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."
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
The famously raucous Hong Kong Sevens are to start today in a big test for a shiny new stadium at the heart of a major US$3.85 billion sports park in the territory. Officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the premier event in Hong Kong’s sporting and social calendar goes off without a hitch at the 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium. They hope to entice major European soccer teams to visit in the next few months, with reports in December last year saying that Liverpool were in talks about a pre-season tour. Coldplay are to perform there next month, all part of Hong Kong’s
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that