Source: Ex-teammates to testify against Bonds

Former major league catcher Bobby Estalella is expected to provide significant testimony to support the government's contention that former San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds knowingly took steroids, according to a source with knowledge of the evidence.

EstalellaTwo sources have confirmed that Estalella has been subpoenaed to testify in Bonds' perjury trial, scheduled to start March 2 in federal court in San Francisco. Estalella is expected to provide testimony of firsthand knowledge about Bonds' alleged steroid use, ESPN has learned.

Estalella was Bonds' teammate on the Giants during the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

In his leaked testimony during the BALCO investigation, Estalella admitted to a grand jury that he had used the "cream," the "clear" and human growth hormone that were provided to him by Greg Anderson, Bonds' personal trainer.

Estalella also was named in the December 2007 Mitchell report on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, in connection with an assessment by the Los Angeles Dodgers of his value as a free agent in late October 2003. According to the Mitchell report, Ellen Harrigan, an administrator in the Dodgers' scouting department, recorded an observation by one of the participants in a meeting discussing Estalella that he was a "poster boy for the chemicals."

Prosecutors also plan to call Jason Giambi and his brother, Jeremy, as witnesses at Bonds' trial so they can testify that Anderson gave them performance-enhancing drugs, The New York Times reported on its Web site Thursday night.

The newspaper said prosecutors want to use testimony from the Giambis, teammates in Oakland from 2000-01, to show that Anderson developed doping calendars for them. Then the prosecutors could argue that Anderson made similar calendars for Bonds, the Times said, citing an unidentified person briefed on the government's evidence. The newspaper said the person spoke on condition of anonymity because he didn't want to jeopardize his access to sensitive information.

After seven years with the New York Yankees, Jason Giambi re-signed with the Oakland Athletics this offseason. Jeremy Giambi has been out of the majors since 2003.

Bonds testified in front of the BALCO grand jury in 2003 that he used the "cream" and the "clear," but didn't know they were performance-enhancing drugs. The government alleges he lied under oath, leading to the March 2 perjury trial date.

The government also has subpoenaed Anderson to testify at the trial, but Anderson's attorney, Mark Geragos, has told ESPN that Anderson will not appear or testify.

Estalella, one of several of Bonds' former teammates expected to be subpoenaed for the trial, played for six teams during his nine-year major league career from 1996 to 2004.


Source: Ex-teammate to testify against Bonds
Player Ratings: Catania 0-2 Inter

Source: Ex-teammate to testify against Bonds

Former major league catcher Bobby Estalella is expected to provide significant testimony to support the government's contention that former San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds knowingly took steroids, according to a source with knowledge of the evidence.

EstalellaTwo sources have confirmed that Estalella has been subpoenaed to testify in Bonds' perjury trial, scheduled to start March 2 in federal court in San Francisco. Estalella is expected to provide testimony of firsthand knowledge about Bonds' alleged steroid use, ESPN has learned.

Estalella was Bonds' teammate on the Giants during the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

In his leaked testimony during the BALCO investigation, Estalella admitted to a grand jury that he had used the "cream," the "clear" and human growth hormone that were provided to him by Greg Anderson, Bonds' personal trainer.

Estalella also was named in the December 2007 Mitchell report on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, in connection with an assessment by the Los Angeles Dodgers of his value as a free agent in late October 2003. According to the Mitchell report, Ellen Harrigan, an administrator in the Dodgers' scouting department, recorded an observation by one of the participants in a meeting discussing Estalella that he was a "poster boy for the chemicals."

Bonds testified in front of the BALCO grand jury in 2003 that he used the "cream" and the "clear," but didn't know they were performance-enhancing drugs. The government alleges he lied under oath, leading to the March 2 perjury trial date.

The government also has subpoenaed Anderson to testify at the trial, but Anderson's attorney, Mark Geragos, has told ESPN that Anderson will not appear or testify.

Estalella, one of several of Bonds' former teammates expected to be subpoenaed for the trial, played for six teams during his nine-year major league career from 1996 to 2004.


Source: Ex-teammate to testify against Bonds
Source: D-backs to add Garland to rotation

Source: Ex-teammate to testify against Bonds

Former major league catcher Bobby Estalella is expected to provide significant testimony to support the government's contention that former San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds knowingly took steroids, according to a source with knowledge of the evidence.

EstalellaTwo sources have confirmed that Estalella has been subpoenaed to testify in Bonds perjury trial, scheduled to start March 2 in federal court in San Francisco. Estalella is expected to provide testimony of first-hand knowledge about Bonds' alleged steroid use, ESPN has learned.

Estalella was a teammate of Bonds' on the Giants during the 2000 and 2001 seasons.

In his leaked testimony during the BALCO investigation, Estalella admitted to a grand jury that he had used the "cream," the "clear" and human growth hormone that was provided to him by Greg Anderson, Bonds' personal trainer.

Estalella also was named in the December 2007 Mitchell report on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball, in connection with an assessment by the Los Angeles Dodgers of his value as a free agent in late October 2003. According to the Mitchell report, Ellen Harrigan, an administrator in the Dodgers' scouting department, recorded an observation by one of the participants in a meeting discussing Estalella that he was a "poster boy for the chemicals."

Bonds testified in front of the BALCO grand jury in 2003 that he used the "cream" and the "clear," but didn't know they were performance-enhancing drugs. The government alleges he lied under oath, leading to the March 2 perjury trial date.

The government also has subpoenaed Anderson to testify at the trial, but Anderson's attorney, Mark Geragos, has told ESPN that Anderson will not appear or testify.

Estalella, one of several of Bonds' former teammates expected to be subpoenaed for the trial, played for six teams during his nine-year major-league career from 1996 to 2004.


Source: D-backs to add Garland to rotation
Book says A-Rod was ‘phony’ and knew it

Source: D-backs to add Garland to rotation

Jon Garland, who won 14 games for the Los Angeles Angels last season, has agreed to a one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, a source told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.
Neyer: Bargain bin

Jon Garland could be a great bargain signing for the Diamondbacks, Rob Neyer writes. Blog
•Karabell's fantasy spin

Garland agreed to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2010. The deal is pending a physical, the source said. The agreement was first reported by the Arizona Republic. Garland will make a base salary of $6.25 million in 2009, a source said. The option year will pay him $10 million. If Garland wants to return for 2010 and the Diamondbacks decide not to exercise the mutual option, he will receive a $2.5 million buyout. If Garland rejects the option and elects to go back on the free agent market, he will receive a $1 million buyout. Garland, 29, will replace Randy Johnson, who signed with the San Francisco Giants earlier this offseason, in Arizona's rotation.

The right-hander, who was twice an 18-game winner with the Chicago White Sox, is 106-89 in nine major league seasons. In 2008, he was 14-8 with a 4.90 ERA for the Angels.

Garland has spent his entire career in the American League. He has made two postseason appearances, both with the White Sox in 2005. He went 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA, with a complete-game victory coming over the Angels in the AL Championship Series.


Sources: Yankees, Pettitte closing in on deal

Manuel says he'd like Manny in Mets' lineup

NEW YORK -- With or without Manny Ramirez, manager Jerry Manuel thinks his New York Mets are good enough to win next season.

He'd love to put Ramirez in the middle of that lineup, though.

The free-agent slugger keeps coming up in conversation this winter as he waits and waits for an enticing offer. Mets executives have shown zero interest, but Manuel -- just like the team's anguished fan base -- has already thought about what Ramirez could do for a club coming off consecutive September collapses.

"It's rare that you get that type of talent. I mean, boom! Right in the middle of the lineup type of guy, and right-handed for us, that would be a big bonus," Manuel said Tuesday.

"Would you like to have that? Yeah. Would you like to add something else? Yeah. But hey, we have to deal with what we have, and what we have -- we feel like we have enough tools to make it into the playoffs."

A .314 career hitter with 527 home runs and 1,725 RBIs, Ramirez led the Los Angeles Dodgers to the NL Championship Series last season after arriving from Boston in a July 31 trade. He batted .396 with 17 homers, 53 RBIs and a whopping .743 slugging percentage in 53 games with Los Angeles.

Still, agent Scott Boras has yet to find a new home for Ramirez, who turns 37 in May. The enigmatic left fielder had a rocky relationship with the Red Sox and his final days in Boston were bitter, with some saying he quit on his teammates.

That might be one reason Mets general manager Omar Minaya has focused elsewhere. New York has spent the offseason in pursuit of pitching, and chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said recently that Minaya and the team's baseball operations staff are not interested in Ramirez.

"I don't have problems with the clubhouse," said Manuel, who helped out City Harvest at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen on Tuesday. "If you bring in a guy like that who performs on the field, I think we can handle the rest of that stuff. It's easy to handle when you have that type of performance. I don't think that's an issue." Boras told MLB.com that interest in Ramirez has perked up over the last week "We are negotiating with several teams," Boras told MLB.com on Monday night. "The process has begun and we'll see where it takes us." Boras said Ramirez remains in regular contact with Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti and that he was not panicking over the slow developments of this winter's free-agent market. "Manny is good. He's a professional and he understands," Boras added. New York appears content to go into the season with a left-field platoon of youngster Daniel Murphy and veteran Fernando Tatis. The Mets are still trying to fill out the rotation, however, and they're interested in bringing back free agent Oliver Perez. Also a Boras client, the 27-year-old lefty could command a four-year contract after going 10-7 with a 4.22 ERA in 34 starts last season. "I think I've always had some trepidation about Ollie early," Manuel said. "But as the season went on and [you] see him mature in the way that he did and to be ready to pitch at any time called upon, he would definitely be an asset to any team. Do I have confidence in Ollie? I feel very confident that he has taken steps to becoming a real good pitcher. He's still very young. So if he is added, it only strengthens us in that starting pitching, which would be a big plus for us, a very big plus."

Entering his first full season as Mets manager, Manuel isn't thrilled that so many of his key players are slated to play in the World Baseball Classic. Among those expected to leave the team in March are David Wright, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Francisco Rodriguez and Pedro Feliciano.

"My first spring training I would hope to have every player in camp and to have the ability to reach out and talk to them on a daily basis," Manuel said.

"But I do think that we can use this WBC to our advantage because they're playing at a level of competition a little different than spring training. It's almost like they've got to really gear up mentally for games, whereas spring training, it's almost a physical thing, not a mental thing. So here I think we can use the WBC to accent the mental part of getting prepared, which is what they're going to have to do."

Manuel also said he expects the 25-year-old Reyes to develop into a team leader this season.

"I think that's the next level for him, and to add responsibility to him. That to me is maturation," the manager said. "I think the more responsibility he has, obviously the more maturity he has, the better player he becomes."

And he thinks Reyes is ready for that.

"Oh, no question. Has to be," Manuel said. "Things like taking control defensively, as far as where guys are positioned, those types of things. ... Things that will be given to him. He's just been responsible for shortstop. I want to make him responsible for the infield, so to speak."


Sources: Yankees, Pettitte closing in on deal
Book says A-Rod was ‘phony’ and knew it

Sources: Yankees, Pettitte closing in on deal

The New York Yankees and Andy Pettitte are close on a deal that will bring the veteran left-hander back for a year, Major League Baseball sources told Buster Olney on Monday.

The deal, sources told Olney, could be done as soon as Monday afternoon. It would pay Pettitte nearly $6 million, with incentives that could make it worth as much as $12 million.

Pettitte Close To Deal With YanksTim Kurkjian on the Yankees and Andy Pettitte being close to a one-year dealTags: MLB, New York Yankees, Andy PettittePettitte Close To Deal With Yanks

Pettitte was 14-14 for the Yankees last season with a 4.54 ERA. He started 33 games. Pitching with a sore shoulder, he was 2-7 with a 6.23 ERA in his final 11 starts and missed his last turn of the season.

It was his second season back in New York after three seasons with the Houston Astros.

Pettitte

Pettitte began his career with the Yankees, pitching his first nine big league seasons in pinstripes. After last season, indications were that Pettitte and the Yankees wanted to make a deal, but were unable to come to terms on a dollar figure -- until talks heated up this weekend.

Pettitte earned $16 million last season.

If he signs, Pettitte would join a projected starting rotation featuring CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain.


Book says A-Rod was ‘phony’ and knew it
Report: Brother says McGwire used steroids

Book says A-Rod was 'phony' and knew it

An upcoming book co-written by Joe Torre, which caused a stir in the New York media and elsewhere Sunday, describes how players referred to Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez as "A-Fraud" and delves into his relationship with teammate Derek Jeter.

"Back in 2004, at first Rodriguez did his best to try and fit into the Yankee culture -- his cloying, B Grade actor best," the book says, according to an excerpt obtained by 1050 ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand. "He slathered on the polish. People in the clubhouse, including teammates and support personnel were calling him 'A-Fraud' behind his back."

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The excerpt continues: " 'He was phony,' said Mike Borzello, the former Yankees bullpen coach and one of Rodriguez' close friends, 'and he knew he was phony. But he didn't know how to be anything else at that time. Then he started to realize what it is all about and what people feed off of, and thought, 'Hey, I can really be
myself.' "

Seven pages later, in the same chapter, the book says, according to the excerpt obtained by Marchand: "In his own way, Rodriguez was fascinated with Jeter, as if trying to figure out what it was about Jeter that could have bought him so much goodwill. The inside joke in the clubhouse was that Rodriguez' pre-occupation with Jeter recalled the 1992 film, 'Single White Female,' in which a woman becomes obsessed with her roommate to the point of dressing like her."

The book, "The Yankee Years," debuts Feb. 3. It is co-written by Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci. It is published by Doubleday. While Torre is the co-author, the book contains both his thoughts and independent reporting, according to Verducci.

In an interview with SI.com, the Web site Verducci writes for, the author took issue with New York newspaper characterizations of Torre's feelings toward the Yankees. Verducci and Torre collaborated earlier on "Chasing the Dream," Torre's 1997 memoir.

"I think it's important to understand context here. The book is not a first-person book by Joe Torre, it's a third-person narrative based on 12 years of knowing the Yankees and it's about the changes in the game in that period," Verducci told the site. "Seems to me the New York Post assigned this third-person book entirely to Joe Torre and that's not the case. In fact, if people saw that Post story they probably noticed there are no quotes from Joe Torre in it. Joe Torre does not rip anybody in the book. The book really needs to be read in context."

"It's a much larger book about the Yankees," Verducci continued. "Not only how the game changed around them, but the growth of information analysis, revenue sharing, growth of intellect in front offices, changes in Red Sox ownership, the Steroid Era, etc."

Reports in Sunday's New York Post and New York Daily News said that, in the book, Torre is critical of the team he managed to four World Series titles. According to the Daily News, the book says that Torre felt betrayed by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman "on several fronts," a stark contrast to Torre's former stance, in which he said Cashman supported him throughout 2007 negotiations that ultimately failed.

According to the newspapers' accounts, Torre's displeasure with management goes beyond the widely reported 2007 meeting in which Cashman met with the Steinbrenners to discuss Torre's future as manager, a talk in which the GM was said to have remained neutral as the drawbacks to extending Torre's tenure were discussed.

In a later confrontation with Torre, Cashman confirmed he was quiet when the subject of offering Torre his desired two-year deal instead of one came up, the book says.

When reached by ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney on Sunday, Cashman said that he had spoken to Torre by phone. He said that the manager told him to wait for the book to come out, that they are friends and will always be friends.

"Joe was a great manager for us," Cashman said. "I'm glad he called me. I'm very comfortable with my relationship with him."

In October 2007, as he announced he wouldn't return for the Yankees, Torre had said: "I think Brian Cashman wanted me back. We have a close relationship. We felt we worked hard at trying to get this thing straightened out."

In another part of the book, it says -- according to newspaper reports -- that during spring training in 1999 owner George Steinbrenner learned the manager had prostate cancer before Torre even had a chance to inform him.

After completing a three-year, $19.2 million contract with the Yankees, Torre signed a three-year, $13 million contract to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers in November 2007, the same month the book deal with Verducci was announced.

His Dodgers deal came two weeks after he walked away from the Yankees when they offered a one-year contract worth $5 million plus $3 million in performance incentives he termed "an insult.''

"I don't think incentives are necessary," he said then. "I've been here a long time and I've never needed to be motivated. Plus, in my [previous] contract, I get a million-dollar bonus if we do win the World Series, so that's always been there."

One source familiar with the book told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that it's "inaccurate" to suggest that Torre used it as a forum to get even with the Yankees or settle old scores.

The source said some of the controversial angles being reported in the New York tabloids have been taken out of context or "overblown."

"Joe is very honest in the book,'' the source told Crasnick, "but he doesn't make any personal attacks. In terms of him name-calling, that's not his style.''

The book is not a first-person tell-all, but rather, a third-person narrative by Verducci, who interviewed dozens of players and team personnel while researching for the book, the source said.

According to The New York Times, Verducci and Torre delve into the period following the Yankees' 2001 World Series loss to Arizona, during which the likes of complementary stars Tino Martinez, Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius and Chuck Knoblauch reached the end of the line and were replaced by what Torre describes as "big boppers" such as Jason Giambi in 2002, who Torre believed "wasn't part of what we prided ourselves on: playing well defensively."

Two years later, Rodriguez was on the scene.

Rodriguez's presence "made for a whole different dynamic in the Yankees' clubhouse, the book says, according to The Times. "Whether hitting 450-foot home runs or sunbathing shirtless in Central Park or squiring strippers, Rodriguez was like nothing ever seen before on the championship teams of the Torre Era: an ambitious superstar impressed and motivated by stature and status, particularly when those qualities pertained to himself."

Torre is currently in Hawaii. According to the Daily News, he is scheduled for the "Late Show With David Letterman" on Feb. 3, as well as a book signing that day at the Yogi Berra Museum in New Jersey.

"Smart people will judge the book upon actually reading it and not reading preliminary reports prior to its publication," Verducci told SI.com.


Sources: Yankees, Pettitte closing in on deal

Report: Brother says McGwire used steroids

A new book proposal, submitted by the admittedly estranged brother of Mark McGwire, claims the former major league slugger used both steroids and human growth hormone during his career.

In the proposal, first reported Wednesday on Deadspin.com, Jay McGwire alleges that Mark used Deca-Durabolin and that he introduced Mark to performance-enhancing drugs in 1994.“

Deca-Durabolin helped with his joint problems and recovery, while growth hormone helped his strength, making him leaner in the process. I became the first person to inject him, like most first-timers he couldn't plunge in the needle himself. Later a girlfriend injected him.

”-- Jay McGwire, talking about his brother Mark in reported book proposal

Jay McGwire writes in his proposal that his brother "began to use, but in low dosages so he wouldn't lift his way out of baseball. Deca-Durabolin helped with his joint problems and recovery, while growth hormone helped his strength, making him leaner in the process. I became the first person to inject him, like most first-timers he couldn't plunge in the needle himself. Later a girlfriend injected him."

Jose Canseco, in a book he wrote in 2005, claims he and McGwire, former Oakland A's teammates, used performance-enhancing drugs as far back as 1988. Jay McGwire disputes that in the book proposal.

The McGwire brothers reportedly haven't spoken to each other for years.

The book, "The McGwire Family Secret: The Truth about Steroids, a Slugger and Ultimate Redemption," is reportedly being sent by Jay McGwire to several publishing houses in New York. Deadspin.com said that it has been turned down by "many" publishers.

Jay McGwire is a bodybuilder. He writes in the proposal that he took his brother to his supplier and trainer after a 1994 bodybuilding championship, which Jay won. He says McGwire started using performance-enhancing substances then.

The New York Times reported Friday that several publishers who have seen the proposal for the book have passed on it.

"There are so many things about it that I find suspect," David Hirshey, the executive editor of HarperCollins, told The Times. "If Jay McGwire is to be believed, he says he is setting the record straight out of quote love unquote for his brother, although a cynic might say it's out of love for a big payday."

Jay McGwire claims in the proposal that Mark McGwire used androstenedione in 1998 to allow Mark "to avoid all the potential adverse side effects that could occur from using anabolic steroids, such as water retention, hair loss, and liver, heart, or kidney stress. In addition, he wouldn't have cholesterol problems or testicular atrophy. And there were no problems with the law."

McGwire hit 70 home runs in the 1998 season, breaking Roger Maris' single-season record. It has since been eclipsed by Barry Bonds.

Jay McGwire, in the proposal, also says he wished his brother would have confessed at the famous congressional hearing, instead of saying he wasn't going to talk about the past. Jay McGwire also writes that he doesn't believe missing out on the Hall of Fame will affect his brother.

"Mark is a man I think most would like to forgive because his reason wasn't nefarious -- it was for survival," he wrote, according to the proposal. "My bringing the truth to surface about Mark is out of love. I want Mark to live in truth to see the light, to come to repentance so he can live in freedom -- which is the only way to live. "

The Deadspin.com report does not say if it asked Mark McGwire for comment on the proposal. Attempts by ESPN to reach McGwire on Thursday have been unsuccessful.

McGwire has been out of the public eye since retiring from the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001. He is now 45 years old.

Mark McGwire repeatedly has denied using illegal performance-enhancing drugs. When he testified under oath before Congress in 2005, however, he wouldn't discuss whether he did.

"Who knows what might have happened if I didn't get Mark involved with all the training, supplements, the right foods, steroids, and HGH?" the Web site quoted Jay McGwire as writing. "He would not have broken any records, and the congressional hearings would have gone on without him. Maybe Barry Bonds wouldn't have ever gotten involved with the stuff, either."

Kent to announce retirement from baseball

Jeff Kent, who built a strong Hall of Fame case while setting the Major League Baseball record for career home runs by a second baseman, will formally announce his retirement Thursday at Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers said.Is Kent a Hall of Famer?

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Kent's 351 career home runs as a second baseman are 74 more than Ryne Sandberg's total.

Kent spent 17 years in the majors -- the last four with the Dodgers -- tying for 20th on baseball's all-time list with 560 doubles, while ranking 47th with 1,518 RBI and 62nd with 377 home runs.

His career batting average is .290. He drove in more than 100 runs eight times and had at least 20 home runs in a season 12 times. He won the National League MVP award with the San Francisco Giants in 2000, made five All-Star teams and won four Silver Slugger awards at second base.

Kent hit .253 during the first half of last season with the Dodgers, improved to .353 in August, then injured his knee on Aug. 29 and had surgery four days later. He returned to make the postseason roster, but was relegated to a bench role. He went a combined 0-for-9 with four strikeouts during the two playoff series and became a free agent in November.

He will be replaced by Blake DeWitt, who had taken over at second base after Kent was injured.

Kent began his professional career after being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1989. He also played for the Mets, Indians, Giants and Astros before joining the Dodgers.

His greatest success came with the Giants, where he played with Barry Bonds. The two players had some famous run-ins, and Kent later tangled with Milton Bradley in Los Angeles. Kent was known for his intense approach to the game and he endorsed improved testing, criticizing players who used performance-enhancing drugs.

He made his only World Series appearance with San Francisco in 2002, hitting three homers as the Giants lost to the then-Anaheim Angels in seven games.

In recent seasons, Kent had expressed interest in spending more time with his family, which includes four children.


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Papelbon's $6.25 million contract makes history

The Boston Red Sox signed closer Jonathan Papelbon to a one-year contract worth $6.25 million Tuesday, the largest deal in history for a closer who was eligible for arbitration for the first time.

Papelbon

The two sides also discussed multiple-year deals but were unable to strike an agreement. Papelbon will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2011 season.

Papelbon's contract surpasses the $5.65 million deal signed by White Sox closer Bobby Jenks the day before as the largest ever for a closer who entered arbitration for the first time. The previous record was $5 million, by Eric Gagne, in 2004.

Papelbon's contract is also the third highest in history by any first-time arbitration-eligible player. The only ones higher were Ryan Howard's $10 million arbitration award last year and the $7.4 million that was awarded to Miguel Cabrera after he won his case in 2007. So Papelbon's deal becomes the biggest ever by any first-time eligible pitcher -- starter or reliever.

Boston has not gone to arbitration since Theo Epstein became general manager.

"Theo's philosophy is that we have to be prepared every single time. We keep that in mind with the negotiations," assistant GM Jed Hoyer said. "But, if possible, it's the right thing to do. [In arbitration] you have to go in there and speak ill of your own player. We're happy so far we've been able to avoid it."

The Red Sox and Papelbon haven't ruled out exploring a longer deal later in the offseason. There are indications they discussed both two-year and three-year extensions before agreeing to a one-year deal.

Papelbon has emerged as one of baseball's top closers, saving 41 games in 46 chances last year, when he earned $800,000. He has 113 saves in 128 chances and a 1.84 ERA in 3 seasons in Boston.

The 28-year-old Papelbon is one of four pitchers to record 30 or more saves in each of his first three full seasons, joining Billy Koch, Kazuhiro Sasaki and Todd Worrell. He is 29 saves from the Red Sox mark of 132 set by Bob Stanley from 1977 to '89.

Papelbon's ERA is the second lowest in major league history since 1900 among pitchers with at least 200 innings. He also is 2-0 with seven saves in the postseason and has not allowed a run in 25 innings over 16 appearances.

The Associated Press reports that left-hander Javier Lopez agreed to a one-year deal with Boston worth $1.35 million.

Lopez, 31, pitched a career-high 59 1/3 innings over 70 games last season, with a 2-0 record and 2.43 ERA while limiting left-handed hitters to a .182 batting average.

Also on Tuesday, the Red Sox traded right-hander David Aardsma to the Seattle Mariners for 20-year-old lefty Fabian Williamson.

Aardsma was 4-2 with a 5.55 ERA in a career-high 47 appearances, all in relief, for the Red Sox in 2008. Williamson was 4-3 with a 4.10 ERA and 67 strikeouts for Class-A Pulaski.


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Mariners avoid arbitration with lefty ace Bedard

SEATTLE -- Erik Bedard and the Seattle Mariners have agreed to a one-year contract that avoids salary arbitration.

Bedard

The team announced Tuesday that its struggling, injured ace from 2008 had avoided an upcoming arbitration hearing by signing his second consecutive one-year deal with Seattle.

Bedard will be guaranteed $7.75 million. He could bump that to $8.35 million by pitching at least 205 innings. Bedard's incentives break down this way:

He would earn an additional $75,000 by reaching 150 innings, an additional $100,000 for reaching 165 innings, another $150,000 for reaching 180 innings, another $125,000 for reaching 195 innings and an additional $150,000 for making it to 205 innings.

It comes one day after star right-hander Felix Hernandez got a $3.8 million, one-year deal to avoid arbitration.

The team also expects to reach an agreement with its final player eligible for arbitration, recently acquired pitcher Aaron Heilman.

Bedard is recovering from surgery on his pitching shoulder in September. He went 6-4 with a 3.67 ERA in 15 starts in his abbreviated first season with the Mariners.

Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said the left-hander remains a very important part of the team. He expects Bedard to be healthy for the season.


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Radomski: I believe McNamee, not Clemens

There is no pause, no doubt in Kirk Radomski's voice when asked who he believes: his friend, Brian McNamee, or pitching icon Roger Clemens.

"I don't believe him [Clemens] at all," Radomski said. "I believe my friend."

That's his story and he's sticking to it. That's what Radomski, an admitted steroids dealer, presumably told a federal grand jury in Washington last week considering perjury charges against Clemens. That's definitely the theme in "Bases Loaded" (Hudson Street Press), a book scheduled for release next week chronicling his decade of dealing performance-enhancing drugs to baseball players.

McNamee, a former personal trainer to Clemens, testified before a congressional hearing last February -- as well as telling the baseball-commissioned investigation led by former Sen. George Mitchell -- that he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with steroids and human growth hormone.

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Kirk Radomski sits down with ESPN's Outside The Lines for an interview to be aired Sunday, 9 a.m. ET. There will also be an online story, including an interview with Radomski, by ESPN.com's Mike Fish.

Clemens has steadfastly refuted McNamee's testimony and the two have filed defamation suits against the other.

"Brian didn't throw him under the bus," Radomski told ESPN.com. "What people don't understand is how far he went to protect Clemens. He almost screwed up his own case and got charged with stuff. This is a guy who told Clemens' agent -- gave him fair warning to get a hold of Mitchell. And they did absolutely nothing.

"Brian didn't initially tell Mitchell everything," he said. "He didn't tell the government because he was protecting his friend. And then Clemens records a phone conversation with him and throws Brian's [ill] son under the bus. And you expect him to sit back?

"If Brian was such a bad person why did Andy Pettitte back him?" Radomski aid. "Why did Chuck Knoblauch back him? You let a guy you don't trust and you don't respect stay in your house, and be around your family. And be around your kids.

"He admits his wife got a shot [of human growth hormone] in the bedroom. Think about this, he let someone go in a bedroom with his wife and inject his wife. And you didn't trust the guy? If he didn't trust the guy, he would have knocked the guy out. That would have been it. But he let him do it. What does that tell you?"

Radomski said that he educated McNamee about growth hormone. He also said he was the source of the performance-enhancers McNamee used with his baseball clients. Radomski said he shipped HGH directly to Clemens' house in Houston when McNamee went out to train him.

"I just feel bad that my friend is involved in it," Radomski said. "I feel responsible because [federal investigators] came to me and then they got Brian and then they got Clemens. They didn't get me, they don't have Brian. They don't have Clemens. They don't have anything in this Mitchell report. They got nothing."

The New York Times, which said it has looked at the 256-page book, wrote in Tuesday's editions that, in Radomski's book, he writes that he was asked by Mitchell investigators about players who were not his customers and were not named in the report. Radomski writes that he had no first-hand knowledge of possible drug use among these players, who are named in his book.

John Clarke, a spokesman for Mitchell, disputed Radomski's account. He wrote in an e-mailed message to the Times that "At no time did we raise the names of specific players who had not previously been identified to us by Mr. Radomski."

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White Sox ink Jenks to 1-year, $5.6M contract

The White Sox have signed closer Bobby Jenks to a record-setting one-year, $5.6 million contract.

Jenks

The $5.6 million is the highest salary in history by a closer who was arbitration-eligible for the first time, at least for the moment. Jonathan Papelbon of the Red Sox is also arbitration-eligible for the first time, and there is widespread speculation that he will top that figure. The previous record was $5 million, by Eric Gagne in 2004, the year after his historic 55-save season for the Dodgers.

Jenks saved 30 games in 34 opportunities in 2008, but that was actually his career low in saves for a full season. He'd saved 41 and 40 games, respectively, the previous two years. He joined the White Sox in midseason in 2005 and became the closer for their World Series team but just missed qualifying for arbitration as a "Super 2" player last winter.


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Source: Rockies sign Street for 1 year, $4.5M

The Colorado Rockies have signed right-handed reliever Huston Street to a one-year, $4.5 million contract to avoid arbitration, a Major League Baseball source said Monday.

Street

The deal also includes All-Star and award bonuses.

Street was acquired by the Rockies in November in the deal that sent Matt Holliday to Oakland. Street is expected to compete with Manny Corpas for the closer's job in spring training.

This is Street's second year of arbitration eligibility. He can't be a free agent until after the 2010 season.


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Sources: Red Sox, Youkilis agree to $40M deal

The Red Sox locked up another of their young stars to a long-term deal Thursday.

YoukilisBoston avoided arbitration with Kevin Youkilis, agreeing to a four-year contract with the first baseman worth more than $40 million, sources told ESPN's Peter Gammons. The deal includes an option for a fifth year.

Youkilis enjoyed a breakout season in 2008, hitting .312 with 29 home runs and 115 RBIs.

Earlier this offseason, Boston signed second baseman Dustin Pedroia to a long-term deal. The American League MVP received a six-year contract worth $40.5 million.


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Astros: Clemens welcome in camp -- as a fan

About this time last year, Roger Clemens was on Capitol Hill fending off the testimony of his former personal trainer, who said he injected the pitcher with steroids and human growth hormone.

One year later, Clemens remains in the news -- a federal grand jury has convened in Washington to determine whether to indict him for lying under oath to Congress when he denied taking performance-enhancing drugs, ESPN.com's Mike Fish is reporting.“

We have no plan for Roger Clemens. He kind of came on his own last year and I thought that presented too much confusion, with all the media around these 19- to 25-year-olds.

”-- Astros owner Drayton McLane

The events have led Astros owner Drayton McLane to say that Clemens will not attend spring training next month in Kissimmee, Fla., to work out with and instruct Houston's minor league players.

"We have no plan for Roger Clemens," McLane told the Houston Chronicle for Thursday's editions. "His [oldest] son, Koby, is in our minor league system and is making progress, and if [Roger] wants to come and be a fan, absolutely."

The 46-year-old Clemens last pitched in the majors as a New York Yankee in 2007 after having spent the 2004-06 seasons with the Astros. Last February, he threw batting practice to Astros minor leaguers at spring training on a voluntary basis. He has a 10-year personal services contract with the club that will not kick in until he officially retires.

"He kind of came on his own last year and I thought that presented too much confusion, with all the media around these 19- to 25-year-olds," McLane told the New York Daily News on Tuesday. "That's putting a lot of pressure on these young men."

Clemens has yet to indicate when he would retire officially.

"[The clause in his personal services contract] would not go into effect until he's ready," McLane told the Daily News. "And then I'd talk with him and Alan and Randy Hendricks [the pitcher's agents]. Neither Alan or Randy has contacted me in the last two years.

"We'll let the case develop, but I haven't yet pursued that avenue [of voiding the personal services clause]."

The Astros aren't alone in distancing themselves from Clemens. In November, the seven-time Cy Young Award winner was asked to end his involvement with a charity golf tournament he had hosted for four years because of the fallout from the Mitchell report.

In December, it was announced that the year-old Roger Clemens Institute for Sports Medicine would no longer carry his name.


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Rays' Upton likely to miss first week of season

When the Tampa Bay Rays open defense of their American League championship this season in Boston, one of the main cogs in their lineup is likely to be missing.

Upton

Center fielder B.J. Upton, who is recovering from offseason surgery on his left shoulder, is expected to miss the first week of the season when the team visits the cold Northeast with early April stops in Boston and Baltimore.

"They said cold weather is probably going to be an issue with it, make it ache a little bit," Upton said. "So we're going to be careful with it and hopefully when they get back off the road, I can start up. ... There's really no rush to it. We just want to make sure I'm 100 percent before I get back on the field."

Upton played much of last season with a sore left shoulder -- he bats and throws right-handed -- that affected his offensive production. He batted .288 with seven homers and 16 RBIs for the AL champions during the postseason.

The 24-year-old hit .273 with just nine home runs in 531 at-bats during the regular season.

Overall, however, Upton said his shoulder is healing fine.

"[It's] coming along a lot faster than we thought it would," Upton said. "But at the same time, we can't rush it. Every time I come in, it feels better and better. So as long as we can keep doing what we're doing right now, it should be good."

The recently signed Gabe Kapler and rookie Fernando Perez are the most likely options to replace Upton in the lineup.


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Henderson, Rice elected to Hall of Fame

NEW YORK -- Rickey Henderson dashed into the Hall of Fame on his first try. Jim Rice made it with a final swing.

It's hard to imagine their induction speeches will have much in common, either.

"I'm going to leave all the stories to Rickey," Rice said, confirming that his remarks in Cooperstown this summer are likely to match his personality. "Believe me, it's going to be short and quick. I don't think you need to go there and talk for 15 or 20 minutes when you can get right to the point."

That never stopped Henderson -- but neither did opposing pitchers or catchers during his 25-year career.

The undisputed standard for leadoff hitters, Henderson received 94.8 percent of the vote from the Baseball Writers' Association of America in balloting announced Monday, well above the 75 percent needed.

Rice, among the game's most feared sluggers in the late 1970s and early 1980s, got 76.4 percent in his 15th and final year on the ballot after falling just shy with 72.2 percent last year.

"The only thing I can say is I'm glad it's over with," the Boston outfielder said. "I'm in there and they can't take it away."

Henderson, baseball's career leader in runs scored and stolen bases, became the 44th player elected in his first year of eligibility. Rice was only the third elected by the BBWAA in his final year, joining Red Ruffing (1967) and Ralph Kiner (1975).

The pair will be inducted into the Hall during ceremonies on July 26 in Cooperstown, N.Y. Former Yankees and Indians second baseman Joe Gordon, elected posthumously last month by the Veterans Committee, will also be inducted.

"I feel great about it. It's been a long time coming," Henderson said. "I was nervous, waiting."

Henderson spoke on a conference call before boarding a flight to New York. He was rushing right along, even on this day.

Only fitting.

Next up, his highly anticipated induction speech. Known for his confounding comments, Henderson has a penchant for referring to himself in the third person -- at any point during an amusing stream of sometimes indecipherable chatter. Hall of Fame voting

Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice were elected to the Hall of Fame on Monday. At least 75 percent of the vote is needed for election.

PlayerVotesPct.Rickey Henderson51194.8Jim Rice41276.4Andre Dawson36167.0Bert Blyleven33862.7Lee Smith24044.5Jack Morris23744.0Others receiving votes: Tommy John 171 (31.7); Tim Raines 122 (22.6); Mark McGwire 118 (21.9); Alan Trammell 94 (17.4); Dave Parker 81 (15.0); Don Mattingly 64 (11.9); Dale Murphy 62 (11.5); Harold Baines 32 (5.9); Mark Grace 22 (4.1); David Cone 21 (3.9); Matt Williams 7 (1.3); Mo Vaughn 6 (1.1); Jay Bell 2 (0.4); Jesse Orosco 1 (0.2). "It's really just an honor to me. I'm really just spaced out," he said. "I haven't really thought about what I'm going to say."

Henderson was picked on 511 of 539 ballots and Rice was selected on 412, just above the 405 needed.

Rice received only 29.8 percent of the vote in 1995, when he appeared on the ballot for the first time. He initially topped 50 percent in 2000 and reached 64.8 percent in 2006 -- the highest percentage for a player who wasn't elected in a later year was 63.4 by Gil Hodges in 1983, his final time on the ballot.

Some thought Rice's prickly personality and curt relationship with reporters during his playing career helped keep him out of the Hall all those years.

"I don't think I was difficult to deal with for writers. I think the writers were difficult to me," he said. "I wasn't going to badmouth my teammates. When you start talking about my teammates or what goes on outside baseball, I couldn't do that.

"I don't know why it took me so long. I don't even want to think about it," he added. "I'm just happy I'm in and that's what I'm going to cherish."

What did he learn all these years?

"Be patient and wait until the last out," Rice said. "I guess everything was just timing, because my numbers have not changed over the last 14 years."

Andre Dawson fell 44 votes short with 67 percent. He was followed by Bert Blyleven (62.7 percent), Lee Smith (44.5), Jack Morris (44.0), Tommy John (31.7) and Tim Raines (22.6). John appeared on the ballot for the final time.

Mark McGwire, stigmatized by accusations he used performance-enhancing drugs, received 118 votes (21.9 percent) in his third year of eligibility, down from the 128 votes he got in each of his first two tries.

Henderson, who played with McGwire in Oakland, said the first baseman was one of the best people he's ever been around.

"He played the game the right way to me," Henderson said. "I feel he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame."

Henderson, the 1990 AL MVP, was a 10-time All-Star who swiped 1,406 bases, one shy of 50 percent more than Lou Brock, who is in second place with 938. Henderson batted .279 with 297 homers, 1,115 RBIs, 2,190 walks and 2,295 runs. He owns the modern-day season record with 130 steals in 1982 and the career mark with 81 leadoff homers. He played for Oakland, the Yankees, Toronto, San Diego, Anaheim, the Mets, Seattle, Boston and the Dodgers.

Henderson wanted to be a football star before his mother persuaded him to give pro baseball a try, figuring it offered a better chance at a long career.

If it were up to Henderson, now 50, he'd still be playing ball.

"They said I have to be retired to go in the Hall of Fame," he said. "Maybe they give me that day or two that I come back and it wouldn't mess up anything."

Henderson wasn't sure which team's cap will go on his Hall of Fame plaque. He gets some say in the matter, but ultimately it's the Hall's decision.

Henderson was with his family when he got the call Monday and pointed out that they have been with him through "all the glory and the headaches."

"They enjoyed it probably as much as I enjoyed it, probably even more," he said.

Rice, the 1978 AL MVP, was an eight-time All-Star who hit 382 home runs in 16 seasons with the Red Sox from 1974-89. He had a .298 career batting average and 1,451 RBIs and from 1977-79 averaged .320 with 41 homers and 128 RBIs.

He becomes the fourth Hall of Famer to have spent his entire career with the Red Sox, joining fellow left fielders Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski, along with second baseman Bobby Doerr.

"That's I think one of the biggest accomplishments," Rice said.


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Smoltz says he's determined, focused for 2009

BOSTON -- The familiar cap with the "A" on the front no longer fit, so John Smoltz turned to Plan B -- Boston.

TIME FOR A CHANGE?

John Smoltz is one of eight players to play for one team for 20 seasons, then move on to another team. Of the other seven, only Phil Cavarretta is not in the Hall of Fame.

Player (Career)Orig. Team (Years)New TeamTy Cobb, 1905-26 Tigers (22) AthleticsHank Aaron, 1954-75Braves (21)BrewersHarmon Killebrew, 1954-75Sens/Twins (21)RoyalsPhil Cavarretta, 1934-55Cubs (20)White SoxWillie Mays, 1951-73Giants (21)Mets*Phil Niekro, 1964-87Braves (20)Yankees**Warren Spahn, 1942-65Braves (20)Mets***John Smoltz, 1988-presentBraves (20)Red Sox * - Traded May 11, 1972 to Mets.
** - Pitched four more seasons with Yankees (1984-85), Indians (1986-87), Blue Jays and Braves (1987).
*** - Released by Mets July 17, 1965; signed by Giants two days later.

After playing all 20 of his major league seasons with the Atlanta Braves, the only pitcher in baseball history with 200 wins and 150 saves is starting over at age 41 with the Red Sox.

"I'm as determined and I'm as focused as I've ever been," Smoltz said Tuesday. "The uniform has changed. The desire won't change."

The right-hander who says he's "doing great" after major shoulder surgery finalized his $5.5 million, one-year agreement, confident he can still contribute and eager to pitch beyond 2009.

"Age," he said, "is just a number."

Smoltz was gregarious and well-dressed with a white shirt, gray suit, red power tie -- and dark blue Red Sox cap with a big red "B" on it -- as he said he wasn't bitter about his departure from the Braves, the team he first started pitching for in 1988.

"They were taking a different direction and, for the most part, left me with really no options," Smoltz said. "Atlanta will always be my home. I've raised four children there and built a school. That won't change."

But, he said, "we were way apart."

The Red Sox were much more aggressive in trying to sign Smoltz than the Braves were in wanting to keep him.

He never thought of retiring and other teams did show interest, Smoltz said. But he was especially impressed that Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell, vice president of player personnel Ben Cherington and assistant trainer Mike Reinold traveled to Atlanta in early December to talk with him, watch him pitch and check his physical condition.

Smoltz also was attracted by the chance to play for a contender in front of passionate fans and by the team's plan to be patient with his recovery. The Red Sox can afford to do that with a strong starting rotation of Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Brad Penny and Tim Wakefield. Young starters Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden also have made significant offseason progress.

"They're surrounded by studs and whatever I can add I'm sure the value will be what I've been used to before," Smoltz said.

He and general manager Theo Epstein said there is no timetable for his return but when he does play again the plan is for him to be a starter. Both expressed optimism about his shoulder after he was examined by Reinold in December and team physician Dr. Thomas Gill on Monday when Smoltz passed his physical "with flying colors," Epstein said.

"Both said this is the best-case scenario for how strong he is right now," Epstein said. "I don't know if John would say this, but we feel if we absolutely had to have him in for April, physically he'd be capable to do that but we're looking at the big picture here.

"I see him starting important games for us late in the season and, hopefully, into October."

Smoltz is the all-time postseason leader in wins with a 15-4 record and strikeouts with 194. He has a 2.65 ERA in 207 postseason innings and was MVP of the NL Championship Series in 1992.

In the regular season he is 210-147 with a 3.26 ERA. Last season, he was 3-2 with a 2.57 ERA before going on the disabled list in June.

"Yesterday we had an announcement about a new Hall of Famer [Jim Rice] and today we have an exciting Red Sox announcement about a future Hall of Famer," Epstein said. "It's a very significant day for the Red Sox to be able to add someone of his caliber."

Smoltz's ERA has been below 3.50 in each of his last 13 seasons. And it's been above 4.00 in only two of his 20 seasons. In 20 2/3 innings at Fenway Park he has a 0.00 ERA.

"I love the fact that I've never given up an earned run in this park," he said. "As long as I can keep that going I think everyone's going to be happy."

Smoltz can earn an additional $5 million in bonuses based on time on the active 25-man roster: $125,000 for his first day, $35,000 a day from June 1 through Oct. 3, and $500,000 for Oct. 4, the last scheduled day of the regular season.

Epstein said there was "healthy skepticism" at first about whether Smoltz would want to leave the Braves.

But when the Red Sox contingent saw him throw in Atlanta, "that's when our interest really peaked," Epstein said. "John was a lot farther along than we thought and expressed a genuine admiration for the Red Sox and it was mutual, so it progressed from there. "

Smoltz is just the eighth player to spend 20 consecutive seasons with one team, then switch to another, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The others are Hank Aaron, Phil Cavarretta, Ty Cobb, Harmon Killebrew, Willie Mays, Phil Niekro and Warren Spahn. All but Cavarretta are Hall of Famers.

Now Smoltz is starting over in a new league but with a chance to ease his way back with a team that needs him at the end of the season, not the beginning.

"I've met a lot of challenges in my life and I don't even view this as a hurdle," he said. "This is an incredible opportunity."

Epstein said that except for trying to sign a catcher to join Josh Bard on the roster, the Red Sox are about done with their offseason moves. In the past week, they've signed Smoltz, Penny, reliever Takashi Saito and outfielder Rocco Baldelli and agreed to terms with first baseman-outfielder Mark Kotsay.

The Red Sox still could re-sign free agent catcher Jason Varitek, but Epstein said "we're pretty comfortable" if they have to go with Bard and either George Kottaras or Dusty Brown, who split time at catcher last year with Triple-A Pawtucket.


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Smoltz says Red Sox will use him as a starter

BOSTON -- John Smoltz said Monday night that he will be a starter once he is ready to pitch for the Boston Red Sox after missing most of last season following major shoulder surgery.

Smoltz

Smoltz, whose signing is to be announced formally Tuesday, is the only pitcher in baseball history with 200 wins and 150 saves. He attended the Boston Celtics' 115-109 overtime win over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night and was interviewed during a break in the action.

"It's going to be [as] a starter," he said when asked how the Red Sox would use him. "They're going to make sure that I'm ready to not only pitch, but pitch strong down the stretch and into the playoffs because that's what I like to do."

The Red Sox scheduled a news conference for 10 a.m. Tuesday to announce the signing.

Preliminary agreement was reached last week on the deal, believed to be one year and $5.5 million, with a possible added $5 million in performance bonuses. The deal was expected to be contingent on Smoltz passing a physical on Monday.

The Red Sox already had Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Tim Wakefield in the rotation and added former Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Brad Penny last week. Youngsters Clay Buchholz and Justin Masterson also could figure in that group.

The 41-year-old Smoltz has said he feels healthy enough to pitch at least one more year.


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Source: Grand jury convenes in Clemens probe

A federal grand jury has convened in Washington, D.C., to determine whether to indict seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens for lying under oath to Congress when he denied taking performance-enhancing drugs, ESPN.com has learned.

Clemens

Witnesses have been subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury as early as this week. The jurors are expected to review evidence presented by assistant U.S. attorney Daniel P. Butler and determine whether there is probable cause to return an indictment for perjury. Butler was in the news last April for successfully prosecuting a racketeering and money-laundering case against Deborah Jean Palfrey, dubbed "the D.C. Madam."

Those expected to either testify in front of the grand jury or to be interviewed by Butler and FBI agents include Clemens' former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, and admitted drug supplier Kirk Radomski. Charlie Scheeler or other investigators who helped assemble the Mitchell report, Major League Baseball's inquiry into performance-enhancing drug use that first publicly identified Clemens for allegedly taking steroids, could also be called before the grand jury.

Prosecutors are also likely to confer with Food and Drug Administration agent Jeff Novitzky, the government's lead investigator in a series of sports-doping cases over the past five years. Novitzky attended the four-hour hearing last February during which Clemens and McNamee offered conflicting testimony about the pitcher's alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs.

It is not known whether Clemens himself will be invited to appear before the grand jury, though a former Washington federal prosecutor said the government could afford Clemens a chance to explain the contradictions and possibly avoid indictment. Should the grand jury eventually return an indictment, his appearance could also provide the prosecution a start in fleshing out Clemens' possible defense, the former prosecutor said.

"It's standard operating procedure for a prosecutor, and it's probably been convened for a while," Clemens' lead lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said through spokesman Patrick Dorton.

Federal agents also have interviewed friends and acquaintances of Clemens in Houston over the past year, and it is possible some of them could be invited to Washington. A Houston training center owner, Shaun Kelley, told The Associated Press on Monday that he had been questioned by the FBI last April and denied meeting Clemens or providing the pitcher or any of the pitcher's associates with illegal substances. Kelley said he employed Clemens' stepsister Bonnie Owens for about a year. Kelley said neither he nor his lawyers had been contacted by the grand jury. "It is just not fair for me, because they just come down here and throw me under the bus, and I lose half-a-million of business," Kelly said Monday in a telephone interview with the AP. "I know in my heart I passed it," he said of the polygraph, "but the FBI is not known for admitting their mistakes."

Another possibility is former teammate Andy Pettitte. He and another former New York Yankees teammate, Chuck Knoblauch, confirmed McNamee's testimony that they used performance-enhancing drugs when he was their trainer.

Pettitte provided a sworn affidavit to a congressional committee, in which he claimed Clemens told him nearly 10 years ago that he used growth hormone. Pressed to address Pettitte's statement during the committee hearing, Clemens said Pettitte had "misremembered."

The grand jury is also likely to consider DNA samples on used needles and bloody gauze pads McNamee turned over to federal prosecutors last January. McNamee's lawyers have claimed he used those needles and gauze pads while injecting Clemens with steroids and HGH. Clemens' side has called that evidence "manufactured."

McNamee's lawyer, Richard Emery, said Monday his client has not been called as a grand jury witness or received a subpoena. But he does expect McNamee to testify again.

"We will be cooperating. We've been in contact with the federal authorities for a year and a half," Emery said, according to The Associated Press. "We look forward to the results, which we fully expect will show that Brian has been telling the truth all along."

Additional evidence for jurors to review could come from Radomski, a former New York Mets clubhouse attendant who was a source of the performance-enhancing drugs that McNamee provided to a number of players. In July, Radomski turned over to federal investigators an overnight shipping receipt for a package of two kits of HGH that he sent after the 2002 season, in care of McNamee, to Clemens at the pitcher's Houston home.

"The investigators knew from day one that I sent a package to Clemens' house," Radomski told ESPN.com last summer after discovering he still had the receipt. "They knew before the Mitchell report was released and before Brian went before Congress. So this is nothing new to them.

"I just couldn't find the receipt."

Federal agents raided Radomski's Long Island home in December 2005, uncovering evidence that he supplied anabolic steroids and other drugs to pro baseball players. Radomski said he knew the performance-enhancing drugs sold to McNamee were intended for his baseball-playing clients, though he didn't inquire about their identities.

McNamee put himself in Clemens' crosshairs when he signed a proffer agreement with federal prosecutors, stipulating that he could not be charged with steroid distribution as long as everything he told the prosecutors was truthful. He also was asked to cooperate with the baseball-commissioned steroids investigation led by former Sen. George Mitchell, which made public McNamee's claims that he injected Clemens with steroids and growth hormone in 1998, 2000 and 2001.

Congress decided to hold its hearing after Clemens publicly challenged the veracity of the Mitchell report.

Clemens filed a defamation lawsuit against McNamee last January. McNamee's attorneys have since argued to have the suit thrown out; and last month, they filed a defamation suit on McNamee's behalf against Clemens.

Clemens is the latest professional athlete to come under federal scrutiny for statements made about alleged use of steroids or performance-enhancing drugs. Last year, the FBI opened an investigation into whether Houston Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada lied in 2005 when, during a congressional follow-up on testimony given by Rafael Palmeiro, he told House committee staff that he never took steroids or HGH.

Barry Bonds, a seven-time MVP, was indicted last year on perjury and obstruction of justice charges stemming from his 2003 grand jury testimony in which he denied knowingly taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Bonds is scheduled for trial this March in San Francisco.

If an indictment is returned against Clemens, it could set the stage for high-profile perjury trials for a generation's top hitter and pitcher.

A retired FBI agent said that perjury cases involving high-profile defendants are becoming more common, telling ESPN.com: "It used to be we didn't mess with these kinds of cases. Everybody lied to us. Then, they got Martha Stewart on lying, and it became the flavor of the month."

The FBI began investigating Clemens last February, two weeks after the pitching icon and McNamee offered starkly conflicting testimony before a House committee hearing. Attorney General Michael Mukasey was initially asked to investigate Clemens by leadership of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Lawmakers did not ask for a similar investigation of McNamee.

With his Hall of Fame candidacy potentially hanging in the balance, Clemens told the House committee: "I have never taken steroids or HGH. No matter what we discuss here today, I am never going to have my name restored."

Without looking at McNamee, who was seated next to him, Clemens told committee members. "I have strong disagreements with what this man says about me."

Just minutes earlier, McNamee told committee members: "When I told Sen. Mitchell that I injected Roger Clemens with performance-enhancing drugs, I told the truth. I told the truth about steroids and human growth hormone. I injected those drugs into the body of Roger Clemens at his direction. Unfortunately, Roger has denied this and has led a full-court attack on my credibility."


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Indians, Shoppach agree to one-year contract

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians agreed to a $1.95 million, one-year contract Monday with catcher Kelly Shoppach, continuing their streak of avoiding salary arbitration.

Shoppach

Shoppach batted .261 with 21 homers and 55 RBIs in 112 games last season. He led AL catchers in homers and took on an everyday role after Victor Martinez injured his right elbow, limiting him to 73 games.

The Indians have not gone to an arbitration hearing with a player since 1991, when they went to hearings with infielder Jerry Browne and Greg Swindell.

Shoppach could have a greater role behind the plate this season, with Martinez expected to get more time at first base.


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Rangers exploring SS Young's trade demand

The Texas Rangers are exploring trade options for five-time All-Star shortstop Michael Young at the player's request after he became upset about the team's plan to move him to third base.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Sunday night during a hastily called conference call that the team has looked into trade possibilities but remains hopeful Young will remain in Texas.

Young

"Our desire is for Michael to play third base," Daniels said. "Obviously though, he's got to buy into what we're doing."

The Rangers would like to move Young to third to make room for highly touted prospect Elvis Andrus at shortstop. The 20-year-old Andrus came to Texas in July 2007 in the trade that sent Mark Teixeira to Atlanta.

Daniels said he and manager Ron Washington met with the 32-year-old Young last month about the direction of the team and moving to third base.

"Reluctant, reluctant," Daniels said, describing Young's reaction. "He explained to us that he's worked extremely hard to make himself a shortstop. Obviously in 2004, he volunteered to move from second base to shortstop. That kind of shows the team-first character that has been a stable of his personality and really has made himself an outstanding player."

Daniels said he hasn't spoken to Young since before New Year's Day, but has had conversations with the player's agent.

Young switched from second base to shortstop in the spring of 2004 after the Rangers traded Alex Rodriguez to the New York Yankees. Rodriguez moved from shortstop to third to accommodate that trade.

Young has been selected to the All-Star team as a shortstop every season since, and last year earned his first AL Gold Glove award.

He is a career .300 hitter, though his streak of five consecutive 200-hit seasons was snapped in 2008 when he was hampered by a fractured right ring finger the last two months of the season. He was the AL batting champion in 2005 when he hit .331.

Young next season begins the five-year, $80 million contract extension he signed during spring training in 2007 that prevented him from becoming a free agent. Young is due about $62 million over the next five seasons since some of the money was paid as a signing bonus and more is deferred.

That contract was second-largest in team history, behind only the $252 million, 10-year contract Rodriguez got in December 2000.

Young, a minor leaguer when traded from Toronto to Texas in 2000, is the Rangers' longest-tenured player. He played in two games that season and then 106 as a rookie in 2001.


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Busy BoSox bolster bullpen with veteran Saito

BOSTON -- Takashi Saito agreed to a one-year deal with Boston on Saturday, giving the Red Sox another veteran arm in their bullpen.

Saito

Saito, who had 18 saves and a 2.49 ERA last season despite being limited by an elbow injury, became a free agent when the Los Angeles Dodgers failed to offer him a contract by the Dec. 12 deadline. The right-hander would have been eligible for salary arbitration and a raise from $2 million if he was tendered a contract.

The active Red Sox announced a deal with Rocco Baldelli on Thursday night, finalized a $5 million, one-year deal with right-hander Brad Penny on Friday and are expected to complete a $5.5 million, one-year contract with John Smoltz in the next few days.

The 38-year-old Saito is 12-7 with 81 saves and a 1.95 ERA in three major league seasons, all with Los Angeles.

"He's done an amazing job since coming over from Japan three years ago," Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said during a conference call. "If you look at his performance and how he's gone about it the last three years, he's been just about as good as anyone in baseball."

Saito made the All-Star team in 2007 when he went 2-1 with 39 saves and a 1.40 ERA in 63 games. He should feel right at home in spring training with three other Japanese countrymen in Boston's camp: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideki Okajima and Junichi Tazawa.

"I'm very excited; obviously there is excitement playing for a new team," Saito said. "I know that obviously Daisuke and Okajima are there right now and I've met them several times in the past. I also understand that there is a lot of Japanese staff working with the team. Atmosphere-wise, it's going to be a very nice fit for myself. I'm just very, very excited to be a Red Sox right now."


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Red Sox, RHP Penny finalize one-year contract

BOSTON -- Brad Penny and Mike Lowell have more in common than a 2003 World Series ring: They both came to Boston to revive their careers.

Penny, who finalized a $5 million, one-year deal Friday, is a two-time All-Star who won a championship with the Florida Marlins but had his worst season last year for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

PennySpending almost two months on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis and bursitis, he went 6-9 with a 6.27 ERA, posting the fewest starts, wins and innings pitched and worst winning percentage of his career.

"For me, doing that was embarrassing," the 30-year-old right-hander said in a conference call.

Penny was 94-75 in nine years for the Marlins and Dodgers, going 16-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 2007 and finishing third in voting for the NL Cy Young Award. But he made just two starts and two relief appearances after going on the DL in mid-June.

"I was trying to push something I should have rested," he said. "Even when I was on the DL I was throwing. I was a little stubborn and tried to push myself."

His offseason conditioning is going well, he said.

"I've had no problems. I'm feeling pretty strong," Penny said. "I feel good right now, so hopefully it's cool."

The big right-hander joins a rotation that includes Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jon Lester and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, with John Smoltz standing by to join them when he's ready. Penny was teammates with Beckett and Lowell, the Red Sox third baseman, when the Marlins won the 2003 World Series.

Lowell was acquired by the Red Sox, along with Beckett, after the third baseman dropped from a .293 average with 27 homers in 2004 to .236 and eight in '05.

"I've never been more excited for a season to start than this one," he said at the time. "I can't believe the six years prior to last year are a fluke and that's what I really am."

Lowell bounced back in Boston, averaging 20 homers and 100 RBIs over the next two seasons and winning the World Series MVP for the Red Sox in 2007; he struggled last year, playing in just 113 games because of a hip injury. Beckett came as advertised, going 20-7 in '07 and dominating in the postseason as the Red Sox won their second title in four years.

Now, Boston is hoping another ex-Marlin can manage a similar turnaround.

"That's not the Brad Penny last year. I know that, and hopefully the people in Boston, they know that," Penny said. "I'm real excited. I can't wait to get out there."

Penny said he consulted with Beckett and Lowell before signing with the Red Sox.

"All three of us were really close," Penny said. "That's probably the closest I've ever been to teammates."

Penny said he was lured to Boston by the chance to win, but only after visiting the ballpark on Thursday for his physical did he realize the total allure.

"I got back and told my parents, 'Man, just walking in there you could feel the history,' " he said.

Penny can earn an additional $3 million in performance bonuses: $500,000 each for 160 innings or 55 games as pitcher, 170-65 and 180-75; $500,000 for 190 innings or 35 games finished, and $1 million for 200 innings or 50 games finished.

Also Friday, the Red Sox sent right-hander Charlie Zink outright to Triple-A Pawtucket and said that righties Virgil Vasquez (San Diego) and Dewon Day (Tampa Bay) were claimed off waivers.


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Glavine waits on Braves with rehab going well

Now that Greg Maddux has retired and John Smoltz has opted to leave Atlanta for the Boston Red Sox, the question remains: What's next on the agenda for the other member of the Braves' "Big Three"?

As Tom Glavine continues to make progress in his recovery from elbow and shoulder surgery, the only certainty is that he hopes to be pitching somewhere in 2009.

Glavine

If the Braves don't have a spot for him on their staff, he's keeping an open mind.

Glavine has made it clear to Braves management that his first choice is to return to Atlanta this year to pitch for manager Bobby Cox. But agent Gregg Clifton said Thursday that Glavine is so encouraged by his rehab, he's prepared to consider other opportunities if things fail to work out with Atlanta.

"Tom is in a great position mentally," Clifton said. "He's ahead of schedule in his rehab, and he's ahead of where he would normally be in his preparation for the upcoming season. Obviously, he'd love to have an opportunity to remain with the Atlanta Braves, and we'll see where that takes us. But he's not precluding the possibility of playing somewhere else in 2009.

"It all comes down to the desire to play. Tom has the desire. He just wanted to make sure it was at a level that he wanted to play at."

Until recently, it appeared that it might be Atlanta or nowhere for Glavine, who shut it down to have surgery in August after going 2-4 with a 5.54 ERA in 13 starts. Dr. James Andrews made some minor repairs to Glavine's rotator cuff, cleaned out scar tissue in his elbow and fixed a small hole in his flexor tendon. The elbow damage was less severe than Glavine and the Braves had anticipated.

Glavine recently completed a long-toss program and plans to begin throwing off a mound in the next day or two. He's convinced he's ready to come back from a difficult 2008 season, during which he allowed 11 homers in 63 1/3 innings, had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1-to-1 and posted a 7.06 ERA at Turner Field.

At the moment, Glavine is a back-burner personnel issue for the Braves, who are trolling the free-agent market in an effort to upgrade their starting rotation.

The Braves are in the mix for Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami, and recently stepped up their efforts to sign Scott Boras client Derek Lowe. The Braves expressed no interest in Lowe during the winter meetings in Las Vegas, when the word was he wanted a five-year deal for $16 million or more annually.

But those contract numbers have failed to materialize for Lowe. And with the Mets hesitant to stray too far from their three-year, $36 million offer, sources said the Braves are convinced they can be very competitive in the bidding for Lowe.

After losing out to the Yankees in the A.J. Burnett sweepstakes and getting burned in the Rafael Furcal negotiating fiasco before Christmas, the Braves are intent on maintaining a low profile in their discussions with Lowe and Kawakami, sources said.

Atlanta already has Jair Jurrjens and the recently acquired Javier Vazquez at the top of its rotation. Until the Braves make another move, the other starting candidates include Jorge Campillo, Charlie Morton and Jo-Jo Reyes. The Braves are also expecting big things from hot prospect Tommy Hanson, who struck out 163 batters in 138 minor league innings last year and was named MVP of the Arizona Fall League. The Braves have maintained for several months that they were interested in having Glavine and Smoltz back in 2009. But the team was hesitant to rely too heavily on two starters over age 40 and get burned if they suffered a recurrence of their health problems.

"We can't find out in spring training that their surgery didn't fix the problem, and now we're stuck and we say, 'Uh-oh, what do we do now?'" Braves general manager Frank Wren said in September. "We can't be in that position. I've told both of them that, and they understand that."

Wren, who has yet to talk to Clifton about Glavine this offseason, reiterated that game plan Wednesday night before news broke that Smoltz was headed to Boston.

"Our focus has been to put our club together, then evaluate their rehabs and see how they would fit after we put our club together," Wren said when asked about Glavine and Smoltz.

Glavine, who cited family concerns last year upon returning to Atlanta from New York through free agency, could be limited by geography in assessing career options beyond the Braves. His focus would probably be on teams that play in the East and hold spring training in Florida.

One possibility is the Washington Nationals. Glavine has a close and long-standing relationship with Nationals president Stan Kasten from their days in Atlanta. Although the Nationals traded for Scott Olsen earlier this offseason, signed former Orioles starter Daniel Cabrera to a one-year, $2.6 million deal and have been hesitant to spend much money on free agents, they could have room in their rotation for another starter.


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Cubs, Bradley finalize three-year, $30M deal

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs and Milton Bradley wrapped up their $30 million, three-year deal Thursday after the mercurial outfielder passed a physical.

Joining his seventh team in 10 years, and fifth in the last five, Bradley is coming off a productive season with the Texas Rangers. But his onfield talents have often been overshadowed by his outbursts and flashes of anger.

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"I did it. It's in the past. It's over with," Bradley said during a Wrigley Field news conference.

"I'm the ballplayer you see every day. I give my all. I pour everything I got into it. When I go home, I'm physically and mentally exhausted because I gave everything I had that day for my teammates to try to win a ballgame. A lot of guys make a lot more money that go back home every day and they're not really worried about it, don't really care, just keep collecting their check."

A switch-hitter, Bradley batted .321 with 22 homers for Texas while leading the American League with a .436 on-base percentage last season. He made the All-Star team while serving primarily as a designated hitter.

He'll fill the Cubs' need for a left-handed bat in the middle of the order and will be used mostly in right field even though he has played 100 games in the field only once in his career - in 2004 with the Dodgers.

The 30-year-old Bradley has a history of anger issues.

He slammed a plastic bottle at the feet of a fan in the right-field seats at Dodger Stadium in 2004 after someone threw it on the field, drawing a five-game suspension. With San Diego in the pennant chase in 2007, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee when he was spun to the ground by Padres manager Bud Black, who was trying to keep him from umpire Mike Winters. Bradley claimed he was baited by Winters, who was suspended for the final five days of the regular season and didn't work the postseason.

Bradley also got a four-game suspension for tossing a bag of balls onto the field after an ejection. And when he was with Cleveland, he had a dugout confrontation with Indians manager Eric Wedge during spring training in 2004 before getting traded to Los Angeles.

And in 2005, he criticized then Dodgers' teammate Jeff Kent, saying he couldn't deal with black players.

"I think you would be hard-pressed to find somebody that doesn't have something good to say about me -- Jeff Kent, Eric Wedge included," Bradley said.

"I've seen a lot of cute headlines about me, talking about everything. People that never met me speaking about me," Bradley said. "That's a thing I never do. I'm never going to judge somebody based on somebody else's perception or what I see on TV or read in the paper."

The Cubs, who are on the verge of being sold and have been swept out of the playoffs in the first round the last two seasons, have had a busy offseason.

They traded popular second baseman Mark DeRosa to Cleveland and dealt right-hander Jason Marquis to Colorado. They also declined to re-sign closer Kerry Wood. They have picked up outfielder Joey Gathright and infielder Aaron Miles as free agents and acquired reliever Kevin Gregg in a trade with the Marlins. The Cubs also obtained reliever Luis Vizcaino in the trade for Marquis.


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