Enquirer news services

The Reds offered salary arbitration to outfielder Deion Sanders and pitchers Kent Mercker, Mike Morgan and Jose Rijo before the midnight Monday deadline.

Those players have until Dec. 19 to accept or reject the offers and may negotiate with the Reds through May 8.

The Reds did not offer salary arbitration to first baseman Hal Morris or catcher Joe Oliver. That means the Reds could not re-sign them until May 1.

Brady Anderson, Paul Molitor and Gary Gaetti were among nine free agents who agreed to new contracts with their former teams Sunday.

Anderson got a $31 million, five-year contract from the Baltimore Orioles, Molitor got a $4.15 million one-year deal from the Minnesota Twins and Gaetti got a $1 million, one-year contract from the St. Louis Cardinals that gives him the chance to earn $1.1 million more in performance bonuses.

Six other players also agreed to contracts before the deadline:

• San Francisco brought back a pair of pitchers, agreeing to a $1.42 million, two-year contract with left-hander Rich Rodriguez and a $550,000, one-year contract with right-hander Danny Darwin.

• Texas and left-hander Scott Bailes agreed to a $200,000, one-year deal.

• Anaheim and right-hander Rich DeLucia agreed to a $400,000, one-year contract that gives the Angels a $700,000 option in 1999.

• Toronto gave infielder-outfielder Juan Samuel a minor-league contract that would earn him a $420,000 salary if he makes the team.

• Milwaukee agreed to a minor-league contract with outfielder Darrin Jackson that calls for a $550,000 salary if he's in the majors plus the chance to make $450,000 in performance bonuses.

  Officials from the union and management agreed to stopped the clock for an hour to give St. Louis and Andy Benes time to work out a new contract, but the team and the pitcher couldn't get it done in the additional time.

  Others offered arbitration were outfielder Harold Baines by Baltimore; catcher Pat Borders by Cleveland; third baseman Dean Palmer by Kansas City; outfielders Tim Raines and Darryl Strawberry by the New York Yankees; catcher Rick Wilkins by Seattle; infielder Bill Ripken and pitcher Bobby Witt by Texas; pitchers Mike Munoz and Bruce Ruffin by Colorado; pitcher Pete Smith by San Diego and reliever Dennis Eckersley by St. Louis.

  The deadline also was significant for another reason: Draft-pick compensation disappeared at midnight for those free agents not offered arbitration. Some team didn't want to lose draft picks and are waiting until this week to sign players they've talked to.

  The passing of the deadline is expected to clear the way for the New York Yankees to sign designated hitter Chili Davis, for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to sign DH Paul Sorrento and third baseman Wade Boggs, and for the Cleveland to sign right-hander Dwight Gooden.

  Also, the San Diego Padres were said to be close to completing a trade with Florida to acquire Marlins ace Kevin Brown.

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