Diamondbacks, 1B Clark agree to new contract

PHOENIX -- First baseman Tony Clark is returning to the Arizona Diamondbacks, agreeing Friday to an $800,000, one-year contract.

The 36-year-old Clark played for Arizona from 2005-2007 and had a prominent role on the 2007 NL West champions. He left after that season to sign with San Diego but returned to the Diamondbacks last July. Clark hit .225 with three home runs and 24 RBIs in 108 games with San Diego and Arizona last year.

"We are pleased to retain Tony," Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes said in a statement. "His power can impact the game either as a pinch-hitter or as a starter. His leadership and experience watching our club evolve over the last several years will help us tackle our next set of challenges."

Clark is a .263 career hitter with 247 home runs and 813 RBIs over parts of 14 seasons with Detroit, Boston, the New York Mets and Yankees, Diamondbacks and Padres.

His 55 home runs with Arizona rank seventh in franchise history.


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D-backs CEO resigns, nears purchase of Pads

PHOENIX -- Jeff Moorad has resigned as Arizona Diamondbacks chief executive officer and says he has reached an agreement in principle to buy the San Diego Padres.

Moorad said Friday he heads a "small but significant" group of investors that has an exclusive right to complete the specifics of negotiations with Padres owner John Moores. Moorad said he hopes the transaction can be completed in the next three months.

Moorad said he has a long friendship with Moores and his wife, Becky, whose divorce precipitated the Padres' potential sale.

Discussions on the potential purchase became extensive after Moores hired Goldman Sachs to oversee the sale of the club in late November, Moorad said.

"We have a lot of work to do," Moorad said on a conference call, "but John and Becky and the folks at Goldman Sachs have been very attentive and focused as I intend to be over the next month or so. I'm hopeful that we can get to the finish line."

The Moores reportedly own 90 percent of the Padres. Community property laws in California give Becky Moores a 50 percent share of that asset and she must agree to any sale.

San Diego owner John Moores confirmed in an e-mail to The Associated Press that Moorad had exclusive negotiating rights to buy the team. Jesse Jacobs from Goldman Sachs didn't immediately return a call or e-mail seeking comment.

Moorad said he would be the majority owner if the deal goes through. He would have to sell his share of ownership in the Diamondbacks if the Padres deal is finalized.

He said he first approached Moores about buying the team when rumors surfaced that the Padres might be for sale.

"I told him that I was very happy in Arizona, that I was very excited about the organization that the Diamondbacks had become," Moorad said, "and that the only thing that would turn my head would be the possibility of returning to California, particularly Southern California."

Moores got back to him "a couple of months ago" to say that indeed he was selling the team, and the talks progressed from there. Moorad said he was required to resign from his Arizona job in order to have exclusive rights to complete negotiations with the Padres. Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall replaces Moorad as CEO.

The Moores would continue to have a share of the team's ownership for a yet undetermined number of years, Moorad said.

The transaction would come in an economy that is reeling on all fronts.

"I think sports teams will be challenged going forward as all businesses will be in the short term," Moorad said, "but I'm bullish on baseball and I'm particularly bullish on baseball in Southern California. I think we've shown in Arizona there are ways to not only survive but win even on a medium-sized market payroll."

Moorad grew up in Modesto, Calif., and graduated from UCLA in 1978 before getting his law degree at Villanova. He and his family lived in Newport Beach, Calif., for more than 20 years and still have a home there.

Moorad was a formidable agent who represented several major sports figures, including baseball's Manny Ramirez and Eric Karros, before he purchased a share of the Diamondbacks in 2004. His connection as an agent concerned other owners, so Ken Kendrick continued to serve as managing partner, representing the team in league ownership issues.

However, Kendrick said those concerns have been erased by Moorad's performance since assuming his CEO position with the Diamondbacks.

"Jeff has established himself through the years with us and I think Major League Baseball, from discussions I've had with them directly, would be comfortable with him controlling an ownership group with another club," Kendrick said.

Moorad also said he's been assured his past as an agent would not be an obstacle to him being a principle owner.

"I think he has roots that are very deep in Southern California," Kendrick said. "To get an opportunity in San Diego is exactly on point for the family in terms of that element of their lives."

Moorad lured many of the current top Diamondbacks officials, including Hall and general manager Josh Byrnes, to their jobs in Arizona. Hall joined the team in May 2005 as senior vice president, communications. Marketing-related issues were added to Hall's responsibilities in December 2005. He was promoted to president on Sept. 6, 2006, and will retain that title in addition to his new CEO position.

Hall called his promotion "bittersweet" because of his long relationship with Moorad, but added that he looked forward to the challenges of his new position.

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Report: Marlins, RHP Proctor reach agreement

MIAMI -- Former Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Scott Proctor has reached an agreement with the Florida Marlins on a $750,000, one-year contract with an additional $250,000 in incentives, a person familiar with the negotiations confirmed Friday.

The person didn't want to be identified because the deal is contingent on Proctor passing a physical Monday.

Several South Florida media outlets were also reporting the deal on Friday.

Proctor underwent surgery in October to repair a partially torn flexor tendon and is expected to be healthy for spring training. He missed two months of the 2008 season and was left off the Dodgers' postseason roster.

The Marlins needed bullpen help after the departures this offseason of right-handers Kevin Gregg to the Chicago Cubs, Doug Waechter to Kansas City and Joe Nelson to Tampa Bay.

Battling elbow trouble, Proctor went 2-0 with a 6.05 ERA in 38 2/3 innings last year. He has a career ERA of 4.42 in 262 games.

Proctor turned 32 Friday. He was born in Stuart, Fla., and pitched for Florida State.


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Angels, closer Fuentes agree to two-year deal

LOS ANGELES -- Reliever Brian Fuentes and the Los Angeles Angels reached agreement on a $17.5 million, two-year contract Wednesday, likely giving the AL West champions a replacement for record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez.

Fuentes

Fuentes will earn $8.5 million for 2009 and $9 million for 2010. The contract includes a $9 million vesting option for 2011, based on games finished, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

"He should solidify the back part of our bullpen," Angels general manager Tony Reagins said on a conference call. "We pitched well last year, we expect to pitch well again."

The 33-year-old Fuentes was a three-time National League All-Star. The lefty was 1-5 with 30 saves in 34 chances and a 2.73 ERA for Colorado this season and then became a free agent. He struck out 82 in 62 2/3 innings.

"I'm definitely happy to have the opportunity to play for a team that I've watched for a long time," said Fuentes, who grew up in Merced, Calif., and still lives there. "My 2-year-old's excited. He can't wait to go to Disneyland."

Regarding Angels manager Mike Scioscia, Fuentes said: "From what I hear from other guys, he's a player's manager."

Rodriguez posted 62 saves for the Angels this season to break Bobby Thigpen's single-season record of 57. K-Rod signed a three-year, $37 million contract with the New York Mets three weeks ago.

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"The only pressure I have is what I put on myself," Fuentes replied when asked if following Rodriguez would make his life more difficult. "I know I can be successful."

Fuentes is in line to be the Angels' closer, with either Scot Shields or Jose Arredondo as his set-up man. Fuentes has a 17-27 career record with 115 saves and a 3.41 ERA in 438 appearances for the Seattle Mariners and Rockies.

"It's going to be nice to have a little bit of a comfort zone," said Fuentes, who has a 17-27 career record with 115 saves and a 3.41 ERA in 438 appearances for the Seattle Mariners and Rockies. He left the Rockies as their all-time career saves leader and finished as Colorado's all-time leader in strikeouts by a reliever as well.

Fuentes left the Rockies as their all-time career saves leader. He also finished as Colorado's all-time leader in strikeouts by a reliever.

He became the third free agent to return to the Angels this offseason, joining left-handed reliever Darren Oliver, who accepted salary arbitration, and outfielder Juan Rivera, who signed a three-year, $12.75 million contract.

The Angels had hoped to re-sign Mark Teixeira, but the switch-hitting first baseman agreed to an eight-year contract worth $180 million with the New York Yankees last week.

Fuentes was drafted by Seattle in 1995 and made his major league debut in 2000. The Mariners traded him to Colorado after the 2001 season.

Fuentes became the Rockies' closer in 2005, going 2-5 with 31 saves in 34 chances and a 2.91 ERA in 78 games. He was 3-5 with 20 saves in 27 chances and a 3.08 ERA in 64 games in 2007. The Rockies advanced to the World Series that year, but Fuentes was replaced as the team's closer in midseason by Manny Corpas. Fuentes got his job back early this season when Corpas faltered.

"Once you get there, all the other bad seasons just wash away," Fuentes said of playing in the World Series. "You don't make it to the World Series every year. To have an opportunity to do that is very appealing."

Fuentes said the Rockies never made a formal offer to keep him.

"It was a great experience all the way around," he said of his seven years in Colorado. "I was fortunate to have the opportunity to pitch quite a bit and work my way up."

Fuentes became the third free agent to join the Angels this offseason, joining returnees Oliver and outfielder Juan Rivera. Oliver, who joined the Angels in 2007, accepted salary arbitration. Rivera, who joined the Angels in 2005, signed a three-year, $12.75 million contract.

The Angels had hoped to re-sign Mark Teixeira, but the switch-hitting first baseman agreed to an eight-year contract worth $180 million with the New York Yankees last week.

"We're going to keep our options open and look for other opportunities to make our club better," Reagins said. "Whatever that might be, we're going to attack it."

Reagins said there wasn't a clear-cut plan regarding whether the Angels would pursue a starting pitcher or a position player.


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Congress satisfied with PED-related testimony

WASHINGTON -- The House panel that had follow-up questions for baseball about its drug-testing program is satisfied with the sport's answers.

Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Tom Davis, R-Va., leaders of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent letters in June to commissioner Bud Selig and players' union head Donald Fehr, saying information in the Mitchell Report raised questions about their statements during a March 2005 hearing.

In the June letters, Waxman and Davis wrote about "two pieces of new information about the MLB testing program that was in effect in 2004": "that the random testing program was suspended for a large part of the 2004 baseball season" and "that players may have been told of upcoming tests."

During the 2005 hearing, Selig and Fehr praised the testing program, citing a decline in the use of illegal steroids but did not acknowledge that the program was not in force all year.

"Baseball and the players' union provided additional information that clarified the record, and I am satisfied with their response," Waxman said this week in a statement.

"The game has made important progress in its efforts to end the use of performance-enhancing drugs, and I hope that the league and the players will continue those efforts," he said.

The New York Times first reported Waxman's remarks in Wednesday's editions.

"We are pleased that the information we provided clarified the record, and we will continue to be vigilant in ending the use of performance-enhancing substances," Selig said in a statement.

Fehr told the newspaper in a statement "we remain committed to ensuring that baseball continues to have a comprehensive, effective and fair drug-testing program."

Three players were suspended in 2008 under the major league drug program, all for 50 games: San Francisco catcher Eliezer Alfonzo, Colorado catcher Humberto Cota and Florida pitcher Henry Owens.


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Hendrickson signs one-year deal with Orioles

BALTIMORE -- Left-hander Mark Hendrickson signed a one-year contract with the pitching-depleted Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. Hendrickson pitched in 36 games for the Florida Marlins last season, including 19 starts, and could compete for a spot in Baltimore's thin starting rotation. Jeremy Guthrie is the only pitcher set to start after Daniel Cabrera signed with Washington. The 34-year-old Hendrickson was 7-8 with a 5.45 ERA in 2008. In seven seasons, he's 50-63 with a 5.07 ERA over 215 games, most of them starts. The 6-foot-9 lefty will be the tallest player in Orioles history if he makes the club. He made his debut with Toronto in 2002 and has also pitched for Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Dodgers.


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Cubs deal versatile DeRosa to Indians

CLEVELAND -- Mark DeRosa, who had been rumored to be a part of three- and four-team scenarios in the Jake Peavy trade talks, is finally headed out of Chicago -- but not in a deal for the San Diego Padres' ace.

DeRosa

DeRosa has been traded to the Cleveland Indians for minor league pitchers Jeff Stevens, Chris Archer and John Gaub. DeRosa will likely slide into Cleveland's opening at third base.

With the Cubs close to finalizing another trade -- right-hander Jason Marquis to the Colorado Rockies for right-handed reliever Luis Vizcaino -- the deals are seen as a precursor to the Cubs negotiating a free-agent deal with outfielder Milton Bradley.

The Washington Nationals are believed to have offered Bradley $30 million over three years, and the Tampa Bay Rays are also in the mix, sources tell ESPN.

Neither of Chicago's moves expected to trigger a trade for Peavy. Sources tell ESPN that there are no ongoing talks between the Cubs and Padres involving Peavy.

The 33-year-old DeRosa hit a career-high 21 homers and drove in 87 runs last season in 149 games while playing six different positions for the NL Central champion Cubs.

One of the Indians' priorities during the offseason was to find a dependable, right-handed-hitting infielder. They've considered moving shortstop Jhonny Peralta to third and Asdrubal Cabrera from second to short, and DeRosa's versatility gives them even more options. He made 95 appearances (80 starts) at second base and 22 (10 starts) at third for the Cubs in 2008.

The only other everyday third baseman on Cleveland's roster is Andy Marte. He batted only .221 in 80 games and had to hit .291 over his final 34 games to finish with a respectable average. Marte is out of options.

Peralta, who has limited range, has been playing third base during winter ball in the Dominican Republic. The Indians' preference would be to leave him at short, where he makes all the routine plays but is not as flashy as former Indians shortstop Omar Vizquel -- the Gold Glove measuring stick at the position for Cleveland fans.

DeRosa will be eligible for free agency after making $5.5 million this season. He has been invited to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. He has driven in at least 70 runs in each of the past three seasons, and the former college quarterback at Pennsylvania has a .302 career batting average against left-handers.

DeRosa is the second former Cubs player to join Cleveland this winter. The Indians signed closer Kerry Wood last month and may still try to add another starting pitcher in free agency.

Stevens was the only pitcher on Cleveland's 40-man roster involved in the deal. The 25-year-old right-hander went 5-1 last season in 17 games for Double-A Akron and 0-3 with a 3.94 ERA with five saves in 19 games at Triple-A Buffalo.

Archer was 4-8 in 27 starts at Class A Lake County and Gaub was 1-1 in 34 games with the Captains.


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