Gross Will Return to Dodgers : Baseball: Right-hander is offered arbitration, keeping him in L.A. Reed files for free agency.

The Dodgers offered Kevin Gross arbitration Monday, ensuring that the right-handed pitcher will be back next season.

Gross, 32, pitched a six-hitter the last day of the season to knock San Francisco out of the playoffs and allow the Dodgers to finish with a .500 record. The victory allowed Gross to finish at 13-13, avoiding a losing season for the first time since 1986, when he was 12-12 with Philadelphia.

Gross finished the season with a 4.14 earned-run average in 202 1/3 innings, the seventh time in nine years he has pitched more than 200 innings.

“Kevin was one of five pitchers who never missed a start and threw over 200 innings,” said Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president. “He gives this ballclub his best every time he takes the mound.”

Since Gross was signed by the Dodgers before the 1991 season to a three-year, $6.4-million contract, he has gone 31-37 with a 3.64 ERA. The decision to keep Gross leaves the club with only one free agent, Jody Reed, who filed Monday.

Reed and the Dodgers have been negotiating for about a month on a multiyear contract. Reed said the sides have agreed on a length of three years, but have not agreed on money.

In another development, Art Howe was hired by the club as a special assignment scout. He replaces Phil Regan, who was hired a couple of weeks ago by the Cleveland Indians as pitching coach.

Howe was recently fired as manager of the Houston Astros, where he had compiled a 392-418 record since 1989.

The Dodgers also announced an increase in ticket prices for some seats. Box and reserved seats from home plate to the outer end of the dugouts will increase $2 and $1. Those box seats will now sell for $13 and reserved for $9. All other seats remain the same.

Parking and concessions prices will remain the same, with the exception of season-parking, which has been increased.

The Dodgers leave today for their Far East tour, playing five games in Taipai and in Fukuoka, Japan, before returning Nov. 4.