Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 13, 1991 TAG: 9102130070
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
Davis and Baltimore settled at $3,275,000, the midpoint between the first baseman's request and the Orioles' offer. Gruber became the top-paid third baseman in baseball when the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to an $11 million, three-year deal.
That makes it 36 players at or above the $3 million mark, a level first breached by in November 1989 by Minnesota outfielder Kirby Puckett.
In another big deal, St. Louis Cardinals infielder Jose Oquendo agreed to a four-year, $8.5 million extension through 1995.
Thirty-seven players remain in salary arbitration. Right-hander Tim Belcher and the Los Angeles Dodgers had a hearing Tuesday before arbitrator Reg Alleyne. Right-hander Doug Drabek and the Pittsburgh Pirates are scheduled for a hearing today.
Gruber, 28, batted .274 last season with 31 home runs and 118 RBI and made $1.25 million.
Davis, 30, was acquired from Houston in January. He made $1,985,000 last season, when he batted .251 with 22 homers and 64 RBI.
Seven other players in arbitration agreed to one-year contracts: Texas outfielder Rafael Palmeiro, Cleveland outfielder Chris James, Boston pitcher Joe Hesketh, Oakland shortstop Walt Weiss, Yankees shortstop Alvaro Espinoza, California outfielder Dave Gallagher and Montreal catcher Nelson Santovenia.
by CNB