Marlins Up the Ante for Belle With 4-Year, $38-Million Offer

The Florida Marlins have begun their pursuit of free-agent slugger Albert Belle.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Saturday that the Marlins offered Belle a four-year contract worth $38 million. The reported offer would pay Belle $9.5 million each year and make him baseball’s highest-paid player.

The Cleveland Indians made Belle a five-year offer worth $40 million Monday in an effort to retain him. Belle hit .311 with 48 homers and 148 RBI for the Indians last season.

*

Jimmy Key, who won the World Series clincher for the New York Yankees three weeks ago, will be back with the team next season. The Yankees offered salary arbitration to Key on Saturday night, making him a signed player.

Among those not offered arbitration were Baltimore outfielder Bobby Bonilla, Chicago White Sox outfielder Danny Tartabull and Oakland catcher Terry Steinbach. Steinbach filed for free agency shortly after midnight, but Oakland said it is interested in re-signing him.

*

The Cincinnati Reds made another move aimed at reducing their payroll by releasing Thomas Howard, a valuable backup outfielder.

They also announced another major setback for pitcher Jose Rijo, the 1990 World Series most valuable player who is headed for his third operation in 15 months. He may need to have his right elbow rebuilt for a second time.

Rijo, 31, probably will not pitch next season, his last under contract with the Reds.

Also, Cincinnati has decided against offering arbitration to pitcher Mark Portugal, catcher Joe Oliver, third baseman Chris Sabo and outfielder Kevin Mitchell, making them eligible to file for free agency.

*

The Minnesota Twins renewed ties with one of the greatest players in team history when they named Kirby Puckett executive vice president of baseball.

Tennis

Top-ranked Steffi Graf wore down Marianne Werdel Witmeyer, 6-2, 7-5, and will bid for a second consecutive Advanta Championships title at Philadelphia today.

She’ll face Jana Novotna, who beat Yayuk Basuki, 6-3, 6-1.

Miscellany

Michelle Kwan won the women’s event at the Lalique Trophy figure skating competition at Paris and Todd Eldredge won the men’s event.

Oksana Kazakova and Artur Dmitriev of Russia won the pairs event, edging Jenni Meno and Todd Sand of the United States.

Marina Anissina and Gwendel Peizerat of France won the ice dance event, with Elizabeth Punsalan and Jerod Swallow of the United States second.

A week after 13 Boston College football players were suspended for gambling, the athletic department was thrown into turmoil again when two basketball recruits were denied admission.

Admissions officials told Coach Jim O’Brien on Friday they would not accept Elton Tyler, a center, and Jonathan DePina, a guard. Though the recruits met NCAA standards, officials said the two did not meet the school’s academic criteria.

Brian Shimer won the season-opener in four-man bobsled, edging Italy’s Guenther Huber and fellow American Jim Herberich at Winterberg, Germany.

Stanford women’s basketball Coach Tara VanDerveer and USC diving Coach Jeff Shaffer were honored at Tampa, Fla., as U.S. Olympic Committee national coaches of the year.

UC San Diego defeated Amherst, 2-1, and will face the College of New Jersey today at Amherst, Mass., for the NCAA Division III women’s soccer championship.

Hector Lopez of Glendale won the NABO junior-welterweight boxing championship in a 12-round decision over John Avila of Palmdale at the Forum.

The Friars Club of California will host Celebrity Smoker V on Wednesday, a tribute to late Times columnist Allan Malamud. For information on the $275-per-person event, call (310) 553-0850.