Valenzuela Negotiations Have Stalled : Dodgers: Fred Claire announces that the team’s contract offer is $3 million less than the pitcher’s salary demand.

The differences between the Dodgers and free-agent pitcher Fernando Valenzuela were confirmed Tuesday when the Dodgers said publicly that their contract offer was $3 million under Valenzuela’s demand.

In an unusual move befitting unusual negotiations with one of the Dodgers’ most popular players, the club conducted a conference call among local reporters to announce that they have offered Valenzuela a guaranteed $1.5 million for 1990--a cut of $350,000 from last season--with an option year in 1991 also worth $1.5 million. If the club decided not to pick up the option, they would pay Valenzuela $350,000.

The club confirmed reports that Valenzuela was seeking more than $6 million guaranteed over three years.

“We announced this as a follow-up to what has appeared in other publications,” said Fred Claire, Dodgers’ executive vice president. “The information has been out there, but not there in total, so we decided to put it forth as a matter of record.”

Said Tony DeMarco, Valenzuela’s agent: “Those figures are all correct. As you can see, we are not close. And we know what’s fair.”

Claire said he believes the Dodger offer to be very fair.

“Our proposal would keep Fernando in the company of a very small group of pitchers making $1.5 million or more,” Claire said. “We do want to sign Fernando, and we feel that offer reflects that sentiment.”

Including Valenzuela, just 14 major league pitchers made $1.5 million or more in base salary in 1989.

There is some belief that the Dodgers are offering Valenzuela $350,000 less than he made last season because of their interest in another high-priced free-agent pitcher, left-hander Mark Langston. Shortly before their announcement Tuesday, the Dodgers became the first team to meet with Langston and agent Arn Tellem since the Montreal pitcher filed for free agency.

In a session involving Claire and Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda, the Dodgers tried to impress Tellem of their interest.

Said Tellem: “We had a nice meeting. We came away feeling that the Dodgers are seriously interested in Mark, which is the most important thing right now. The Dodgers are committed to winning next year, and are prepared to take a lot of steps to help the club. And that’s what Mark is interested in.”

Claire, who said he hoped to meet with Langston again within a week, would not confirm that money was discussed. Langston could be asking for as much as a five-year, $15-million contract. But Claire did say he thought Langston is attracted to several aspects of the Dodgers.

“We have some things that are important to him,” Claire said. “He wants to be part of a winning club, a competitive organization, a club that places an emphasis on pitching and recognizes the importance of pitching.”

Langston will meet with the Angels tomorrow, and the San Diego Padres later in the week, and possibly with the San Francisco Giants sometime.

Claire denied that the Langston negotiations are influencing their dealings with Valenzuela.

“Our offer to Fernando is in the hopes of signing Fernando, regardless of anything else that takes place,” Claire said. “Certainly there is a juggling act that takes place this time of year with free agents and possible trades . . . but I don’t see Fernando’s negotiations directly connected to any other.”

DeMarco, who said no other team has contacted Valenzuela yet, would not comment on possible Langston interference.

“This has become a waiting game,” he said. “We understand that. We are in a disagreement and must wait to see what happens.”

DeMarco said it is the option year that bothers Valenzuela most.

“We think this year he will be marvelous, but if we agree to this contract what will happen the year after that?” DeMarco asked. “He will get the same amount the next year, or they can buy him out. Neither thing shows much confidence in him.”

Claire said that length of contract, not money, is the biggest roadblock with Valenzuela.

“This is a shorter term than what they are looking for, that’s the big thing,” Claire said. “There are number of considerations that go into our offered length, certainly health is one of them.”

Valenzuela’s advisers say that he is completely recovered from shoulder problems, pointing to his 2.70 earned-run average over his last 76 2/3 innings this season. The Dodgers, however, point to his overall 10-13 record and 3.43 ERA, and a 15-21 record over the last two years, including a span of one calendar year in which he did not win a game.

Claire noted that after Valenzuela’s injury-plagued 1988 season, in which he went 5-8 with a 4.24 ERA, he was nonetheless given a $1.85-million contract.

“Fernando has been very well compensated here, paid in excess of 11 million in just over nine years, and that factors in last year, when he was offered a good contract a season after he had been injured,” Claire said.

“We paid him a significant amount of money, I don’t know many clubs who would have offered that kind of money. You look at the kind of pitchers making $1.5 million, we aren’t trying to take advantage of him in any way.”

Besides Valenzuela, last season those pitchers were:

Dodger Orel Hershiser and New York Met Frank Viola, $2.4 million each; Met Dwight Gooden, $2.25 million; Boston’s Roger Clemens, $2.2 million; Detroit’s Jack Morris, $1.98 million; Texas’ Nolan Ryan, $1.8 million; Chicago Cub Rick Sutcliffe, $1.8 million; Toronto’s Jimmy Key, $1.6 million; New York Met Ron Darling, $1.6 million; San Diego’s Bruce Hurst, $1.6 million;, Milwaukee’s Ted Higuera, $1.525; Toronto’s Dave Stieb, $1.5 million, and Atlanta’s Bruce Sutter $1.5 million.

Times staff writer Ross Newhan contributed to this story.