Parrish’s ‘New Look’ Same as Old: He Signs 3-Year Deal With Angels

After taking a new look at his options, Lance Parrish decided the view is best from right where he is.

Parrish, granted “new look” free agency last month as an offshoot of baseball’s second collusion case, signed a three-year contract with the Angels Wednesday worth $6.75 million. The 33-year-old catcher, who was the foundation of the pitching staff’s outstanding performance last season, earned a base salary of $1 million and added $210,000 in bonuses this year. He hit .238 in 124 games with 17 home runs and 50 runs batted in, and his .993 fielding percentage was tops among catchers playing more than 95 games.

Parrish will receive a $500,000 signing bonus and salaries of $1.75 million in 1990, $2.25 million in ’91 and $2.25 million in ’92. He may have undermined his leverage by publicly saying he wanted to stay with the Angels.

“Maybe I hurt my own case, but I wasn’t too concerned about that,” said Parrish, who waived his right to free agency when the Angels acquired him from Philadelphia in October of 1988 but was awarded another chance by arbitrator George Nicolau. “I felt the Angels treated me very fairly. I never was concerned about cutting myself short. They realized I could talk to other clubs. Some clubs had shown interest in me early, but the Angels were very earnest in their decision to talk with me and get it done.”