It is a good winter to be a free-agent reliever, and Tom Gordon became the latest to capitalize Thursday. Gordon, who pitched in nearly half the Yankees' games the last two seasons, agreed to terms with the Philadelphia Phillies on a three-year, US$18 million contract last night.
A person involved in the negotiations confirmed the agreement and was granted anonymity because he could not otherwise speak about a deal that was not yet official. The person said Gordon would take a physical for the Phillies on Saturday to complete the deal.
Gordon's shoulder became fatigued at times over the past two seasons, during which he appeared in 159 games. But he performed well, with a 2.38 earned run average and nearly a strikeout per inning, and was a reliable setup man for Mariano Rivera.
The Yankees closely monitored Gordon's status this week, even as they closed in on a three-year deal with reliever Kyle Farnsworth, who is also reportedly being pursued by the Texas Rangers. But the Yankees never felt comfortable guaranteeing three years to Gordon, who turned 38 last month.
The Yankees had hoped to sign both Farnsworth and Gordon, and Rivera recently said he believed Gordon wanted to return to New York. But after the Phillies lost closer Billy Wagner to the Mets this week, they moved forward with Gordon and gave him the three-year deal and the closer's role he had sought.
Gordon met with Phillies General Manager Pat Gillick on Thursday, as first reported by ESPN.com. The meeting took place in Florida, where Gordon lives, and he also met with Phillies manager Charlie Manuel in recent days.
By giving Gordon US$6 million a season, the Phillies may also have clarified Farnsworth's market value. That seemed to be the only factor holding up a formal agreement between the Yankees and Farnsworth, a hard thrower who turns 30 in April.
The Yankees had expected to sign Farnsworth to a three-year contract worth US$16 million to US$17 million, but Gordon's deal will probably push Farnsworth's closer to US$18 million. While Gordon will be the Phillies' closer and Farnsworth will be the Yankees' setup man, Farnsworth could have been a closer had he stayed with the Atlanta Braves.
The Braves wanted to keep Farnsworth in that role, but Braves General Manager John Schuerholz told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Farnsworth had rejected a three-year offer because he wanted to sign with the Yankees.
Schuerholz did not return a call Thursday, but he told AP: "That is accurate, that's what we were told. We received a call yesterday and, cut and dried, that's what was said."
The market has been kind to setup men and closers this winter. The Chicago Cubs gave three-year deals to Scott Eyre (for US$11 million) and Bobby Howry (for US$12 million). The Mets signed Wagner to a four-year, US$43 million deal, and the Toronto Blue Jays signed closer B.J. Ryan to a five-year, US$47 million deal.
Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said on Wednesday that the Yankees had made the bullpen their top priority, because there were more options among relievers than among center fielders.
The Yankees' first choice among free-agent outfielders was Brian Giles, whom manager Joe Torre called last month. But Giles officially returned to the San Diego Padres Thursday, signing a three-year, US$30 million contract.
The Padres essentially matched the contract Giles probably would have gotten had he signed with the Yankees. The Yankees had come to believe that Giles simply wanted to remain with his hometown team, and Giles confirmed that Thursday.
"It was a fun process; I'm glad it's over, to be honest with you," Giles said at a news conference in San Diego. "It's a trying time, especially when you really want to be in a place where you feel like you have a chance to win and you can be at home."
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