NEW YORK - Mariano Rivera is keeping his pinstripes, staying with the only major league team he's ever pitched for.
The closer, perhaps the biggest key to the New York Yankees' run of World Series titles in the late 1990s, told the team he is accepting their $45 million, three-year offer.
Rivera, who turns 38 on Nov. 29, gets an average salary more than $4 million above what any other reliever currently makes.
Rivera's agreement is pending a physical. The Yankees also have a preliminary agreement on a $52.4 million, four-year contract with catcher Jorge Posada and are trying to finish off a record-setting $275 million, 10-year deal with Alex Rodriguez, who won his third AL MVP award Monday.
“We've got everybody back,” Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said. “It's good to have both Jorgie and him back.”
Rivera was coming off a three-year contract that paid him $31.5 million. He had hoped for an extension before the start of this season, but the Yankees decided not to discuss contract extensions with any of their players until after the 2007 season was over.
At the start of spring training, Rivera said he would test the market if he became a free agent.
“Everybody has the same shot,” he said then. “The Yankees will not have an advantage.”
But the Yankees spoke loudly with their aggressive offer.
“Mariano is obviously someone that we can't live without because he's one of a kind and he's so unique in what he does for us,” Rodriguez said during a conference call after he won the AL MVP award for the third time. “He's such an unbelievable force in our clubhouse. In many ways he's kind of the voice for a lot of people in there.”
Next, New York hopes Andy Pettitte will decide to pitch for the Yankees in 2008. Pettitte turned down a $16 million player option, saying he needed more time to decide whether he wanted to play or retire.
“If we get Andy, there's no question that we'll have better pitching than last year. We may have better pitching, anyway, but certainly with Andy back we will,” Steinbrenner said. “And of course, we've got the same lineup, which was a killer lineup. Everybody knows that.”
New York has not yet announced its agreement with Posada or a $4 million, two-year contract with backup catcher Jose Molina.
Lowell agrees to $37.5 million, 3-year deal with Red Sox
BOSTON - World Series MVP Mike Lowell is staying with the Boston Red Sox, meaning the reigning champions will try to repeat with all their key players from 2007.
The Red Sox and their popular third baseman reached a preliminary agreement Monday on a three-year, $37.5 million contract, according to two people familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been finalized.
While the sides have reached the outline of the deal, there are still minor issues to be worked out and as of Monday evening there still was not a signed letter of agreement between the team and Lowell's agents. Team spokesman John Blake declined comment.
In the three weeks since winning their second championship in four seasons, the Red Sox have re-signed their two biggest free agents, Lowell and pitcher Curt Schilling, and picked up options on Tim Wakefield and Julian Tavarez.
Lowell, a 33-year-old third baseman who made $9 million this season, was seeking four guaranteed years and might have gotten it elsewhere.
A high-priced castoff of the Florida Marlins who was dumped on the Red Sox in the Josh Beckett trade, Lowell moved into the fifth spot in Boston's powerful lineup behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Lowell hit 21 homers this season while reaching career highs with a .324 average and 120 RBIs.
Lowell batted .400 (6-for-15) during Boston's four-game Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies, with four RBIs, three walks and a team-high six runs to earn MVP honors. Red Sox fans were still celebrating at Coors Field when they began chanting for management to re-sign Lowell and ignore the temptations offered by AL MVP Alex Rodriguez, alternating chants of “Re-sign Lowell!” with chants of “Don't sign A-Rod!”
Angels trade SS Cabrera to White Sox for RHP Garland
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Gold Glove shortstop Orlando Cabrera was traded by the Los Angeles Angels to the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Jon Garland on Monday in a surprising swap of dependable players.
The deal came 12 days after the White Sox re-signed shortstop Juan Uribe to a $4.5 million, one-year contract. Now, he could wind up on the bench or with another team.
“We saw an opportunity to acquire one of the best shortstops in the game and one of the smartest shortstops in the game. Somebody who can fit into the No. 2 spot in our lineup for 155 games,” Chicago general manager Ken Williams said, adding the trade frees up money that could help the White Sox pull off another deal.
“We're not done yet. We're still out there trying to land some big fish,” he said.
The Angels, too, may have more deals ahead. Los Angeles has talked with Florida about a trade for Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera. Los Angeles also is believed to be interested in Baltimore shortstop Miguel Tejada.
“What this means is it gives us opportunities to strengthen our club in other areas,” new Angels general manager Tony Reagins said. “It gives us flexibility to look at other things.”
The 33-year-old Cabrera batted .301 with eight homers, 86 RBIs and a career-high 101 runs for the AL West champions this season. He also led AL shortstops in fielding percentage (.983) and won his second Gold Glove. The other came in 2001 with the Montreal Expos.
Garland, an 18-game winner in 2005 and 2006, was 10-13 with a 4.23 ERA in 32 starts this year. He joins a solid Angels rotation that includes John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar and Jered Weaver.
Padres announce $10 million, 1-year deal with Maddux
SAN DIEGO - Greg Maddux isn't ready to play golf full-time.
The San Diego Padres on Monday finalized a $10 million, one-year contract with Maddux, who will return for at least one more season as their No. 3 starter.
“The only way I was not coming back is if I had retired,” Maddux said by phone from his offseason home in Las Vegas. “When I had too much fun last year, I decided I wasn't ready to quit.”
Maddux, who turns 42 on April 14, agreed to terms of the deal two weeks earlier.
The right-hander will continue to pad his Hall of Fame credentials, which include 347 wins, four Cy Young Awards and a World Series championship won in 1995 with the Atlanta Braves.
Castillo, Mets complete $25 million, 4-year deal
NEW YORK - The Mets completed their deal with Luis Castillo on Monday, securing an everyday second baseman.
Now, they must find a No. 1 catcher and a starting pitcher to replace Tom Glavine.
Castillo passed his physical and finalized a $25 million, four-year contract with the Mets, who acquired him from Minnesota on July 30.
“I'm happy,” Castillo said on a conference call. “I know we have a good team.”
The three-time All-Star batted .296 for New York with 10 stolen bases, 20 RBIs and 37 runs in 50 games. He hit .304 with 18 RBIs and 54 runs in 85 games for the Twins.
A three-time Gold Glove winner, the 32-year-old Castillo also provided solid defense despite playing on a sore right knee that limited his speed.
Castillo had an arthroscopic procedure to clean out his knee after the season and is expected to be 100 percent healthy by early January, according to his agents, Sam and Seth Levinson. They said it was simply scar tissue that caused the discomfort.
“We feel that he should be fine going forward,” New York general manager Omar Minaya said.
Castillo gets a $1 million signing bonus and salaries of $6 million each of the next four years.
Rivera, who turns 38 on Nov. 29, gets an average salary more than $4 million above what any other reliever currently makes.
Rivera's agreement is pending a physical. The Yankees also have a preliminary agreement on a $52.4 million, four-year contract with catcher Jorge Posada and are trying to finish off a record-setting $275 million, 10-year deal with Alex Rodriguez, who won his third AL MVP award Monday.
“We've got everybody back,” Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said. “It's good to have both Jorgie and him back.”
Rivera was coming off a three-year contract that paid him $31.5 million. He had hoped for an extension before the start of this season, but the Yankees decided not to discuss contract extensions with any of their players until after the 2007 season was over.
At the start of spring training, Rivera said he would test the market if he became a free agent.
“Everybody has the same shot,” he said then. “The Yankees will not have an advantage.”
But the Yankees spoke loudly with their aggressive offer.
“Mariano is obviously someone that we can't live without because he's one of a kind and he's so unique in what he does for us,” Rodriguez said during a conference call after he won the AL MVP award for the third time. “He's such an unbelievable force in our clubhouse. In many ways he's kind of the voice for a lot of people in there.”
Next, New York hopes Andy Pettitte will decide to pitch for the Yankees in 2008. Pettitte turned down a $16 million player option, saying he needed more time to decide whether he wanted to play or retire.
“If we get Andy, there's no question that we'll have better pitching than last year. We may have better pitching, anyway, but certainly with Andy back we will,” Steinbrenner said. “And of course, we've got the same lineup, which was a killer lineup. Everybody knows that.”
New York has not yet announced its agreement with Posada or a $4 million, two-year contract with backup catcher Jose Molina.
Lowell agrees to $37.5 million, 3-year deal with Red Sox
BOSTON - World Series MVP Mike Lowell is staying with the Boston Red Sox, meaning the reigning champions will try to repeat with all their key players from 2007.
The Red Sox and their popular third baseman reached a preliminary agreement Monday on a three-year, $37.5 million contract, according to two people familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been finalized.
While the sides have reached the outline of the deal, there are still minor issues to be worked out and as of Monday evening there still was not a signed letter of agreement between the team and Lowell's agents. Team spokesman John Blake declined comment.
In the three weeks since winning their second championship in four seasons, the Red Sox have re-signed their two biggest free agents, Lowell and pitcher Curt Schilling, and picked up options on Tim Wakefield and Julian Tavarez.
Lowell, a 33-year-old third baseman who made $9 million this season, was seeking four guaranteed years and might have gotten it elsewhere.
A high-priced castoff of the Florida Marlins who was dumped on the Red Sox in the Josh Beckett trade, Lowell moved into the fifth spot in Boston's powerful lineup behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Lowell hit 21 homers this season while reaching career highs with a .324 average and 120 RBIs.
Lowell batted .400 (6-for-15) during Boston's four-game Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies, with four RBIs, three walks and a team-high six runs to earn MVP honors. Red Sox fans were still celebrating at Coors Field when they began chanting for management to re-sign Lowell and ignore the temptations offered by AL MVP Alex Rodriguez, alternating chants of “Re-sign Lowell!” with chants of “Don't sign A-Rod!”
Angels trade SS Cabrera to White Sox for RHP Garland
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Gold Glove shortstop Orlando Cabrera was traded by the Los Angeles Angels to the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Jon Garland on Monday in a surprising swap of dependable players.
The deal came 12 days after the White Sox re-signed shortstop Juan Uribe to a $4.5 million, one-year contract. Now, he could wind up on the bench or with another team.
“We saw an opportunity to acquire one of the best shortstops in the game and one of the smartest shortstops in the game. Somebody who can fit into the No. 2 spot in our lineup for 155 games,” Chicago general manager Ken Williams said, adding the trade frees up money that could help the White Sox pull off another deal.
“We're not done yet. We're still out there trying to land some big fish,” he said.
The Angels, too, may have more deals ahead. Los Angeles has talked with Florida about a trade for Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera. Los Angeles also is believed to be interested in Baltimore shortstop Miguel Tejada.
“What this means is it gives us opportunities to strengthen our club in other areas,” new Angels general manager Tony Reagins said. “It gives us flexibility to look at other things.”
The 33-year-old Cabrera batted .301 with eight homers, 86 RBIs and a career-high 101 runs for the AL West champions this season. He also led AL shortstops in fielding percentage (.983) and won his second Gold Glove. The other came in 2001 with the Montreal Expos.
Garland, an 18-game winner in 2005 and 2006, was 10-13 with a 4.23 ERA in 32 starts this year. He joins a solid Angels rotation that includes John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar and Jered Weaver.
Padres announce $10 million, 1-year deal with Maddux
SAN DIEGO - Greg Maddux isn't ready to play golf full-time.
The San Diego Padres on Monday finalized a $10 million, one-year contract with Maddux, who will return for at least one more season as their No. 3 starter.
“The only way I was not coming back is if I had retired,” Maddux said by phone from his offseason home in Las Vegas. “When I had too much fun last year, I decided I wasn't ready to quit.”
Maddux, who turns 42 on April 14, agreed to terms of the deal two weeks earlier.
The right-hander will continue to pad his Hall of Fame credentials, which include 347 wins, four Cy Young Awards and a World Series championship won in 1995 with the Atlanta Braves.
Castillo, Mets complete $25 million, 4-year deal
NEW YORK - The Mets completed their deal with Luis Castillo on Monday, securing an everyday second baseman.
Now, they must find a No. 1 catcher and a starting pitcher to replace Tom Glavine.
Castillo passed his physical and finalized a $25 million, four-year contract with the Mets, who acquired him from Minnesota on July 30.
“I'm happy,” Castillo said on a conference call. “I know we have a good team.”
The three-time All-Star batted .296 for New York with 10 stolen bases, 20 RBIs and 37 runs in 50 games. He hit .304 with 18 RBIs and 54 runs in 85 games for the Twins.
A three-time Gold Glove winner, the 32-year-old Castillo also provided solid defense despite playing on a sore right knee that limited his speed.
Castillo had an arthroscopic procedure to clean out his knee after the season and is expected to be 100 percent healthy by early January, according to his agents, Sam and Seth Levinson. They said it was simply scar tissue that caused the discomfort.
“We feel that he should be fine going forward,” New York general manager Omar Minaya said.
Castillo gets a $1 million signing bonus and salaries of $6 million each of the next four years.
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raywa9 wrote on Nov 21, 2007 11:24 AM: