Indians Going After Fernandez

The Cleveland Indians, still stinging from the loss of slugger Albert Belle, have offered free-agent pitcher Alex Fernandez a five-year, $40-million deal that would make the Chicago White Sox right-hander the highest-paid pitcher in the game, a baseball source said Saturday.

The Florida Marlins are still in the hunt for Fernandez with a five-year, $36-million offer, and the Miami native and former University of Miami star, who was 16-10 with a 3.45 earned-run average in 1996, is expected to make a decision in the next few days.

The White Sox have offered Fernandez arbitration, meaning they’ll receive a first-round pick as compensation should Fernandez depart, but the team pulled its five-year, $30-million offer off the table last week, and it now appears certain Fernandez will leave Chicago.

The Indian offer, valued at $8 million a year, would surpass the four-year, $31-million contract ($7.75 million a year) that Atlanta Brave pitcher John Smoltz recently signed.