Advertisement

Red Sox Give Clemens Top Salary in Baseball

Share
<i> From Associated Press</i>

Roger Clemens became the highest-paid player in baseball history Friday when he agreed with the Boston Red Sox on a four-year contract extension worth $21,521,000.

The annual average value of the deal, which includes an option for 1996, is $5,380,250. That surpasses the previous high of $4.7 million in the contract signed by Oakland Athletics outfielder Jose Canseco last June 27.

Clemens, a 28-year-old right-hander, is scheduled to make $2.5 million in 1991 in the final season of a three-year, $7.5 million contract.

Advertisement

That deal, agreed to on Feb. 15, 1989, was the biggest in baseball at the time, but it was surpassed the next day by the Dodgers’ Orel Hershiser.

With the extension, he will make $4.4 million in 1992, $4.5 million in 1993, $5 million in 1994 and $5.5 million in 1995. The Red Sox have an option for 1996 at $5.5 million with a $1.5-million buyout. Clemens also gets a $621,000 bonus for agreeing to the extension.

“I’m letting my family and my friends around me get all excited,” Clemens said. “I’m real thankful to the Red Sox. Hopefully, I’ll get to spend a great deal of time with them and set some records.”

With the agreement, Clemens will reach the $5-million-a-year level a year before Canseco and Dodger outfielder Darryl Strawberry. Canseco is scheduled to make $5.1 million in 1995, the final season of his $23.5 million, five-year deal. Strawberry will make $5 million in 1995, the last year of his four-year, $20.25 million contract with the Dodgers.

Clemens, the 1986 American League most valuable player and a two-time Cy Young Award winner, would have been eligible for free agency after the 1991 season.

“We are all delighted to get this contract finished,” Red Sox General Manager Lou Gorman said. “Roger is obviously a very important member of this ballclub.”

Advertisement

Clemens has a .695 career winning percentage (116-51). He was 21-6 last season with a major league-leading 1.93 earned-run average.

Meanwhile, Toronto second baseman Roberto Alomar and Montreal outfielder Mike Aldrete were salary arbitration winners, but San Diego catcher Benito Santiago failed his in attempt to set the arbitration record.

Santiago, a two-time National League All-Star, was given San Diego’s offer of $1.65 million by arbitrator Rols Valtin rather than his request for $2.5 million. Don Mattingly of the New York Yankees got the top arbitration salary ever, $1,975,000 in 1987.

Alomar, traded by San Diego to Toronto in the Fred McGriff-Joe Carter deal, was awarded $1.25 million by arbitrator William Rentfro rather than the Blue Jay offer of $825,000.

Aldrete was awarded $510,000 by arbitrator John Caraway instead of Montreal’s offer of $350,000.

Outfielder Ron Gant increased his salary seven-fold by agreeing with Atlanta on a one-year contract for $1,195,000. Right-hander Jeff Parrett and the Braves agreed to $855,000, a $180,000 raise, and left-hander Tom Glavine and the Braves agreed to $697,500, a $385,000 raise.

Advertisement

Outfielder Jim Eisenreich and Kansas City agreed to $950,000, double his 1990 salary, while outfielder Randy Kutcher and the Red Sox settled at $250,000, a $65,000 raise.

Advertisement