Thursday
Page 9
April 3, 1997
angers sign Burkett, Greer
1 ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) —The Texas Rangers
|igned pitcher John Burkett and outfielder Rusty
ireer on Wednesday to contract extensions that
could keep them with the club through 2001.
1 Burkett, who would have been eligible for free
agency after this season, received an $8.45 mil
lion, two-year deal with two option years that
could make the contract worth $16.5 million.
Greer, already signed through 1998, got a $7.2
illion, two-year extension with an option for
|001 that could make the deal worth $11.5 million.
Texas is sixth on the payroll level for luxury
paxes — one team below where it would have to
pay— but that could change as the season pro
gresses. The Rangers have seven players under
contract for 1998, including Juan Gonzalez, Will
Clark and John Wetteland.
I However, the team will have to open its wallet
even wider after this season if it wants to retain
Ivan Rodriguez, Dean Palmer and starting pitch
ers Darren Oliver, Roger Pavlik and Bobby Witt.
“We know we’ll have a lot of work to do this
offseason, but this is a major step to show our
fans the Rangers are committed to winning and
keeping this team together,” general manager
Doug Melvin said.
“Both of these guys are the type of players we
want in our organization — not only for their
physical abilities but also for the way they carry
themselves as individuals.”
Burkett, who will make $3.55 million this year,
is guaranteed $4 million in both 1998 and 1999.
If the club picks up his option in 2000, he’ll get
$4.2 million. If not, there is a $450,000 buyout.
Another $4.3 million will be coming his way if
he’s still around in 2001. If that option is declined,
Burkett gets $200,000.
Although the team’s policy is not to work on
contracts during the season, Melvin said an ex
ception was made because negotiations had al
most been finished during spring training. Had
the deals not been completed Wednesday, they
would have been shelved until the offseason,
Melvin said.
That is bad news for Rangers fans still hoping
for the team to re-sign its other free agents-to-be,
especially Rodriguez. Texas rejected a $38.75 mil
lion, five-year proposal by the five-time All-Star
catcher’s agent.
“I’ve exchanged a lot of letters with the repre
sentatives of all our free-agent players. These just
seemed to work out. I can’t say tell you why the
others didn’t, I can only tell you why these two
did” Melvin said.
IMarlms , Sheffield agrees
fto record $61 million deal
MIAMI (AP) — Gary Sheffield
[agreed today to the largest con
tract package in baseball history, a
$61 million, six-year extension
with the Florida Marlins.
The contract runs from 1998
through 2003. In terms of total
money, it surpasses the $55 mil
lion, five-year contract Albert
Belle signed with the Chicago
White Sox. San Francisco’s Barry
Bonds is third at $43.75 million
over six years.
Sheffield hit .314 last season
with 42 homers and 120 RBIs.
Florida made the move follow
ing an offseason in which the Mar
lins committed more than $89
million to free agents, giving the
money primarily to pitcher Alex
Fernandez ($35 million over five
years), outfielder MoisesAlou ($25
million over five years) and in
fielder-outfielder Bobby Bonilla
($23.3 million over four years).
Sheffield, 28, is getting $6.1 mil
lion in 1997, the final season of a
$24.45 million, four-year contract.
His new deal calls for $ 10 million a
season from 1998-2002 and $11
million in 2003. Florida has an $ 11
million option for 2004.
In addition, the Marlins will
give Sheffield a $2.5 million salary
advance on Jan. 6, 1998 —
$500,000 for each of the first five
seasons of the new contract.
Sheffield and the Marlins are
believed to have agreed to most of
the points of the deal in late Feb
ruary. But because extensions
agreed to after opening day are not
counted in calculations for a
team’s 1997 luxury tax, they held
off announcing it until today.
Still, management’s Player Re
lations Committee may investi
gate to see whether the deal
should count to the Marlins’ cur
rent payroll, a management offi
cial said on the condition he not
be identified.
In addition to salary, Sheffield
could earn a $150,000 bonus if he
wins the NL MVP award, $100,000
if he finishes second, $75,000 for
third, $50,000 for fourth and
$25,000 for fifth.
He woulci get a $50,000 bonus
each time he’s elected to start in
the All-Star game and $20,000
each time he’s picked as a reserve.
He also would get $100,000 if he’s
the World Series MVP, $50,000 if
he’s the league championship
MVP and $25,000 if he’s the divi
sion series MVP
Finally, he would get $50,000
each for winning Gold Glove and
Silver Slugger Awards, and he re
ceives a no-trade clause for the en
tire length of the deal.
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Saturday, April 5
Sunday, April 6
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THE BATTALION CLASSIFIEDS
Astrodome rejects
early Oilers offer
HOUSTON (AP) — Astrodome
USA owner Drayton McLane said
Wednesday the Houston Oilers’ of
fer for an early release from their
stadium lease is unsatisfactory.
Houston KRFV-TV had reported
Tuesday that Oilers owner Bud
Adams was willing to drop his law
suit against the Astrodome, in
which he was seeking $2.5 million
in damages.
In return, Adams said the team
would pay Astrodome USA noth
ing for leaving a year early for
Tennessee. Adams gave As
trodome officials a Wednesday
deadline to accept the offer, the
station reported.
“We just called and told them it
was unacceptable,” McLane said.
“ (Adams) canceled the game in the
Astrodome, and we didn’t get any
thing for it.”
Astrodome officials had said the
Oilers must drop their lawsuit against
them before they would consider
freeing the team to leave a year early
for Tennessee. The Oilers filed the
lawsuit after a 1995 preseason game
was canceled because of bad turf.
Astrodome USA has been asking
for at least $ 1 million if the Oilers do
not play in the Dome next season.
Oilers spokesman David Pear
son said Wednesday that the team
had no immediate comment.
Both McLane and Harris County
Judge Robert Eckels indicated a deal
was not impossible.
“I think it’s reasonably close, but
that’s all in the eyes of the person
looking at it,” McLane said.
Eckels said the county was en
couraging them to work out their
differences.
“I don’t think they’re that far
apart,” Eckels said. “There’s reason
to believe they can get together.”
But McLane, who owns the
Houston Astros, said Houston fans
would come see the Oilers play an
other year.
“If the team wins, they’ll come,”
he said. “They will know they’ll be
playing their last year, and there
would be a sentimental value.”
The Oilers cannot leave Hous
ton early without approval from
Astrodome USA, Harris County
and the city of Houston. Only the
county has agreed, accepting a
buyout offer from the Oilers of
$5.25 million.
However, the Oilers have said if
they do not have an agreement
from everybody by the end of
Wednesday, all offers will be with
drawn, including the buyout offer
accepted by the county.
Alters SHOW
SPRING SHOW 1997
Sunday, April 6
2:00 p.m.
Rudder Theater
Featuring: Jazz, Tap,
Ballet & Modern dances!!
Tickets available at the door.
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What
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MSC Flagroom, April 7-11
Gay Awareness Week
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CHAT & CHEW
Discuss questions and concerns with your
Vice President for Student Affairs
DR. MALON SOUTHERLAND
Light refreshments available.
APRILS in the MSC
10:30 â–  12:30
Widespread Panic
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