Daniels Raised to $2,025,000

Outfielder Kal Daniels became the seventh Dodger to be guaranteed a salary of $2 million or more for the 1991 season when he avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $2,025,000 contract Monday, more than tripling his 1990 salary of $600,000.

Daniels, who batted .296 and hit 27 home runs with 94 runs batted in last year, had filed for $2.4 million in arbitration, with the Dodgers countering at $1.65 million.

He joins six other Dodgers at the $2-million-or-more plateau and becomes the 12th Dodger to be guaranteed a salary of $1 million or more in 1991.

The Dodger player payroll is more than $29 million, not including $3,150,000 in signing bonuses given to Darryl Strawberry, Brett Butler and Kevin Gross this winter. The payroll will come close to $35 million because several players remain unsigned, including infielders Lenny Harris and Mike Sharperson, pitcher Tim Belcher and utilityman Mickey Hatcher.

Last year’s payroll was about $21 million.

Of the 10 Dodgers who filed for arbitration, only Belcher and Hatcher have failed to reach compromises. Belcher is seeking $1.35 million compared to the Dodger offer of $900,000. Hatcher is seeking $600,000 compared to the Dodger offer of $425,000.

$2-MILLION-PLUS CLUB Dodgers who will make $2 million or more in 1991. DARRYL STRAWBERRY: $3,500,000 EDDIE MURRAY: $2,800,000 OREL HERSHISER: $2,800,000 FERNANDO VALENZUELA: $2,550,000 BRETT BUTLER: $2,500,000 KAL DANIELS: $2,025,000 KEVIN GROSS: $2,000,000