Reds’ Davis Signs 3-Year, $9.3-Million Contract

The Cincinnati Reds have given outfielder Eric Davis a three-year, $9.3-million contract that includes performance bonuses that could make him the highest-paid player in baseball.

Davis, 27, who starred at Fremont High in Los Angeles, will make $9.3 million over three years in base salary, which includes a $1.5-million signing bonus. His agent, Eric Goldschmidt, said Davis also can make additional performance bonuses of $250,000 a year for winning Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and National League most valuable player honors.

Although the average base salary of $3.1 million leaves Davis behind Mark Davis’ annual salary of $3.25 million as the highest in baseball, the performance bonuses could boost him above that.

Last season Davis was the Reds’ highest-paid player with a contract that paid him a $1.35 million base and incentives that pushed the total over $1.5 million. He hit .281 with 34 home runs and a career-high 101 runs batted in.

Davis was eligible for free agency after the 1990 season.

Davis’ contract was announced at a news conference attended by team owner Marge Schott, who has publicly called other baseball owners “nuts” for driving salaries above the $3 million mark in recent months. She also has suggested publicly that no player is worth $3 million.

“So now I’m sure I’ll get calls tomorrow (from other owners) saying, ‘You’ve gone nuts, too,’ ” Schott said. “But I’ll say, ‘Yeah, but you guys started it.’ ”