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Red Sox Sign Japanese Pitcher Matsuzaka

Posted Wednesday December 13

Daisuke Matsuzaka has reached a deal with the Boston Red Sox for six years, $52 million, a source close to the negotiations has told SI.com. The deal contains escalator clauses that could bring it up to $60 million.

The clauses are similar to the ones in the contract of Josh Beckett, another starting Red Sox pitcher, a person connected to the team said.

Matsuzaka and the Red Sox came to an agreement shortly before both sides boarded a private jet out of Orange County, Calif., around 9 a.m. PST on Wednesday. Matsuzaka is to take a physical shortly after landing in Boston.

The deadline to sign Matsuzaka, the most heralded pitcher in the Japan League, was midnight Thursday. But the sides rushed to finish the deal by early Wednesday so there'd be time to conduct a physical and to get the blood work back.

SI.com confirmed a deal had, in fact, been struck for the righthanded superstar who was 108-60 in his career with the Seibu Lions and MVP of the inaugural World Baseball Classic, won by Japan, this past spring.

Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/b ... index.html

More craziness. Red Sox nation better pray this guy isn't a bust. As for Gagne, his rubber arm won't last half a season in that Arlington heat. He should have taken the Dodgers offer.

Sosa Begins Training with Aim of Returning to the Majors

Sammy Sosa began training Thursday in hopes of returning to the major leagues.

"I feel like I did when I was a rookie," Sosa told The Associated Press. "I have a lot of spirit and a desire to return. I think I can play three or four more years in the form I am now."

Sosa hit the ball out of the park 15 times while training at a field in San Pedro de Macoris that is operated by the Japanese league's Hiroshima Carp.

The 38-year-old slugger said he had received calls from teams interested in signing him but declined to reveal their names.

He has not played since his 2005 season with the Baltimore Orioles, when he hit .221 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI.

Sosa feels baseball has since turned its back on him, calling it a "blow" to not have received offers to come back during this year's season.

The only team that has publicly expressed interest in the Dominican's services was the Washington Nationals, who offered a non-guaranteed $500,000 contract that Sosa rejected.

"I want the chance and I believe one is going to appear. This time I will accept an offer like the one with the Nationals because I want to get back to the majors," he said.

Sosa, who won the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in 1998, played 17 seasons with the Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox and Cubs and finally with Baltimore.

A year away from the game wouldn't shake him, he said.

"Ted Williams went to war and lost a couple years. More recently, Barry Bonds stayed away for more than a year and came back, and the same happened with Frank Thomas because of injuries," he said.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2705612

Dontrelle Willis Arrested On Drunken Driving Charges

Florida Marlins star Dontrelle Willis was arrested on a drunken driving charge early Friday after a policeman noticed the pitching ace struggling to balance himself on a Miami Beach street.

An officer saw the former NL rookie of the year stop his black Bentley in the South Beach neighborhood, get out of the car around 4:30 a.m. and urinate in the street. Miami Beach police spokesman Bobby Hernandez said the officer noticed signs of intoxication as he approached Willis, who failed a field sobriety test.

"He couldn't keep his balance, he had a strong smell of alcohol," Hernandez said.

The 24-year-old Willis was arrested and taken to a police station, where he refused a breath test, Hernandez said. He arrived at the Miami-Dade County jail around 6 a.m. and was being held on $1,000 bond, jail spokeswoman Chandra Gavin Dinkins said.

"We're aware of the situation but we have no comment," P.J. Loyello, the Marlins vice president for communications, told the Miami Herald.

The Associated Press reported Willis' agent, Matt Sosnick, did not immediately return early morning phone messages left at his California office.

Willis finished last season 12-12 with a 3.87 earned-run average in 223 1/3 innings. In 2005, he led the major leagues with 22 wins and finished second in the National League Cy Young Award balloting. Willis was the NL rookie of the year in 2003, the year the Marlins beat the New York Yankees in the World Series.

In 127 starts with the Marlins since being called up from Double-A Carolina early in the 2003 season, Willis is 58-39 with a 3.44 ERA.

He earned $4.35 million this past season and is likely to make at least $6 million in 2007, once he and the Marlins come to terms on what's expected to be another one-year deal.

Willis has been Florida's nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award -- presented annually to major league players displaying a commitment to community and understanding the value of helping others -- in each of the last two seasons. He was married earlier this month.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2705991

Diamondbacks Show Interest in The Big Unit

If the New York Yankees are serious about trading Randy Johnson, the Arizona Diamondbacks would love to have him back.

Arizona confirmed its talks with New York about the Big Unit, who won four Cy Young Awards with the Diamondbacks from 1999-2004, but thus far the Yankees' asking price has been too high.

"There's no activity at this point," Diamondbacks general partner Jeff Moorad said Tuesday. "The Diamondbacks as an organization have a tremendous amount of respect for Randy, yet also recognize he's under contract to the Yankees. If there's ever an opportunity that made sense to reacquire him, we'd be at the head of the line."

The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants also have talked with New York about Johnson, a baseball official who had been briefed on the talks said, speaking on condition of anonymity because no deal had been agreed to.

If the Yankees do trade Johnson, who is owed $16 million next year in the final season of his contract, New York would consider pursuing Barry Zito, the top available starting pitcher on the free-agent market.

Johnson, who lives in the Phoenix area, was 17-11 with a 5.00 ERA last season and is coming off back surgery on Oct. 26. He went 103-49 in six seasons with the Diamondbacks, leading the NL in ERA three times and victories once.

He went 5-1 in the 2001 postseason, including 3-0 in Arizona's seven-game World Series win over the Yankees.

Johnson enters next season with a 280-147 career record. He waived his no-trade clause when the Diamondbacks traded him to the Yankees after the 2004 season and would have to waive it again for New York to deal him.

He has been a disappointment in New York despite a 34-19 regular-season record, going 0-1 with a 6.92 ERA in three postseason appearances, and perhaps has become expendable. New York's rotation also includes Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte and Kei Igawa -- who must complete his $20 million, five-year agreement by Thursday. The Yankees also have oft-injured right-hander Carl Pavano and a couple of touted pitching prospects.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2708931

Griffey Breaks Bone in Left Hand

Ken Griffey Jr. couldn't avoid injury in the offseason.

The Cincinnati Reds' center fielder broke his left hand in an accident at home, the latest in a series of setbacks since he joined his hometown team for the 2000 season.

Griffey will have the hand in a hard cast for three weeks, then be re-examined, the team announced Friday.

The club wasn't authorized by Griffey to give any details of how he was hurt. But the Dayton Daily News reported that Griffey broke the hand while playing with his children, citing two sources familiar with the situation.

General manager Wayne Krivsky wasn't sure whether Griffey will be ready for the start of spring training. The club will have a better idea when the hand is examined again in three weeks.

"It's just too early to tell," Krivsky said.

Griffey, who turned 37 last month, missed nearly a month early last season because of inflammation behind his right knee, and sat out 22 of the last 24 games after dislocating a toe.

The two injuries were par for the course for Griffey, who has been on the disabled list eight times since the Reds got him from Seattle in a trade before the 2000 season.

Asked if Griffey's injury would affect his offseason roster moves, Krivsky said, "It's not like we've got a game tomorrow. We're worried about getting him healed and going from there."

Griffey's health problems started shortly after he landed in Cincinnati.

He hit .271 with 40 homers and 118 RBI in 145 games during the 2000 season, his first with the Reds. He had a sore hamstring during the season, but played through the pain and avoided the disabled list.

He went on the disabled list in 2001 after tearing a hamstring, starting his run of major injuries. He was on the disabled list twice in 2002 (torn knee tendon and hamstring), twice in 2003 (dislocated shoulder and torn ankle tendon) and twice in 2004 (two hamstring tears).

For three years in a row, he didn't play in more than 83 games in a season. He finally avoided major injury during the 2005 season, when he hit .301 with 35 homers in 128 games -- his second-highest total with Cincinnati.

The performance won him the NL comeback player of the year award. He showed up for spring training healthy this year, and was impressive during the World Baseball Classic, hitting .524 with three homers.

But he hurt his knee while catching a fly ball during batting practice at Wrigley Field last April, prompting him to go on the disabled list for the eighth time since he rejoined the Reds. When he returned a month later, the resumed his climb up baseball's homer and RBI lists.

Overall, the 12-time All-Star hit .252 with 27 homers and 72 RBI in 109 games, his fourth-highest total with the Reds. He has two years left on his contract.

Griffey finished the season with 563 homers, tying Reggie Jackson for 10th. His 1,608 RBI rank 22nd on the career list, which goes back to 1920, when it became an official statistic.

When he came home to Cincinnati in February 2000, he was on pace to break Hank Aaron's home run record of 755; Griffey had been the youngest player to reach the 350-homer mark. All the injuries have likely cost him a chance to catch Aaron.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2706196

Chicago Trades McCarthy to Rangers

Not optimistic about their pursuit of free agent Barry Zito, the Texas Rangers acquired right-hander Brandon McCarthy from the Chicago White Sox in a five-player deal on Saturday.

The Rangers gave up 2003 first-round pick John Danks, a 21-year left-hander who hasn't yet pitched in the major leagues, and right-handers Nick Masset and Jacob Rasner in exchange for McCarthy and 18-year-old outfielder David Paisano.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels insisted the acquisition of McCarthy, a 23-year-old right-harder, wasn't directly related to the team's waning hopes of adding Zito.

"I don't want to get into specifics about our discussions other than to say that I'm not terribly encouraged about our chances," Daniels said on a conference call. "Regardless of whether or not we felt we were going to be able to sign somebody like Barry, we would have made this deal. This is about the future with Brandon."

McCarthy already has 65 major league appearances (12 starts), and is 7-9 with a 4.39 earned-run average. He has 117 career strikeouts while walking only 50 batters in 151 2/3 innings.

McCarthy worked primarily out of the bullpen for the first time last season, and was 10th in the AL with 75 1/3 innings worked in relief. The Rangers plan to use him as a starter.

"We're thrilled to add Brandon McCarthy to our rotation and expect he'll be there for many years to come," Daniels said. "It's never easy to deal young players you're fond of, but Brandon's age, makeup, and ability is a rare combination we could not pass on."

McCarthy, whose rights will be held by the Rangers for at least five years, will join a rotation with 16-game winner Kevin Millwood and 15-game winner Vicente Padilla, a veteran duo both signed through at least 2009. Robinson Tejeda, a 24-year-old right-hander, went 5-5 with 4.28 ERA in 14 starts last season.

"This gives us four starters that we feel very comfortable going into next year with," Daniels said.

While Daniels said there are internal candidates for the fifth spot, the Rangers are still interested in Zito, the 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner.

"It's certainly not over," Daniels said.

Daniels wouldn't be specific about the Zito situation, but said "be careful believing the rumors out there" -- including some that the Rangers have offered the left-hander more than $100 million. Rangers owner Tom Hicks has also said such reports were untrue.

Texas is also still talking to free agent left-hander Mark Mulder, who is coming off shoulder surgery in September and won't be ready to pitch at the start of the 2007 season.

Both Zito and Mulder visited Rangers officials in Texas over the last month.

Danks split last season between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Oklahoma, where he combined to go 9-9 with a 4.24 ERA in 27 games (26 starts). He has a career minor league record of 21-30 with a 4.20 ERA in 92 games (82 starts).

Masset made his major league debut last year with Texas, with no record and a 4.15 ERA in eight relief appearances. Rasner spent the entire 2006 season at Class-A Clinton, going 6-16 with a 5.41 ERA in 27 starts.

The 18-year-old Paisano appeared in 52 games for the White Sox Venezuelan Summer League team in 2006 and batted .338 with no home runs and 17 RBI.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2707317

Brewers Sign Jeff Suppan to 4 Year Deal

NL Championship Series MVP Jeff Suppan reached a preliminary agreement Sunday on a $42 million, four-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Suppan must pass a physical for the deal to be finalized, the Brewers said in a rare Christmas Eve announcement. His contract includes a team option for 2011 with a $2 million buyout.

"He gives us a big-game pitcher. He's shown that last year," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said during a telephone conference call.

A 31-year-old right-hander, Suppan went 12-7 with a 4.12 ERA for St. Louis this year -- including a 6-2 mark with a 2.39 ERA in 15 starts after the All-Star break. He was 1-1 in four postseason starts, including a win in Game 3 and seven solid innings in Game 7 of the NLCS against the New York Mets. He is 44-26 with a 3.95 ERA over the last three regular seasons, tied for ninth in the major leagues in wins.

Suppan met Tuesday with Brewers officials, and the team made an offer the following day, when Suppan met with New York Mets executives. His agent, Scott Leventhal, negotiated through the weekend with Melvin.

Leventhal said there was no temptation to wait until after Barry Zito decided where to sign -- when the teams that failed to get the left-hander might bid up Suppan's price.

"All along we controlled the tempo of our own negotiations. We understood a marketplace would open up once Zito dropped," Leventhal said. "Sup's whole thing was to go at his own pace and make his decision on when he felt was the best time. He felt today was the best time."

Melvin said Suppan's durability was an attraction for the Brewers, who struggled last season when Ben Sheets and Tomo Ohka got hurt. Suppan has made 31 or more starts in eight straight seasons, throwing 180 or more innings each time.

"This obviously will be the largest improvement, adding a pitcher of this stature," Melvin said.

Milwaukee needed a durable starting pitcher after trading Doug Davis to Arizona for Claudio Vargas, catcher Johnny Estrada and pitcher Greg Aquino.

Suppan has pitched for Boston (1995-97, 2003), Arizona (1998), Kansas City (1998-2002), Pittsburgh (2003) and St. Louis (2004-06). He has reached double figures in wins seven times, and has a career record of 106-101 with a 4.60 ERA.

Milwaukee, coming off a 75-87 record and fourth-place finish in the NL Central, has a projected rotation that includes left-hander Chris Capuano and right-handers Sheets, Dave Bush, Vargas and Suppan.

In the NLCS, Suppan pitched eight shutout innings for the victory in Game 3, then allowed one run over seven innings in Game 7, which the Cardinals went on to win 3-1 on Yadier Molina's two-run homer in the ninth. St. Louis then went on to beat Detroit in five games for the World Series title.

Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said that kind of performance was important to him as he tries to make the Brewers a "perennially competitive" team.

"What you want to do is add a winner," Attanasio said.

Leventhal said the pitcher saw the Brewers as a team with potential.

"I think he feels like it's a team that has tremendous talent -- it's got a mix of young guys and veterans, all with talent," he said.

Leventhal said Suppan was at a Christmas Eve Mass and could not be reached for comment.

Suppan generated some controversy during the World Series when he appeared in a television commercial and a print ad opposing a Missouri amendment to permit embryonic stem cell research. The amendment passed by a narrow margin.

Attanasio invited the pitcher and his agent to dinner at his home last week.

"It was a very relaxed evening," Attanasio said. "There was a lot of give and take. I got to know Jeff. I came away impressed."

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2707975

Giants Land Barry Zito

Barry Zito is staying in the Bay Area with the San Francisco Giants.

Sources told ESPN's Peter Gammons that the former Oakland A's pitcher has agreed to a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Giants.

The deal, agreed to late Wednesday night, includes an $18 million option for 2014 that could increase the value to $144 million, an unidentified source told The Associated Press.

Zito is scheduled to have a physical Friday, and the Giants planned to announce their agreement with the three-time All-Star later in the day. His decision to sign with the Giants first was reported on MLB.com.

Zito's deal ties for the sixth largest overall, matching the $126 million, seven-year extension agreed to this month by Toronto and center fielder Vernon Wells. Previously, the largest contract for a pitcher was Mike Hampton's $121 million, eight-year deal with the Colorado Rockies before the 2001 season.

ek Jeter ($189 million), Manny Ramirez ($160 million), Todd Helton ($141.5 million) and Alfonso Soriano ($136 million) have contracts with more guaranteed money.

Zito's is the 14th $100 million deal in baseball history and the fourth of the offseason following agreements by Soriano (Cubs), Wells and Carlos Lee ($100 million with Houston).

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound 28-year-old was drafted in the first round, ninth overall, by the A's in 1999 and made his debut the following season. By 2002 he was a star, making his first All-Star team and winning the American League Cy Young award. His 23-5 record led the league and he also boasted a 2.75 ERA.

Zito was also an All-Star in 2003 and last season.

Zito helped the A's to the playoffs in his first four seasons, but Oakland lost in the divison series every time. Only last season did the A's break through, beating the Twins in the ALDS before losing to the Tigers in the American League Championship Series. Zito's postseason career record is a mere 1-5, but he boasts a 3.25 ERA.

Zito has been known for his durability. His 173 starts over the past five years rank first in Major League Baseball.

In his career, Zito's accomplishments have earned him approximately $18 million, the amount he will reportedly make per season with the Giants.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2710389

Orioles Sign Aubrey Huff

The Orioles have reached agreement with free-agent utilityman Aubrey Huff, the Baltimore Sun reported Saturday, citing several industry sources.

The offer is believed to be for three years and $20 million, the newspaper reported.

Huff, a 30-year-old left-handed slugger, is expected to take a physical next week in Baltimore.

"All that is left is a physical and dotting the I's and crossing the T's," one source familiar with the negotiations told the Sun.

The Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers and Pittsburgh Pirates also were believed to be pursuing Huff, the newspaper reported.

One factor the Orioles had to appreciate: Huff has a .285 career average at Camden Yards and has batted .297 against the Orioles over his seven seasons in the majors. He has more home runs (20) and RBI (63) against Baltimore than against any other team.

Huff hit a combined .267 in 2006 for Tampa Bay and Houston, with 21 home runs and 66 RBI. He was dealt to Houston on July 13 and hit .250 in 68 games for the Astros. He posted career highs in 2003 with a .311 average, 34 home runs and 107 RBI.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2714918