LAS VEGAS (AP) -The New York Yankees landed a big prize for their new ballpark.
CC Sabathia and the Yankees agreed Wednesday to the framework of a $161 million, seven-year contract after general manager Brian Cashman dashed off to California to meet with the pitcher and his wife.
Hours after the New York Mets reached a preliminary deal on a $37 million, three-year contract with closer Francisco Rodriguez, Cashman left Las Vegas and traveled to the San Francisco area Tuesday to meet with Sabathia for the third straight day.
The Yankees wound up with the top name in the free-agent market and hope he’ll be a perfect fit when they move into their new $1.3 billion stadium in the spring.
Sabathia has the right to opt out after three seasons and become a free agent again.
. He’s a guy who’s an intimidating factor on the mound,” Yankees captain Derek Jeter said at the winter meetings.
The Yankees and Sabathia’s agents still need to work out all the details, a baseball official familiar with the talks told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been completed and the pitcher must pass a physical.
The crosstown Mets already made a free-agent splash by landing Francisco Rodriguez, and fellow reliever Kerry Wood was close to a deal with the Cleveland Indians.
K-Rod became the first top-tier free agent to pick a team when he decided to join the Mets, desperate for bullpen help. Coming off a record 62 saves for the Los Angeles Angels, Rodriguez reached a preliminary agreement early Tuesday on a $37 million, three-year contract with New York.
The sides still have to work out a written agreement and the pitcher must pass a physical, two people familiar with the negotiations said. They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract had not yet been completed.
e made to Francisco over the last couple years obviously were not the ones that he was looking for to stay here with the Angels.”
Rodriguez’s deal with New York is unlikely to be completed before next week.
“The way that we lost so many close games late, I think that was critical for us to – theoretically – address this thing here. We have addressed it very well,” Mets manager Jerry Manuel said, laughing. “I mean, they say the word on the street is good. It’s good. That’s just the word on the street. We’ve got to get it written down.”
Cleveland was on the verge of a two-year contract with Wood, the former Chicago Cubs starter-turned-reliever, a person familiar with that deal said on condition of anonymity because the sides still were working through details. Wood, who has had numerous injury problems in the past, also needs to pass a physical before the deal can be set.
The Yankees made a six-year offer to Sabathia on Nov. 14 worth about $140 million and met with him on Sunday and Monday. Cashman’s daily briefing with reporters was canceled by the team Tuesday, with spokesman Jason Zillo saying, “Brian is off hotel property and unavailable for the rest of the evening.”
could become long negotiations.
“I think everybody’s getting frustrated. I think we all thought it but didn’t want to say it,” San Francisco Giants general manager Brian Sabean said. “This is as slow as we’ve ever seen it. It’s the lack of real concrete communication.
“It seems the clubs and the agents aren’t in a hurry. I don’t know if that will pick up before we leave here or next week,” he added. “That has nothing to do with being in the venue of Las Vegas. We could be on the moon or in Alaska, that’s the way it is.”
In the second trade of the four-day session, the Cincinnati Reds acquired catcher Ramon Hernandez and cash from the Baltimore Orioles for utilityman Ryan Freel and two minor leaguers.
The Dodgers completed a $17.5 million, three-year contract with third baseman Casey Blake and reached a preliminary agreement on a one-year deal with infielder Mark Loretta, pending a physical.
The Yankees also spoke with the agents for Burnett, saying they were prepared to exceed $60 million over four years, and they examined the medical records of pitcher Ben Sheets.
Also:
-World Series champion Philadelphia exercised manager Charlie Manuel’s 2010 option and added a guaranteed salary for 2011.
he authorization fee to $10,000 per supplier.
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AP Sports Writers Ronald Blum, Janie McCauley and Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed to this report.
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