Dodgers to Enter Bidding for Strawberry

Fred Claire has confirmed that the Dodgers and New York Mets will play a different sort of game this winter--a duel for the services of free-agent outfielder Darryl Strawberry.

“You can be assured that some way, somehow, there will be a conversation between us and Mr. Strawberry’s agent,” said Claire, the Dodgers’ vice president, after the New York Met outfielder declared himself a free agent Monday. “(Strawberry) is a dominant offensive player. We are interested.”

Considered among the top five candidates for National League most valuable player, Strawberry hit .277 for the Mets with a team-leading 37 homers and 108 runs batted in.

He has appeared in seven All-Star games in his eight big league seasons and has averaged 31 homers and 91 RBIs per season.

Important for the Dodgers, Strawberry, 28, is a former Crenshaw High star who has said he wants to return home. But the cost will be high. And the Mets, who cannot afford to lose their premier player, promise they will make a competitive bid.

Strawberry’s only firm offer thus far came from the Mets in the middle of last summer, a three-year deal worth $9.1 million. But Strawberry considered the offer low and apparently wants his salary to be in the range of Jose Canseco’s. Canseco signed for $23.5 million over five years.

Under rules of the baseball’s Basic Agreement, only the Mets can talk money with Strawberry for the next two weeks. But his agent, Eric Goldschmidt, has already said he will wait to hear all offers.

The Dodgers will also have discussions with the agents for left-handed relievers Dave Righetti and Ken Dayley, both of whom were among the 18 who declared free agency Monday.

In an unrelated matter, the Dodgers allowed catcher Rick Dempsey to become a free agent by refusing to offer him arbitration. This means Dempsey has played his last game as a Dodger.

Dempsey’s three-year stay here was highlighted by his role as one of the self-dubbed “Stunt Men” reserves on the 1988 World Series championship team. Although Dempsey, 41, threw out more than 30% of potential base stealers last season, the Dodgers needed to make room for prospect Carlos Hernandez.

The Dodgers are interested in Dempsey joining their minor league system, probably as a manager, but Dempsey is not yet ready to retire.

“My first thought is to file for free agency, and if it brings nothing, then I would consider strongly taking the minor league job,” Dempsey said.

Also declaring free agency Monday were Dodgers Kirk Gibson and Juan Samuel, both of whom have probably played their last game as a Dodger. Claire said he has not decided whether to make an offer to either one.

The other prominent potential Dodger free agent, Fernando Valenzuela, will meet with agent Tony DeMarco later this week. The Dodgers cannot afford to ignore Valenzuela, given the state of their starting pitching staff. He was 13-13 with a 4.59 earned-run average last season, allowing 223 hits in 204 innings despite throwing a no-hitter in one of his 33 starts.

In an expected move, the Dodgers offered arbitration to Jim Gott, keeping him on the roster for at least another season.