NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez set another record for baseball’s highest contract, finalizing his $275 million, 10-year agreement with the New York Yankees on Thursday.
A-Rod set the previous mark with his $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas in December 2000. Traded to the Yankees in 2004, he opted out of that contract Oct. 28, during the final game of the World Series.
Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said New York would not negotiate further with Rodriguez because his decision eliminated the $21.3 million subsidy the Yankees were to receive from Texas from 2008-10 as part of the trade.
But Rodriguez approached the Yankees and negotiated his new deal in early November without agent Scott Boras.
“All along, I knew I wanted to be a Yankee,” Rodriguez said.
The three-time MVP said opting out was “a mistake that was handled extremely poorly.”
“It was a huge debacle,” he said, calling the timing of the announcement “distasteful and very inappropriate.”
Rodriguez said he told Boras how he felt, but that Boras is still his agent.
Rodriguez, 32, won his third AL Most Valuable Player award last month after hitting .314 with 54 homers and 156 RBI.
BLUE JAYS: Shortstop David Eckstein agreed to terms with Toronto on a one-year, $4.5 million contract. Eckstein had a career-high .309 batting average for St. Louis last season with three homers, 31 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Eckstein, the MVP of the Cardinals’ World Series triumph in 2006, is expected to bat leadoff for the Blue Jays.
TWINS: Minnesota and shortstop Adam Everett agreed to terms on a one-year contract Thursday, a day after he was not offered a contract by the Houston Astros. The 30-year-old Everett is a slick fielder, but a light hitter with a .248 career average. He broke his right leg last season and was limited to 66 games, batting .232 with 15 RBI in 220 at-bats. Everett became expendable Wednesday after Houston sent five players to Baltimore for All-Star shortstop Miguel Tejada.
ROYALS: Right-handed pitcher Brandon Duckworth avoided salary arbitration and agreed to a one-year $600,000 contract with Kansas City that includes $155,000 in performance incentives. Utility infielder Jason Smith also agreed to terms and passed up arbitration, the team said Thursday. Catcher Paul Phillips, who appeared in eight games last season, was placed on waivers.
CUBS: Chicago Cubs executives have held talks with city and state officials about the possibility of selling Wrigley Field to a state sports agency, according to published reports. The talks have focused on selling the 93-year-old ballpark to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, according to the Chicago Tribune, citing sources close to the Tribune Co.-owned Cubs. The agency was created by state lawmakers in 1987 for the purpose of building a new Comiskey Park, now U.S. Cellular Field, where the Chicago White Sox play.
Meanwhile, the Cubs and left-hander Neal Cotts agreed to a one-year, $800,000 contract, avoiding salary arbitration. Cotts began last season with the Cubs and was 0-1 with a 4.86 ERA in 16 relief appearances before he was sent to Class AAA Iowa on May 20.
PIRATES: Pittsburgh offered contracts to all five of its arbitration-eligible players, including 2006 NL batting champion Freddy Sanchez. Sanchez, first baseman Adam LaRoche, left-handed reliever John Grabow and outfielder Xavier Nady are entering their second seasons of arbitration eligibility. This is the first season for third baseman Jose Bautista.
MARLINS: Right-handed pitcher Justin Miller signed a $750,000, one-year contract. Miller bolstered Florida’s bullpen in 2007 by going 5-0 with a 3.65 ERA.
NATIONALS: Free-agent utility players Rob Mackowiak and Willie Harris agreed to contracts with Washington, which also avoided arbitration with reliever Jesus Colome, settling on a $1.25 million, one-year deal. Colome went 5-1 with one save and a 3.82 ERA in 61 appearances for Washington in 2007.
Associated Press
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