Chicago Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee agreed to a US$6.9 million, one-year contract as 14 players settled with their teams a day before the annual exchange of salary arbitration figures.
Meanwhile, Mariners closer Kazuhiro Sasaki told the team Monday he will not pitch for Seattle in 2004, deciding to forfeit the final year of his contract and remain with his family in Japan. Seattle's career saves leader, who turns 36 on Feb. 22, would walk away from up to US$9.5 million.
"It's a personal situation," agent Tony Attanasio said. "He wanted to stay home with his kids. Last year, he did not have his kids with him and his wife. He had to have that, and he left a lot of money on the table."
Attanasio said Sasaki may pitch in Japan next season but "he will not pitch again in the United States."
Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi said Sasaki's intentions became clear in the last four to five days. He refused to say what the next step will be.
"There's just too many variables that I'm not certain about," Bavasi said. "It's going to involve the agent, the player, the club, MLB, you name it." He said the team would try to "accommodate" the request but cautioned that as of right now the contract remained in effect.
As for the 65 players who filed for arbitration last Thursday, 20 already have agreed to contracts, and several more deals are likely to be finalized before the commissioner's office and the players' association swap figures today.
After 72 players filed for arbitration last year, just 34 exchanged figures and only seven had hearings, with owners winning five.
Among the top players left in arbitration this year are Cy Young Award winners Eric Gagne of Los Angeles and Roy Halladay of Toronto, former NL Rookie of the Year Albert Pujols of St. Louis, Philadelphia pitcher Kevin Millwood and New York Yankees second baseman Alfonso Soriano.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
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