Roundup

Blue Jays sign Carpenter to a one-year contract

TORONTO (AP) -- Toronto right-hander Chris Carpenter avoided an arbitration hearing, signing a one-year, $3.45 million deal with the Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Carpenter asked for $4.5 million in arbitration, and the club offered $3.1 million. The hearing had been scheduled Thursday.

Carpenter, 26, was 11-11 with a 4.09 ERA last season. He is 45-45 with a 4.79 ERA in 139 career games for the Blue Jays.

In addition to his base salary, Carpenter can earn $300,000 in performance bonuses: $100,000 for each of 210, 218 and 225 innings.

He had asked for $4.5 million in arbitration and had been offered $3.1 million.

Cards sign Polanco to one-year, $1.75 million deal

Polanco had asked for $2.1 million and had been offered $1.5 million. He made $320,000 last year and was eligible for arbitration for the first time.

Polanco, 26, hit .307 last year with three homers and 38 RBIs.

Ten players remain in arbitration. There have not yet been any hearings this year.

Rangers give Petkovsek unconditional release

Petkovsek had been designated for assignment and removed from the 40-man roster Friday. The Rangers made that move to make room for right-hander Ismael Valdes.

Petkovsek was 1-2 with a 6.69 ERA in 55 relief appearances with Texas last season. He was signed as a free agent in December 2000, and has a career major league record of 46-28 with a 4.73 ERA in 390 games.

Texas pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Port Charlotte, Fla., on Thursday. The team expects 34 pitchers and seven catchers to be there.

The team's first full workout is Feb. 21, and a record 64 players are expected in camp.

Rockies take chance on RHP Harnisch

Harnisch, 35, has a 111-103 career record in 318 games, with a 3.89 ERA and 1,368 strikeouts. He spent the last four years with Cincinnati and has also pitched with Baltimore, Houston, the New York Mets and Milwuakee.

Harnisch would become one of eight candidates for the Rockies' five-man rotation. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on Friday.

Ortiz avoids arbitration, signs one-year deal with Twins

Ortiz, who made $260,000 last season, requested $1.4 million in arbitration and the Twins offered $750,000.

After missing more than two months of the 2001 season with a broken wrist, Ortiz finished with a .243 average, 18 home runs and 48 RBIs in 89 games. He was batting .311 with six homers and 18 RBIs after 26 games before he was injured in early May.

Crabtree gets minor league deal from Dodgers

Crabtree, 32, is 21-22 with a 4.20 ERA in seven seasons pitching for Texas (1998-2001) and Toronto (1995-97). Last season, the reliever was 0-5 with a 6.56 ERA in 21 games.

His second was cut short due to surgery in July on his right rotator cuff. From 1998 to 2000, Crabtree appeared in 200 games for the Rangers and went 13-9 with a 4.10 ERA. He ranks 10th in Rangers' history with 221 appearances.

Pirates sign Villone to minor league contract

The 32-year-old Villone had a 5.89 ERA in 53 games last season, going 2-6 with a 6.91 ERA as a starter and 4-4 with a 4.87 ERA in relief.

In 274 career games (57 starts), he is 29-31 with two complete games, five saves and a 4.91 ERA. He was a combined 19-17 with the Cincinnati Reds in two seasons, 9-7 in 1999 and 10-10 in 2000.

The Pirates will have 64 players -- 33 pitchers -- when they open training camp Thursday in Bradenton, Fla.

YES and RCN reach cable deal

RCN spokeswoman Nancy Bavec said the deal, expected to be announced either Wednesday or Thursday, will bring the YES Network to its customers in Manhattan, Queens, parts of New Jersey, and Carmel, N.Y.

Financial terms of the deal were not released.

A notice has been sent to RCN customers in New Jersey regarding a cable rate increase, but Bavec said the hike is not solely connected to the new deal.

Last week, the YES Network, which is being launched by the Yankees in March, reached its first deal with DirecTV.

Royals avoid arbitration, give Febles $775,000

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Royals avoided arbitration with second baseman Carlos Febles, agreeing Monday to a one-year, $775,000 contract.

Febles, 25, had a knee injury last season and played only 79 games, hitting .236 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs. Febles, who made $310,000 last year, had asked for $1.1 million in arbitration and had been offered $675,000.

Shortstop Neifi Perez is the only Royals player remaining in arbitration. He has asked for a raise from $3.55 million to $5 million. Kansas City has offered $4.1 million.

Rockies' Hollandsworth feeling better than ever

DENVER -- Colorado outfielder Todd Hollandsworth is ready for spring training after recovering from a broken shin that sidelined him last season.

"Everything is 100 percent. I have been fielding and hitting all winter," Hollandsworth said. "I can jump as high as ever and run as fast as before. I can't wait to get going again."

Hollandsworth injured himself when he fouled a ball off his leg May 11 and missed the rest of the season. He is preparing to regain his starting spot when he reports to spring training next week.

Hollandsworth was off to a great start before the injury, with a .368 average, six home runs and 19 RBIs. The Rockies were 19-16 before Hollandsworth got hurt and 54-73 after as they struggled to fill his void in left field.

Rangers agree to terms with Sprague

Sprague, 34, spent most of last season with Seattle, hitting .298 with two homers and 16 RBI sin 45 games.

The Rangers start spring training Friday and when all players report Feb. 21, the team is due to have 64 players in camp, the most in Rangers' history.

Pichardo ends retirement, signs with Astros

HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros have signed right-hander Hipolito Pichardo to a one-year contract Monday.

Pichardo was 2-1 with a 4.93 ERA in 30 relief appearances last season with Boston. Before joining the Red Sox in 2000, he spent his previous seven seasons in Kansas City.

The Dominican Republic native missed the entire 1999 season recovering from surgery on his right elbow. He has a career record of 50-43 with a 4.41 ERA.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Astros designated left-hander Wayne Franklin for assignment. Franklin was 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in 11 appearances last season for Houston.

Immigration problems could delay Ishii's arrival

TOKYO -- Left-hander Kazuhisa Ishii said Monday he might be late for spring training with the Los Angeles Dodgers because he is still waiting for a visa from the U.S. government.

The 28-year-old Ishii finalized a four-year, $12.3 million contract with the Dodgers last week in Los Angeles.

Ishii said it could take at least a week to obtain a visa, meaning he might not arrive at the Dodgers' camp in Vero Beach, Fla., until after pitchers and catchers report Friday.

The former Yakult Swallows pitcher said he would give his all for the new team and hoped that fans back home would be pleased.

"I hope as many Japanese as possible will be interested in major league baseball games and be inspired by them," he said.

 

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