NEW YORK — Hideki Matsui and the Yankees agreed Tuesday night to a $52 million, four-year contract that will keep the popular outfielder in New York.
Matsui's agent, Arn Tellem, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman met the Nov. 15 deadline contained in Matsui's first contract with the team. That deal stated that if there was no agreement by then, New York would have to place the outfielder on unconditional release waivers, which would have prevented the Yankees from re-signing him until May 15.
"I know Hideki is relieved. This is where he always wanted to be," Tellem said. "His hope is to finish his career as a Yankee and help the Yankees win the World Series."
Matsui is to earn $13 million in each of the next four seasons, a baseball official familiar with the talks said on condition of anonymity because the team did not disclose the financial terms. Matsui was coming off a $21 million, three-year contract in which he earned an additional $1.5 million in performance bonuses.
New York scheduled a Wednesday news conference at Yankee Stadium to discuss the agreement, the richest for a Japanese player in the major leagues. It topped outfielder Ichiro Suzuki's $44 million, four-year contract with Seattle in December 2003.
"Both sides wanted to make a deal and ultimately we were able to agree on the numbers," Tellem said. "There was never any real problem. Brian and I have a long history of making deals. In my mind, I had no doubt at the end we would."
Cashman did not return a call seeking comment.
A three-time MVP in Japan's Central League with the Yomiuri Giants, Matsui has been one of the Yankees' most productive hitters since arriving in New York — and has played in every game the past three years. He batted .305 with 23 homers and 116 RBIs last season.
After agreeing to a new contract to stay on as general manager, Cashman said that re-signing Matsui was his first priority.
In other Yankees news, New York exercised its $1.5 million option on reliever Tanyon Sturtze rather than paying a $150,000 buyout. The 35-year-old right-hander was 5-3 with a 4.73 ERA and one save in one start and 63 relief appearances.
UMPIRES TURN DOWN $1.9 MILLION: Baseball tried to give five umpires more than $1.9 million in back pay Tuesday, but they instructed their banks to refuse the payments, according to their lawyer.
More than six years after a failed mass resignation led to a lawsuit that went all the way to the Supreme Court, the umpires and the commissioner's office are still fighting over an additional $718,817 in interest.
Major League Baseball attempted to pay $525,607 to Joe West, $439,248 to Bill Hohn, $379,095 to Gary Darling, $301,453 to Larry Poncino and $297,162 to Larry Vanover, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. The money was to cover lost salary and bonuses for 1999, 2000 and 2001 plus medical expenses.
DODGERS HIRE COLLETTI AS GM: The Los Angeles Dodgers hired Ned Colletti as their general manager Tuesday to replace the fired Paul DePodesta.
Colletti has been an assistant GM with the rival San Francisco Giants since 1997. He beat out Dodgers assistant general manager Kim Ng, who was trying to become the first woman in major league history to be hired as a GM.
The Dodgers called a news conference for Wednesday to introduce Colletti in his new job.
Ng and Colletti were thought to be the only candidates to interview for the job. Former Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians GM John Hart withdrew Monday as a candidate.
Dodgers spokeswoman Camille Johnston confirmed the hiring of Colletti, who has served under Giants general manager Brian Sabean for the past nine years.
The 50-year-old Colletti is considered a good negotiator and communicator, attributes owner Frank McCourt said he wanted in a GM after firing DePodesta on Oct. 29.
DePodesta was let go after less than two years on the job. He succeeded Dan Evans and signed a five-year contract in February 2004, shortly after McCourt purchased the team from News Corp.
The Dodgers are the only team in the majors without a manager. McCourt said at the time of DePodesta's firing that the search to replace Jim Tracy would be on hold until after a GM was picked.
Tracy and the team parted ways in October, and he was hired to manage the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Dodgers went 71-91 last season, their worst record since 1992 and second-poorest since the franchise moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958. They won the NL West championship in 2004 with a 93-69 record.
Colletti, who began his career in public relations for the Chicago Cubs in 1982, eventually became involved in the baseball operations side of the business. He represented the Cubs in arbitration hearings and negotiated contracts.
Among the deals he put together were contracts for Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson and Greg Maddux.