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Randy Johnson Agrees To Contract Extension with Diamondbacks

The Yankees are still trying to trade Randy Johnson, hoping to get a tentative deal in place that then would allow the Big Unit's agents to get him a contract extension.

Newsday reported Thursday that Johnson has agreed in principle through "back-channel conversations" to a $10 million contract extension for 2008 that would lead to a trade with the Diamondbacks, citing two people familiar with the situation. The paper said finalizing a trade could take two or three more days and that Arizona reliever Luis Vizcaino would be sent to New York in the swap.

The Diamondbacks and Johnson's agents, however, have said they won't negotiate an extension unless a tentative trade is in place first.

Johnson was 17-11 with a 5.00 ERA last season, and the 43-year-old left-hander is coming off back surgery on Oct. 26. Although he has gone 34-19 during the regular season in two years with the Yankees, he is 0-1 with a 6.92 ERA in three postseason appearances.

Johnson is owed $16 million this year in the final season of his current deal, and the Yankees have focused on obtaining some of Arizona's top prospects.

Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/b ... index.html

Yankees Agree To Deal with First Baseman Doug Mientkiewicz

The New York Yankees have reached a tentative deal with first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, according to reports in the New York Daily News and the New York Post.

The addition of Mientkiewicz, a left-handed hitter better known for his defense at first, would allow Jason Giambi to be the Yankees' full-time designated hitter.

Mientkiewicz hit .283 with four home runs and 43 RBI bats for the Kansas City Royals last season before season-ending back surgery sidelined him on Aug. 29. He is a career .270 hitter in nine seasons with the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and the Royals and won the 2001 AL Gold Glove at first base.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2720161

Yankees Tentatively Deal Randy Johnson to Diamondbacks

Randy Johnson is headed back to the Arizona Diamondbacks after two unfulfilling years with the New York Yankees that began with a nasty sidewalk confrontation and ended with a messy playoff loss.

The Yankees reached a tentative agreement with Arizona on Thursday to trade Johnson to Arizona for reliever Luis Vizcaino and three minor leaguers, a move that allows the Big Unit's agents to get him a contract extension.

Arizona general manager Josh Byrnes confirmed what he called "an agreement in principle" but did not identify the players that would go to the Yankees.

New York would receive Vizcaino and minor league right-handers Ross Ohlendorf and Steven Jackson, and shortstop Alberto Gonzalez, a baseball official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The Yankees also would pay $2 million of Johnson's $16 million salary this year.

Teams are granted a 72-hour window by the commissioner's office to close tentative deals, and the Yankees and Diamondbacks must finalize the trade by 5 p.m. ET Sunday.

Johnson's return to Arizona could jumpstart a team that went 76-86, tied with Colorado for last in the NL West. The Diamondbacks drew 2.09 million fans at home, just 32,000 above the franchise low set in 2005, and Johnson's presence could spark interest.

Arizona has had an otherwise quiet offseason. The only major move was to acquire left-hander Doug Davis from Milwaukee in a six-player deal that sent catcher Johnny Estrada to the Brewers. Right-handers Greg Aquino and Claudio Vargas also went to the Brewers, while the Diamaondbacks obtained a pair of youngsters, left-hander Dana Eveland and outfielder Dave Krynzel.

Vizcaino, a 32-year-old right-hander, was 4-6 last season with a 3.58 ERA in 70 games. He has a 25-23 career record with a 4.24 ERA in eight seasons, playing for Oakland, Milwaukee, the Chicago White Sox and Arizona.

Ohlendorf, a 25-year-old who went to Princeton, was 10-8 with a 3.29 ERA at Double-A Tennessee last season and 0-0 with a 1.28 ERA at Tucson.

Gonzalez, a 24-year-old right-handed hitter, batted .290 in 129 games with Tennessee with six homers, 50 RBIs and 20 doubles. He also hit .200 (3-for-15) in four games with Tucson.

Jackson, 24, was 8-11 with a 2.65 ERA in 24 starts at Tennessee.

New York's projected rotation includes Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte and Kei Igawa. The Yankees also have oft-injured right-hander Carl Pavano and hope Roger Clemens can be persuaded to follow Pettitte back to New York. Clemens hasn't decided whether to pitch this year. If he does, the 44-year-old right-hander might follow his 2006 schedule and not start his major league season until mid-June.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2720413

Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr Elected to Hall of Fame

Mark McGwire fell far short in his first try for the Hall of Fame, picked by 23.5 percent of voters while Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. easily gained baseball's highest honor.

Tarnished by accusations of steroid use, McGwire appeared on 128 of a record 545 ballots in voting released Tuesday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Ripken was picked by 537 voters and appeared on 98.53 percent of ballots to finish with the third-highest percentage behind Tom Seaver (98.84) and Nolan Ryan (98.79).

Gwynn received 532 votes for 97.6 percent, the seventh-highest ever.

"It's an unbelievable feeling to know that people think that what you did was worthy," Gwynn said during a conference call. "For me, it's kind of validation. The type of player that I was doesn't get a whole lot of credit in today's game."

Goose Gossage finished third with 388 votes, falling 21 shy of the necessary 409 for election. Jim Rice was fourth with 346, followed by Andre Dawson (309), Bert Blyleven (260), Lee Smith (217) and Jack Morris (202).

McGwire was ninth, followed by Tommy John (125) and Steve Garvey (115), who was in his final year of eligibility.

Jose Canseco, on the ballot for the first time, received six votes, well below the 5 percent threshold needed to stay on future ballots. In his book two years ago, Canseco accused McGwire and others of using steroids. The book's publication was quickly followed by a congressional hearing on steroids during which McGwire evaded questions, saying: "I'm not here to talk about the past."

Harold Baines, who received 29 votes, reached the 5 percent threshold. Bret Saberhagen got seven votes in his first appearance on the ballot and Ken Caminiti, who admitted using steroids during his career and died in 2004, received two.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof07/new ... id=2725461

Marlins Agree to Deal with Dontrelle Willis

Dontrelle Willis reached agreement Monday on a one-year, guaranteed $6.45 million contract with the Florida Marlins, a day before he was scheduled to exchange salary arbitration figures with the club.

Willis' deal includes $50,000 in incentives, a "sizable" advance on his salary, and bonuses if he makes the All-Star team or wins the Cy Young Award, Silver Slugger or National League Most Valuable Player Award, according to his agent, Matt Sosnick.

If Willis stays healthy, he will be in position to surpass the $6.5 million salary earned by the Chicago Cubs' Carlos Zambrano in 2006. That's the most money ever for a starting pitcher in his second year of salary arbitration.

Willis is Florida's franchise leader with 58 victories and 15 complete games, and ranks second on the team's career innings pitched list behind A.J. Burnett. He won 22 games and was runner-up to St. Louis' Chris Carpenter in the 2005 NL Cy Young Award race, and went 12-12 with a 3.87 ERA for the Marlins last season while ranking fifth in the league with 223 1/3 innings pitched.

Willis, one of baseball's most popular young players, is active in community work in South Florida and received the Marlins' Good Guy Award from the local media in 2006. But his image took a hit Dec. 22 when he was arrested on drunken-driving charges outside a nightclub in Miami's South Beach. Last week Willis entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of driving under the influence.

Sosnick, who also represents Marlins starters Josh Johnson, Scott Olsen and Ricky Nolasco, said the off-field incident had no impact on his negotiations with the club. Last year Willis made a base salary of $4.35 million to break the record for a first-year arbitration eligible starter held by Toronto's Roy Halladay.

"We feel like Dontrelle should be compensated at the top of his class each year," Sosnick said. "He certainly puts in the effort during the season and the offseason, and it speaks to the fact that he should be the highest-paid player at his position."

The Marlins finished with a respectable 78-84 record last year despite an Opening Day payroll of just south of $15 million, easily the lowest in baseball. The team is also in the middle of negotiations with third baseman Miguel Cabrera, who is in line for a huge raise in his first year of salary arbitration.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2732239

Yankee Stadium To Host 2008 All-Star Game

Yankee Stadium will be the site of the 2008 All-Star Game, sources in baseball said, in the last year of the ballpark.

The new Yankee Stadium is scheduled to open in 2009, and old Yankee Stadium closed, 86 years after the ballpark was first built in 1923, and 33 years after the ballpark was remodeled on the same site in 1976. With the All-Star Game slated to be in an AL park in 2008, officials chose Yankee Stadium for the site, believing it to be an appropriate way to usher out the historic building.

The All-Star Game has been held in Yankee Stadium three times previously, the last time in 1977.

An announcement on the selection of Yankee Stadium is expected in the days ahead, perhaps next week, with Major League Baseball coordinating with the Mayor's office in New York.

Next summer's All-Star Game will be played in San Francisco, and on Monday night, Commissioner Bud Selig formally announced that the 2009 All-Star Game will be played in St. Louis.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2732682

Rangers Offer Sosa Minor League Deal

The Texas Rangers have offered Sammy Sosa a minor league contract and invited him to spring training, where the veteran slugger would have the chance to make the major league club, a source told ESPNdeportes.com Tuesday.

A baseball source also told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that the Rangers and Sosa were working toward an agreement.

"Sammy seems hungry and somewhat humbled by the last two years,'' Texas general manager Jon Daniels said in an e-mail to ESPN.com. "This is about giving a second chance to a guy who did a lot for the game, and who wants an opportunity to prove he can contribute. We're not setting expectations, and he's not asking for anything other than a chance to compete."

It was not immediately clear how much the deal would be worth if Sosa were to make the major league club, but the source said that a big chunk of the money would be incentive-based.

Sosa worked out for Rangers officials at Ameriquest Field on Monday and later had dinner with Daniels. If Sosa were to come to terms with the team, he would report to Rangers spring training on Feb. 22 in Surprise, Arizona.

The relationship between the Rangers and Sosa would be nothing new. Sosa signed his first baseball contract with Texas 22 years ago out of the Dominican Republic, and after four years in the minors, he made his major league debut with the Rangers at age 20 in 1989. He hit .238 with one home run (off Roger Clemens at Fenway Park) and three RBIs before being traded to the Chicago White Sox.

Rangers hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo managed Sosa in 1986 for the Rangers' rookie league team.

Sosa, a seven time All-Star and author of three 60-plus home run seasons, has 588 homers in a 17-year career, but he hit just .221 with 14 round-trippers in 102 games with the Orioles in 2005 and did not play last year.

"I think I still have a lot to give in baseball," said Sosa last month, when he began to work out in the Dominican.

Sosa, 38, turned down a non-guaranteed contract worth $500,000 from the Washington Nationals and opted to sit out the 2006 season.

"Now, I would accept an offer similar to that of the Nationals last year," said Sosa recently.

Sosa would give the Rangers a much-needed right-handed bat in the outfield. Three of Texas' current outfielders are left-handed hitters -- Brad Wilkerson, Kenny Lofton and Frank Catalanotto.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2733168

Braves Trade Adam LeRoche to Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates' two-month wait to try to swing a deal for Atlanta power hitter Adam LaRoche ended Wednesday when they agreed to acquire the first baseman for left-handed closer Mike Gonzalez and another player.

The trade is subject to physicals for the players required by the two teams, according to a baseball official familiar with the negotiations who requested anonymity because the deal was still being finalized. The identify of the other player was not immediately known.

The Pirates, who hit a NL-low 141 homers during a 95-loss season last year, have been desperate to add a left-handed power bat to take advantage of PNC Park's short right-field deck. They targeted LaRoche weeks ago, but the Braves previously sought both Gonzalez and one of the Pirates' young starting pitchers.

The 27-year-old LaRoche hit .285 with 32 homers and 90 RBIs last season and was seventh in the NL with a .561 slugging percentage. He is expected to be a major addition to a Pirates lineup that, except for Jason Bay (35 homers), had no player with more than 16 homers last season.

Gonzalez, who will be 29 in May, should improve a Braves bullpen that blew 29 saves last season. He was 3-4 with a 2.17 ERA last season and was 24-for-24 in save conversions until missing the final five weeks of the season with a sore left elbow.

Earlier this winter, the Braves added setup reliever Rafael Soriano (2.25 ERA in 53 games) in a trade with Seattle for starter Horacio Ramirez.

Gonzalez bypassed arbitration on Tuesday by agreeing to a $2.35 million, one-year contract.

LaRoche has asked for a raise from $420,000 to $3.7 million and has been offered $2.8 million.

Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/b ... index.html

Trot Nixon Agrees To Deal With Indians

Free-agent outfielder Trot Nixon has agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with the Cleveland Indians, ESPN.com's Peter Gammons reports.

Nixon, who has spent his entire pro baseball career with the Boston Red Sox organization and was popular with the team's fans for his gritty playing style, was not offered arbitration by the team after spending eight years as its starting right fielder.

In 982 career games, Nixon has a .278 batting average with 133 home runs and 523 RBIs. He hit .357 in Boston's four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series and delivered a key bases-clearing triple in Game 4.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2735974

Yankees Working on Agreement with China Baseball

A contingent of executives from the New York Yankees will fly to China next week with the hope of concluding ongoing negotiations on a working agreement with the China Baseball Association. This could lead to the Yankees dispatching coaches and trainers to work with players in China, and perhaps, in years to come, beginning a baseball academy.

According to a major league executive who has been briefed on the organization's intentions, the Yankees -- operating in consultation with Major League Baseball -- have been in negotiations for seven months on this deal. The Yankees' goal is to get their brand into the world's most populated nation, and put themselves in position, down the road, to scout talent, while working with members of the CBA to improve the state of baseball in China.

"Everybody thinks that that is a great place to grow the sport of baseball," Yankees president Randy Levine said Thursday. "There's a real appetite for it. The Chinese want to move forward and expand their talents in the game and really make it a well-known, very active sport."

Similarly, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays were the first teams to firmly establish themselves in the Dominican Republic, and benefited greatly. Nothing prevents other Major League Baseball teams from attempting to reach the same strategic alliance that the Yankees hope to soon formalize.

If the agreement is finalized, the Yankees "intend to make an investment in baseball in China," said the executive. "They intend to assign the coaches and trainers there for extended periods of time."

In addition, the Yankees will serve as host to representatives from the China Baseball Association in the U.S., giving them an opportunity to observe baseball operations here.

Yankees executives, including Levine, general manager Brian Cashman, and assistant GM Jean Afterman, also will visit teams in Japan as part of their travel to the Far East.

"I think the power of the Yankee brand all over the world is what's driving this," Levine said.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2742462