Owners Seeking to Reach Balance

Baseball owners voted Wednesday to seek players’ approval for a competitive balance draft and other rule changes designed to share the wealth.

At least one owner said he has problems with baseball’s latest economic plan, much of which needs the union’s endorsement. But Commissioner Bud Selig promised the undisclosed vote at Phoenix was the start of an overhaul of the sport’s economics. “If we’re going to change this system, it has to be changed at every level,” he said.

The most notable change is a draft in which teams with the eight worst records in the previous three years would be able to choose one player left unprotected by the teams with the eight best winning percentages.

“I personally think it’s an outrage. It’s a sham,” said Nelson Doubleday, co-owner of the New York Mets.

“What you’re saying is you don’t have to scout. We’ll do that for you. Why spend money on scouting when you can take eight of our best players, or four of them or two of them?”

New York Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, who did not attend the meeting, also is said to oppose the draft, in which each of the top teams could protect 25 players in their organizations.

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Outfielder Roger Cedeno and the Detroit Tigers avoided salary arbitration when they agreed to a $2.7-million, one-year contract, a raise of $300,000. . . . Mike Cameron, Ken Griffey Jr.’s replacement in center field with the Seattle Mariners, signed a new $15.5-million, three-year contract. . . . Second baseman Jose Vidro re-signed with the Montreal Expos, agreeing to a $19-million, four-year deal. . . . Closer Matt Mantei and the Arizona Diamondbacks agreed to a $22-million, four-year contract. . . . Steinbrenner is still wavering on whether to give Derek Jeter a multiyear deal, but a long-term contract for the shortstop could be agreed to by today.