Pagliarulo’s Reality: No Pay Raise : Padres: Third baseman averts arbitration hearing, signs for same $575,000 salary he earned in 1989.

Padre third baseman Mike Pagliarulo has been scouring the sports pages each day, and just like everyone else in his profession, drooling at the contracts he has been reading about.

Why, with eight players signing contracts the past two months that will pay them an average salary of at least $3 million a year, and with 100 players expected to crack the $1 million barrier in 1990, who could blame Pagliarulo for dreaming a little bit himself when it came time to negotiate his new contract?

“Yeah, I was thinking about all of the big raises everyone’s been getting,” Pagliarulo said, “but then reality set in when I looked at the numbers I put up last year. Who was I kidding?”

When you bat .196 for the season, hitting seven home runs with 30 RBIs, you consider yourself fortunate, Pagliarulo said, just to be asked back.

Thus, Pagliarulo gladly accepted a one-year, $575,000 contract Monday that will pay him the same salary he earned a year ago, with performance bonuses worth another $90,000.

Pagliarulo averted his arbitration case scheduled Feb. 6 by signing the contract. He had filed for $645,000 while the Padres countered with $550,000.

“It was hardly in my best interest to go to arbitration,” Pagliarulo said, laughing. “All I want to do is show everyone what I’m capable of doing.”

Pagliarulo--acquired from the Yankees on July 22 in a trade for pitcher Walt Terrell--enters spring training as the incumbent, said Jack McKeon, Padre vice president/baseball operations, but will be battling Bip Roberts and Eddie Williams for the starting job.

“I respect Jack’s position, and he’s been absolutely great to me,” Pagliarulo said, “but he doesn’t have to say a word to me. I’ll be ready. I know what I have to do.

“We’re going to be very dangerous this year, and I want to help us win a pennant.

“That’s what the game’s all about, isn’t it?