Four San Francisco Players Become Free Agents

The San Francisco Giants said they would not offer contracts to catcher Brian Johnson, pitchers Osvaldo Fernandez and Alvin Morman, and infielder Jeff Ball.

All four players become free agents, but the team may continue to negotiate with each.

Johnson hit .237 with 13 homers and 34 RBIs in 99 games last season. Fernandez had not pitched in a regular-season game since June 1997 because of operations on his right elbow. He was 10-17 with a 4.70 ERA in 41 games during two years with the Giants.

The Giants also announced ticket prices will rise an average of 9.2% for next season, the team’s last in their windy ballpark at Candlestick Point.

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On the last day all major league offices were open before the holiday break, pitchers Roger Pavlik and Bill Swift, and catchers Terry Steinbach and John Marzano rejected salary arbitration offers from their former teams and remained free agents.

The four, who had been offered arbitration Dec. 7, may continue to negotiate with their former teams (Seattle for Swift and Marzano, Minnesota for Steinbach, Texas for Pavlik) through Jan. 8.

After that, they would be ineligible to re-sign with their former clubs until May 1.

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Outfielder Danny Bautista, the last member of the Atlanta Braves to be eligible for salary arbitration, agreed to a $470,000, one-year contract, a raise of $135,000. . . . Left-hander Eric Gunderson and the Texas Rangers agreed to a $450,000, one-year contract with up to $100,000 in performance bonuses for games pitched. . . . Left-hander Scott Aldred agreed to a $425,000, one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. . . . Outfielder Luis Polonia, infielders David McCarty and Alejandro Freire and pitcher Beiker Graterol agreed to minor-league contracts with the Detroit Tigers and were invited to spring training. . . . The Tigers also announced that Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell is returning to radio as a play-by-play announcer for games at Tiger Stadium.