DODGERS : Karros Signs for ‘Fair’ $435,000

The negotiations lasted until midnight, but Eric Karros said he would have stayed up all night to get a raise of $311,000 and avoid the controversy his second-year contract was beginning to raise.

The Dodgers signed the 25-year old to a $435,000 contract Friday night, paying the 1992 National League rookie of the year $85,000 more than the 1991 NL rookie winner, Jeff Bagwell.

“The Dodgers were very fair to me and gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” Karros said.

The Dodgers held the cards in the negotiations, because Karros is not eligible for arbitration for two years. The club’s original offer was for $350,000, and they told Karros that if they could not come to an agreement they would renew him on Tuesday at what they deemed to be fair salary.

But it became clear that neither Karros nor Fred Claire, the Dodgers’ executive vice president, wanted the poor feelings that come with a player being renewed. Karros originally was seeking a salary of about $535,000 and the Dodgers countered with about $400,000 and publicly seemed to be taking a hard-line stance. However, some close to the situation believe that Claire wanted to give Karros a salary he would be happy with and one that would show the importance of the team’s minor league system.

Karros will donate $250 for each home run to cancer research in the name of Aaron Lessa, an 11-year old from Eagle Rock who died shortly before Christmas. Karros had spent some time with Aaron last season at Dodger Stadium and said the child made an impact on him.

“When he walked out on the field I thought about how when I was 11, I was playing Little League and worrying about making the All-Star team,” Karros said. “Aaron knew his time was almost up and here he was upbeat. Channel 11 did a piece on it, and then I saw the piece they did after Aaron passed away. His mom was on television talking about me and what it meant to Aaron and I thought, ‘Why am I allowed to be here playing ball? Why am I here and why is he gone? Why Aaron?’

“I have seen a lot of people and children in hospitals and I’m not trivializing anybody’s situation, but Aaron just stuck with me.”

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The Dodgers also signed infielder Mike Busch, outfielder Tom Goodwin, right-handed pitchers Kip Gross and Pedro Astacio and catcher Mike Piazza. Six players remain unsigned. . . . The Dodgers will play their first six-inning intrasquad game today. Orel Hershiser, Ramon Martinez, Tom Candiotti, Jim Gott, Wally Ritchie and Kevin Gross are scheduled to throw two innings each. . . . Channel 5, the Dodgers’ station for the first time, will broadcast its first spring training game on Sunday, March 14, when the Dodgers play the New York Mets at Holman Stadium.