Royals Get Davis for $13 Million

Mark Davis agreed to a $13 million four-year contract with the Kansas City Royals today, making them the first team to start a season with the reigning Cy Young Award winners.

Kansas City signed free agent Storm Davis last week to a $6-million three-year deal. He won 19 games last season for the World Series champion Oakland Athletics; the two Davises join a pitching staff that already includes American League Cy Young winner Bret Saberhagen (23-6), Mark Gubicza (15-11) and Tom Gordon (17-9).

Mark Davis was 4-3 with 44 saves and a 1.85 earned-run average for the San Diego Padres with 92 strikeouts in 92 2/3 innings. He had a win or a save in 48 of San Diego’s 89 victories.

San Diego decided not to sign the 29-year-old Davis after free agent reliever Craig Lefferts agreed to a $5.35-million three-year contract on Thursday. The Padres offered $12 million over four years, but Davis asked for $14 million. San Diego owner Joan Kroc said the team would not raise its offer, so Davis looked for a new club.

Kansas City, which finished seven games behind Oakland, made only the fifth-best offer, according to Randy Hendricks, Davis’ agent. But Davis thought the Royals were a better team to pitch for than the New York Yankees and Philadelphia, two teams that are known to have made five-year offers.

Davis, who made $600,000 in 1989, gets a $1.5-million signing bonus, $1.75 million in 1990 and $3.25 million in each of the next three seasons. He can earn bonuses of $100,000 for the Cy Young Award, $100,000 for the Rolaids Relief Man award, $100,000 for Most Valuable Player, $50,000 for playoff MVP, $50,000 for World Series MVP and $50,000 for making the All-Star team.

His $3.25 million annual average salary broke the record of $3.2 million set only 10 days earlier by Mark Langston, who got $16 million for five years from California. This is the fourth time the record has been broken in the last month, and Davis may not remain at the top because free agent Robin Yount has not yet signed.

Davis becomes the stopper in a bullpen led last year by Jeff Montgomery and Steve Farr, who had 18 saves each.