NEW YORK — After having a career year for Colorado, Jeffrey Hammonds became the latest free agent to get a big deal, agreeing Friday on a $21.75 million, three-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.
As most teams shut down for a 10-day holiday break, the Seattle Mariners brought back former second baseman Bret Boone, agreeing to a $3.25 million, one-year deal. Seattle also re-signed catcher Tom Lampkin, agreeing to a $1.2 million, one-year contract.
Eric Davis decided against retiring, the 38-year-old outfielder agreeing to a $1.5 million, one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants.
St. Louis, Davis' team last year, agreed to a one-year deal with outfielder Quinton McCracken.
There also was one trade. Ryan Minor, once considered to be the heir apparent to Cal Ripken in Baltimore, was traded by the Orioles to Montreal for minor league pitcher Jorge Julio.
Outfielder Karim Garcia, a former minor league player of the year, agreed to a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians.
Hammonds, 29, hit .335 last season, the fourth-highest average in the National League last season. Playing half the time at Coors Field, he hit 20 homers with a career-high 106 RBIs.
"Jeffrey had a breakthrough season in 2000, but I think that's because he had an opportunity to play," Brewers general manager Dean Taylor said. "His numbers were good because he was a solid player, not just from playing in Coors Field. He will become a key part of our offense as well as improve our defense."
Milwaukee already had three outfielders who would be starters on most teams.
"At this point, Marquis Grissom would become the fourth outfielder on the ballclub," Taylor said.
Seattle was looking for some pop following the departure of Alex Rodriguez.
Boone, 29, was chosen by the Mariners in the fifth round of the 1990 amateur draft, then went on to play for Cincinnati, Atlanta and San Diego.
He hit .251 with 18 doubles, two triples and 74 RBIs in 127 games for the Padres last season before a badly bruised right knee ended his season on Aug. 26.
"We think Bret is a nice fit for our ballclub," Seattle general manager Pat Gillick said. "He's a proven run-producer who will add a little pop to our lineup while providing solid defense for our pitching staff."
Injuries limited Lampkin to 36 games last season. He hit .252 with six doubles, seven home runs and 23 RBIs.
"I feel great and I'm looking forward to getting back out there," said Lampkin, who has played for the Indians, Padres, Brewers, Giants and Cardinals in an eight-year major league career.
In San Francisco, Davis helps fill the hole created by the departure of Ellis Burks, who signed a $20 million, three-year contract with Cleveland.
Davis, who entered the major leagues with Cincinnati in 1984 and spent the last two seasons as a part-time player in St. Louis, joins his sixth club. He hit .303 with six homers and 40 RBIs for the Cardinals last season. He has 1,398 career hits and 278 homers.
McCracken, 30, had spent the last three years with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He appeared in only 15 games last season, continuing a comeback from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee sustained in May 1999.
The team gave him an extensive physical exam earlier this week, and he's expected to fill the gap created when Shawon Dunston signed a $1 million, one-year contract with the Giants.
"We feel McCracken will be an important part of our team for next season," general manager Walt Jocketty said. "He's the type of player who provides his team with many options because of his strong versatility. Not only can he play all three outfield positions, but he plays them well."
Minor originally was drafted by the Orioles in the 15th round of the 1992 amateur draft and made it to the majors in 1998. On Sept. 20 of that season, he gained notoriety by starting at third base after Ripken voluntarily removed his name from the lineup, ending a run of 2,632 successive games.
That turned out to be the highlight of Minor's career with Baltimore. He hit .194 in 46 games in 1999 and batted only .131 in 32 games this year. He has a .185 career batting average with three homers and 14 RBIs in 87 games.
Julio, 21, spent last season at Class A Jupiter of the Florida State League, going 2-10 with 5.90 in 21 games, including 15 starts.
Garcia, 25, started last season with Detroit but was traded June 12 to Baltimore. He has a six-year major league career average of .217 with 24 homers and 83 RBIs in 254 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Tigers and Orioles.