NASHVILLE — Pushing player salaries to yet another level, the Dodgers on Saturday made Kevin Brown baseball's first $100-million player, signing the free agent pitcher to a record seven-year, $105-million contract that stirred concern and anger throughout the industry.
Brown's package surpassed the previous records for total value and average annual salary established in the last few months during this dizzying season of free agent signings. The four-time all-star, who turns 34 in March, is to receive a $5-million signing bonus and a $10-million salary in 1999, and salaries of $15 million annually for the remainder of the contract, which was completed during baseball's annual winter meetings here.
The Dodgers included a no-trade clause and agreed to charter a jet to fly Brown's wife and children from the family's home in Macon, Ga., to Los Angeles 12 times a season. Brown, who will be introduced at a Dodger Stadium news conference Tuesday, said the club overwhelmed him.
"From the first moment we [Brown and his wife, Candace] visited with the Dodgers in Los Angeles [Wednesday], we knew that they were not only committed to us but committed to winning," Brown said during a phone interview. "Everyone we met made it clear to us that getting the Dodgers back to the level they were at in the past was the priority.
"The money you can make is obviously important, but the competitive edge, the chance to win year in and year out, has always been the most important thing to me in the game. The Dodgers also were very committed to doing some things to help me be with my family, and all of that combined made the decision a lot easier."
Brown's deal surpassed the total value of the seven-year, $91-million contract former Dodger franchise player Mike Piazza signed with the New York Mets in October. It also pushes the Dodgers' payroll next year to $85 million, tops in baseball.
The Dodgers traded Piazza on May 15 after they refused to meet his request for a seven-year extension in the $100-million range. Piazza rejected the team's final offer of six years at $79 million.
The Brown deal also surpasses the $13.33-million average annual value of the contract Mo Vaughn signed with the Angels in November.
News of Brown's contract was not well received by baseball officials. The Dodgers were roundly criticized for being the first club to break the $100-million barrier, for giving a pitcher a guaranteed seven-year contract, uncommon because of the risk of arm problems, and for increasing the talent disparity between the game's low- and high-revenue teams.
