Yanks beef up their outfield with signing of Mark Whiten

Friday, Jan. 10, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

The Yankees' crowded outfield got even more crowded.

Mark Whiten agreed Thursday to a $1 million, one-year contract with New York. The Yankees already had Bernie Williams, Paul O'Neill, Darryl Strawberry and Tim Raines for the three starting spots.

"Mr. Whiten is a potential insurance policy with power and a switch hitter," Yankees general manager Bob Watson said. "Right now, he's going to be behind O'Neill and competing with Raines and Strawberry."

O'Neill and Raines are coming off hamstring injuries, and the Yankees could be looking to trade O'Neill, due to make $4.9 million in each of the next two seasons.

"Paul is coming off a pretty severe leg injury," Watson said. "The man went out there hurt. He gave us all he had, and that was enough for us to win it all. I'd just like to see him healthy."

O'Neill was examined last Saturday.

"He's not 100 percent right now," Watson said. "They tell me he's going to be 100 percent at spring training."

Whiten, 30, can earn an additional $650,000 if he has 600 plate appearances and plays 150 games. He hit .243 with 10 homers and 38 RBIs for Philadelphia and Atlanta last season, then hit .300 with 12 homers and 33 RBIs for Seattle. After the Phillies released Whiten on June 17, he signed with the Braves, who traded him to the Mariners on Aug. 18 for right-hander Roger Bianco.

New York also re-signed infielder Luis Sojo to a $400,000, one-year contract, down from $625,000 last year. The Yankees failed to offer him a contract by the Dec. 20 deadline, getting around the 20 percent maximum cut rule.

Sojo, 31, was claimed by the Yankees off waivers from the Mariners on Aug. 22. He hit .275 in 18 games with the Yankees with five RBIs, and hit .220 overall in 95 games.

Vince Coleman, sixth on baseball's career stolen base list, agreed to a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers. The 35-year-old outfielder, who would get a contract worth about $500,000 if he makes the team, spent last season in Cincinnati where he played 33 games, batted .155 and stole 12 bases. He has 752 steals in his career.

Shigetoshi Hasegawa, a 28-year-old right-hander, agreed to a one-year contract with the Anaheim Angels, who get a team option for 1998.

Hasegawa was 4-6 with two complete games, one save and a 5.34 ERA in 18 games last season for the Orix Blue Wave in Japan's Pacific League.

"As a performer with success as both a starter and middle reliever, we feel Hasegawa fits well into our pitching staff plans for the 1997 season," Angels general manager Bill Bavasi said. "Our reports show he has a good fastball, slider and split-finger pitch to go along with excellent control."

In deals late Wednesday, the San Francisco Giants signed right-hander Doug Henry to a $500,000, one-year contract and the Seattle Mariners re-signed right-hander Rusty Meacham to a $300,000, one-year contract.

Meacham, acquired in June from Kansas City, was 1-1 with a 5.74 ERA in five starts and 10 relief appearances with the Mariners. Seattle failed to offer him a contract by the Dec. 20 deadline to get around the 20 percent cut rule. He made $410,000 last season.

Henry, released by the Mets in November, had nine saves for New York last season, going 2-8 with a 4.68 ERA in 58 games.

Among players eligible for salary arbitration, Detroit Tigers catcher Brian Johnson tripled his salary, agreeing Thursday to a $550,000, one-year contract, up from $170,000.

Left-hander Pete Schourek and Cincinnati agreed late Wednesday to a $2.64 million, one-year contract, a 20 percent cut from his $3.3 million salary last season.

Schourek was 4-5 last season and had a 6.01 ERA before having elbow surgery July 17. In 1995, he was 18-7 with a 3.22 ERA.

Ninety-six players remain eligible to file for arbitration by the Jan. 17 deadline.