BASEBALL : Royal Encore: Brett Will Return for 20th Season

George Brett, who got his 3,000th hit with a dramatic four-hit game against the Angels in the final week of the season, will return to play a 20th season with the Kansas City Royals, his agent said Friday.

“As of today, he says he’s ready to come back and play,” Dennis Gilbert said.

Gilbert said he was told by Kansas City General Manager Herk Robinson that the Royals would exercise their option on Brett for next season. It is the second of two option years tacked on to a five-year contract.

Brett, who has a career .308 average, will earn $2.5 million in base pay with incentive clauses that could pay him another $600,000. Kansas City could have bought out the contract for $1 million.

Incentives include $60,000 for 550 plate appearances, $90,000 for 600 plate appearances and $100,000 for 625 plate appearances. There are also award incentives.

Brett has often been injured in his career, but he stayed healthy last year as he settled into the role of designated hitter. He batted 672 times and hit .285.

Brett, who turns 40 in May, made $3.1 million last year.

He had left Kansas City after the last game of the season saying he would talk with friends, relatives and other players before deciding whether to play another year.

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Twenty-seven more players became free agents Friday, raising the total to a record 109 with a week remaining in the filing period.

Ken Oberkfell and Hubie Brooks filed from the Angels. Neither is expected to re-sign with the club.

David Cone, Joe Carter and Candy Maldonado filed from the World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays. Ten Toronto players have filed in the week since Canada’s first World Series title.

Paul Molitor of Milwaukee also filed, as did Jeff Reardon and Mike Bielecki of the National League champion Atlanta Braves.

Forty-eight more players remain eligible to file by the Nov. 8 deadline. Cleveland pitcher Ted Power, who was eligible, agreed with the Indians on Friday on a one-year contract worth $450,000, including a $25,000 signing bonus.

The previous record total of 98 free agents was set last year, when 80 eventually re-signed with major league teams.

Cleveland’s Brook Jacoby filed conditionally. The Indians have until Dec. 1 to exercise an option for $550,000, the amount he earned in 1992.

Carter, 32, hasn’t received the attention of fellow free agents Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Ruben Sierra even though he drove in 100 runs or more in six of the last seven seasons. Carter hit .264 in 1992 with 34 homers and 119 RBIs, second in the American League behind Detroit’s Cecil Fielder.

Cone, a 29-year-old right-hander, led the major leagues in strikeouts for the third consecutive season. He was 4-3 with a 2.55 earned-run average for the Blue Jays after Toronto acquired him from the New York Mets on Aug. 27 for infielder Jeff Kent and outfielder Ryan Thompson.

Cone was 13-7 with a 2.88 ERA for New York, and has expressed a desire to return that city to play with the Yankees.

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Colorado Rockie Manager Don Baylor added Don Zimmer to his coaching staff on Friday as a bench coach.

Zimmer, 61, has 17 years of managerial experience, including 13 years in the major leagues.

“For me as a first-year manager, it’s very important to have experienced people to work with as members of the coaching staff,” Baylor said.

The Rockies also signed three free agents--pitcher Balvino Galvez, catcher Gilberto Reyes and infielder Trent Hubbard--bringing their total of free agent signings to 12.