Bartolo Colon finalized his US$51 million, four-year contract with Anaheim, while Atlanta signed John Thomson to replace Greg Maddux and Seattle agreed to a deal with Eddie Guardado.
The market picked up as expected following the Dec. 7 deadline for free agents not offered arbitration to re-sign with their old teams.
And Boston owner John Henry took a shot at the agent for Nomar Garciaparra, saying it was the "the height of hypocrisy" to accuse the team of betrayal even though the star shortstop rejected the team's lucrative, long-term offer last spring.
Six free agents agreed to new deals on Tuesday, raising the total of signed players to 55 among the 210 who filed after the World Series.
Thomson agreed to a US$7 million, two-year contract with the Braves, and Guardado got a complicated one-year deal with two option years that can be exercised by the player or the team. He's guaranteed US$13 million over three years if the options are exercised and could earn an additional US$4 million in bonuses if he becomes the Mariners' closer.
Kansas City delved into the market for two players, agreeing to a US$5 million, two-year contract with reliever Scott Sullivan and a US$1 million, one-year deal with outfielder Matt Stairs.
Former San Francisco closer Tim Worrell on Tuesday agreed to a US$5.5 million, two-year contract with the Phillies.
Colon's deal with the Angels was completed after he passed a physical.
"I'm happy to be with the new team and have the opportunity to be able to win with them," Colon said, speaking through an interpreter.
Colon's contract is likely to be the second-largest for a free-agent pitcher this offseason. The New York Yankees want Andy Pettitte to re-sign, but the left-hander is being courted by the Houston Astros, who play near his hometown of Deer Park.
"I've pretty much stayed out of trying to handicap this," Houston general manager Gerry Hunsicker.
New York's other big free-agent negotiation, with outfielder Gary Sheffield, remains on hold.
While the sides have agreed that a deal would be for US$39 million over three years, the Yankees want US$15 million of the money deferred without interest, a demand Sheffield is resisting, according to a baseball official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The outfielder wants a no-trade clause, but the Yankees don't want to give it, the official said. Sheffield's agent, Rufus Williams, did not return a telephone call seeking comment.
Across town, the Mets planned to introduce their new shortstop, Kazuo Matsui, at a news conference Wednesday. A star with Seibu in Japan's Pacific League, he agreed to a US$20.1 million, three-year contract Monday and traveled to New York for a physical Tuesday.
In another deal that could be finalized Wednesday, the Colorado Rockies were close to bringing back Vinny Castilla.
"He did not get offered arbitration by Atlanta, and that was an important step," Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said Tuesday.
"We're working through some issues and are going to continue to work through them."
Boston's talks with Texas to acquire Alex Rodriguez for Manny Ramirez figure to take longer. Garciaparra says he's upset by the trade talk and wants to stay.
The Boston Globe and Herald both quoted sources on Tuesday as saying that the Red Sox offered Garciaparra a four-year deal last spring worth US$60 million.
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