DODGERS : Karros to Begin Camp Without Signing Contract

Eric Karros, Jose Offerman and the rest of the position players are expected to report to camp today for the first full squad workout.

Karros, the National League rookie of the year last season, still does not have a contract, but was in flight from his home in Manhattan Beach on Tuesday to report on time anyway.

“The option of staying out was never seriously considered by Eric,” Jeff Moorad, Karros’ agent, said Tuesday. “Eric felt the type of spirit that is ultimately best for the team and best for his production was for him to be there in spring training from the beginning.”

Karros, who battled to make the team last spring, led the Dodgers with 20 home runs and 88 runs batted in. But because he has only a little over one year of service and is ineligible for salary arbitration, the Dodgers can renew his contract if an agreement is not reached by March 11. Karros made $124,000 last season.

After Ramon Martinez’s 20 victories in his first full season, the Dodgers raised his salary to $485,000.

“We’ve taken a hard look at all these ‘comparables’ and factored in what other teams have done and come up with a concept we believe is fair,” Moorad said. “We expect an agreement in the next few days.”

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Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda gave right-handed pitcher Greg Hansell a new nickname: “Pit Bull.”

“That is what we want Greg to be, the meanest dog of them all,” Lasorda said.

Hansell split last season at San Antonio, where he was 6-4 with a 2.83 earned-run average and Albuquerque, where he was 1-5 with a 5.24 ERA. Hansell was acquired by the Dodgers in December, 1990, from the New York Mets along with Bob Ojeda for Hubie Brooks.

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Reliever Todd Worrell is showing improvement and continuing to gain strength in his arm. . . . Right-handers Orel Hershiser and Rod Nichols, a nonroster invitee, pitched batting practice Tuesday for the first time. . . . The Dodgers signed pitchers Dera Clark and Jim Daspit to 1993 contracts. Clark was acquired in the Rule 5 draft over the winter and Daspit was the club’s 14th selection in the 1990 free-agent draft.