Viola Agrees to a 2-Year, $2.9-Million Contract

A total of 104 major league baseball players filed for salary arbitration before the midnight deadline Friday, while 19 players, including World Series MVP Frank Viola, reached agreements on new contracts.

Viola, who was 17-10 last season and 2-1 in the Series, including a victory in Game 7, agreed to a two-year, $2.9-million contract.

He will earn $1.35 million this season and $1.55 million in 1989 and can earn an additional $450,000 each season in performance bonuses and $100,000 more each season in award bonuses.

Viola made $880,000 last season in a one-year contract after earning $525,000 in 1986 as a loser in arbitration.

Eighteen players agreed to one-year contracts Friday, including 10 pitchers. The pitchers agreeing were Ken Dayley of the St. Louis Cardinals ($610,000), Ted Power of the Kansas City Royals ($575,000), Dennis (Oil Can) Boyd of the Boston Red Sox ($550,000), Andy McGaffigan of the Montreal Expos ($500,000), Andy Hawkins of the San Diego Padres ($453,000), Gene Nelson of the Oakland Athletics ($450,000), Ken Schrom of the Cleveland Indians ($380,000), Brad Havens ($185,000) and Jay Howell of the Dodgers and Al Nipper of the Cubs.

Havens, Howell and Nipper had filed for arbitration earlier in the day but then came to terms.

Others agreeing were outfielder Gary Pettis of the Detroit Tigers ($400,000), catcher Mike Fitzgerald of Montreal ($335,000), outfielder Danny Heep of the Dodgers ($300,000), catcher Rick Cerone of the New York Yankees ($300,000), outfielder Marvell Wynne of San Diego ($255,000), infielder Len Matuszek of the Dodgers ($215,000), infielder Jackie Gutierrez of the Baltimore Orioles ($125,000) and Marc Sullivan of the Houston Astros.

Most of the players who filed for arbitration probably will reach agreements before their hearings are held in the first three weeks of February. Last year, 109 players filed and 83 settled before their hearings.

Orel Hershiser and four other Dodgers have filed for arbitration.

Of 13 Dodgers eligible for the arbitration process, seven have signed, and Executive Vice President Fred Claire said he was optimistic about coming to terms with the six who haven’t.

Mike Marshall filed for arbitration Thursday. Hershiser, who made $800,000 last year and is now believed to be seeking a multiyear contract for more than $1 million a year, was joined in filing Friday by Dave Anderson, Ken Howell, Franklin Stubbs and Alejandro Pena.

The two eligible Angels both filed for arbitration. Shortstop Dick Schofield filed Thursday; catcher Bob Boone filed Friday.

Among other players filing Friday were Dwight Gooden and Howard Johnson of the Mets; Bret Saberhagen of Kansas City; Willie McGee and Vince Coleman of St. Louis; Eric Davis of Cincinnati; Greg Gagne, Kirby Puckett and Dan Gladden of Minnesota; Julio Franco of Cleveland; George Bell and Tony Fernandez of Toronto; Ted Higuera and Rob Deer of Milwaukee; Lance Parrish of Philadelphia; Joe Carter of Cleveland; Kevin Bass of Houston, and Mark Langston of Seattle.