Sax and Marshall Are Back at Dodger Bargaining Table

Proving that some deadlines are more elastic than others, the Dodgers have turned off the timer for Steve Sax and Mike Marshall and reopened negotiations with the two free agents.

The Pittsburgh Pirates, meanwhile, reported that they had offered Sax a 3-year deal believed to be in the $3-million range.

Dodger Executive Vice President Fred Claire, who had said he would offer only arbitration to Sax and Marshall after they did not sign before the team’s self-imposed deadline last Friday, talked with both players and their agent, Jerry Kapstein, for several hours Thursday after reopening discussions the day before. Claire didn’t leave his office Thursday until about 9:30 p.m., and talks are expected to resume today. While Claire said he didn’t think a signing was imminent, one phone call could change the situation.

Claire said he felt a sense of urgency to resolve the situation.

“There was a deadline, but we removed it to try and go the extra mile,” Claire said.

Dodger pitcher Orel Hershiser, for one, wasn’t surprised. The Dodgers have done that before with other players, Hershiser said, if not publicly at least in private, and he thought there was a chance that one, and perhaps both, of the players would re-sign with the team.

“What do I think are the odds? I’ll give you 50-50--I’ll bet you we’ll get one of them back,” Hershiser said Thursday at Dodger Stadium, after the press conference announcing his selection as the National League’s Cy Young Award winner.

Which one?

“I don’t know,” Hershiser said, “but to lose both of them would create such a big hole.”

The Dodgers had offered both Sax and Marshall a guaranteed $2.3 million for 2 seasons, with an option for a third season that made each total package worth $3.2 million. The third year was not guaranteed, however.

Sax reportedly was asking for $3.95 million for 3 years, Marshall $3.8 million for the same period.