Santiago Is Seeking $3.3 Million

Benito Santiago, who believes he’s the finest catcher in baseball but has had trouble convincing the Padres, filed for the largest arbitration award in franchise history Friday when he asked for $3.3 million.

Santiago, whose salary has been determined in arbitration hearings the past two seasons, will become the second highest-paid player on the team behind first baseman Fred McGriff if he wins.

The Padres offered Santiago an $850,000 raise at $2.5 million, their highest arbitration offer ever.

“He filed for exactly what we predicted,” said Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager. “We’re going to do the best we can to settle. Last year, he (agent Scott Boras) walked in the first day and said, ‘This one will hve to go to arbitration. That was his intention all along.

“I think his attitude was a little bit different this time.”

Said Boras: “The midway point in the case makes Benito the highest-paid catcher, which is important, because undoubtedly he is. I think this can be settled, but it just depends where they put Benny.”

Reliever Randy Myers also topped the $2 million mark by requesting a $2.7 million award, the first time two Padre players have asked in excess of $2.5 million the same year. The Padres offfered Myers $2.05 million--a $50,000 raise.

Outfielder Darrin Jackson led the rest of the Padre arbitration-eligible players with his $975,000 request, while the Padres countered with $575,000. The rest of the Padres who filed, with the club’s counter-offer, were pitcher Greg Harris (1.19 million/$750,000); pitcher Mike Maddux ($620,000/$400,000); and catcher Dann Bilardello ($235,000/$125,000).

“Basically, we have our bookends now and we’ll go to work on it,” McIlvaine said. “The one thing I want to emphasize is that these are strategical numbers, they do not necessarily indicate the value of the player.”

Still, it didn’t matter to Alan Meersand, Jackson’s agent, who became incensed when he learned of the Padres’ salary request.

“It’s a ridiculous joke,” Meersand said. “It’s a slap in the face. It’s a pathetic arbitration submission, like he never hit 21 home runs. I can’t believe it.

“I have no intention of settling this, we’ll roll up our sleeves and go to the hearing. I don’t know what they’re trying to prove, but they must have been asleep when they filed that number.

“Hey, maybe Darrin Jackson shouldn’t be paid as much as Michael Jackson, but he should be paid more than Chuck Jackson (a former utility infielder).

“That’s it, maybe they got the wrong Jackson.”

Said McIlvaine: “We’re still more than doubling his salary, giving him well over a 100% increase in salary. It’s an interesting case. This was the first significant contribution he put together in his career. Does the judge look at the one-year contribution, or his career contribution?”

But while the Padres’ offer to Jackson may have brought the most bitter response among the six arbitration cases, no player startled the Padres’ more with his demand than Harris. The Padres thought Harris likely would file for about $900,000, only to learn he was seeking a 247% raise.

“That one surprised us the most,” McIlvaine. “We didn’t think he’d go nearly that high.”

Said Harris: “I’m as surprised as they were. I’m not mad or ticked off, it shows the game has a business side to it. With the figure they came up with, hoefpully they put a lot of time and effort into it, but I still think they’re a little low. I’m being fair as fair can be.”

The Padres are expected to negotiate one-year contracts for the arbitration players, with the possible exception of Myers, who’s eligible for free agency at the end of the 1992 season.

“We’re definitely interested in a long-term contract,” said David Fishof, Myers’ agent, “and I know they are, too. We’ve already talked a little bit, and I’m sure we’ll try to work something out.”

Meanwhile, negotiations continued Friday with Kurt Stillwell, free agent infielder, with the two sides exchanging proposals. Stillwell reduced his original request to about $4.75 million over two years, while the Padres have offered about $3.5 million.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” Stillwell said, “but we’re still not that close. I’d really like to play for the Padres, but we’ll have to see.”

McIlvaine still would like Stillwell to sign a two-year contract with at least one option year, but Stillwell refuses to commit longer than two years before being eligible again for free agency. The Padres do not want to lose a first-round draft choice in compensation for a player who could be around for only two years.

“We’re going to give them ample time,” Boras said, “but if this thing drags on too much longer we may have to go another direction.”

The Padres, who’ll resume all negotiations Tuesday, also will learn next week the dates of the arbitration hearings. The hearings are scheduled Feb. 3 to Feb. 21 in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. Tal Smith has been hired to represent the Padres.

Padres in Arbitration

Pos Player Asked Offered C Dann Bilardello 235,000 125,000 P Greg Harris 1,190,000 750,000 OF Darrin Jackson 975,000 560,000 P Mike Maddux 620,000 400,000 P Randy Myers 2,700,000 2,050,000 C Benito Santiago 3,300,000 2,500,000