Steinbrenner Says Watson Will Return

Yankee owner George Steinbrenner began the arduous and expensive task of trying to keep intact the core people from his first World Series champion team in 18 years by inviting back General Manager Bob Watson.

Steinbrenner told MSNBC that Watson would be returning. Watson, who is to make $350,000 next season, responded to the report by saying: “He needs to sit and talk to me, and he needs to tell me that.”

When Watson was pressed whether he might decide not to return on his own, he said: “Let’s put it this way. I need to talk to him.” Watson, who has conceded that this job was much more difficult than he could have imagined, denied he had anything else lined up.

The Yankees also quietly exercised the $2-million option on Dwight Gooden’s contract and bought out Ricky Bones for $300,000 rather than pay him $1.6 million for next season.

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Cleveland Indian outfielder Albert Belle filed for free agency, joining a growing list of players testing their value on the open market. . . . Kevin Seitzer and the Cleveland Indians have agreed to exercise his 1997 option for $1.22 million.

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The Boston Red Sox signed Japanese left-hander Takayasu Kato.

Kato pitched for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Pacific League. He was sidelined because of a knee injury in 1995.

The Red Sox also announced that contracts of pitcher Mike Campbell and infielder Bill Selby were sold to the Yokohama Baystars of the Japanese Central League.