL (8)--Tim Burke, p; Andres Galarraga, 1b; Kevin Gross, p; Joe Hesketh, p; Wallace Johnson, 3b; Andy McGaffigan, p; Spike Owen, ss; Pascual Perez, p. NEW YORK (9)--Rick Aguilera, p; Ron Darling, p; Len Dykstra, of; Sid Fernandez, p; Dwight Gooden, p; Howard Johnson, inf; Roger McDowell, p; Edwin Nunez, p; Tim Teufel, 2b. PHILADELPHIA (5)--Don Carman, p; Darren Daulton, c; Steve Jeltz, inf; Steve Lake, c; John Russell, of-1b. PITTSBURGH (8)--Rafael Belliard, ss; Bobby Bonilla, 3b; Sid Bream, 1b; Bob Kipper, p; Bill Krueger, p; Mike LaValliere, c; Jeff Robinson, p; Andy Van Slyke, of. ST. LOUIS (4)--Vince Coleman, of; Jose DeLeon, p; Milt Thompson, of; Todd Worrell, p. SAN DIEGO (2)--Walt Terrell, p; Dickie Thon, inf. SAN FRANCISCO (6)--Will Clark, 1b; Scott Garrelts, p; Tracy Jones, of; Bob Melvin, c; Kevin Mitchell, inf; Ernest Riles, ss.