LOS ANGELES — Brett Tomko became the third former San Francisco player to switch to the Los Angeles Dodgers, agreeing Thursday to an $8.7 million, two-year contract.
His deal calls for salaries of $3.6 million next year and $4.1 million in 2007. The Dodgers must decide within five days of the end of the 2007 World Series whether to exercise a $4.5 million option for 2008. If the option is exercised, Tomko has 72 hours to reject it. If the Dodgers decline or Tomko rejects, he gets a $1 million buyout.
The right-hander, who went 8-15 with a 4.48 ERA for the Giants last season, passed his physical Thursday. He became the sixth free agent signed by Ned Colletti, a former San Francisco assistant general manager who became the Dodgers' GM on Nov. 15.
"Brett will provide us with a proven major league starter who is capable of pitching 200 innings," Colletti said. "He has been one of the more durable pitchers in the National League over the last four years and will be a great addition to the staff." Tomko has an 81-73 record and 4.52 ERA in nine major league seasons. With a fastball in the low 90-mph range, he has made at least 30 starts and pitched at least 190 innings each of the past four years.
Kenny Lofton and Bill Mueller are the other former Giants who recent have joined the NL West rival Dodgers.
Tomko pitched for Cincinnati, Seattle, San Diego and St. Louis before spending two years in San Francisco. He went 19-22 with a save and a 4.26 ERA in 65 games for the Giants.
He has been effective at Dodger Stadium, going 4-2 with a 2.93 ERA in 13 appearances in Los Angeles. He figures to follow Derek Lowe, Brad Penny and Odalis Perez in Los Angeles' rotation. The Dodgers are still in the market for another starter.
Other players acquired by the Dodgers since Colletti became their GM are Nomar Garciaparra, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Rafael Furcal. Like Tomko, the other five free agents all have postseason experience.
BASEBALL REAPPLIES FOR CUBA PERMIT: Baseball officials reapplied Thursday for a permit that would allow Cuba to join next year's inaugural World Baseball Classic as Puerto Rican athletic officials said San Juan should withdraw as a host city if the Cubans aren't allowed to participate.
In Miami, a congressman who opposes Fidel Castro's communist government met with several major league players, hoping to form a team of Cuban defectors that could play in the 16-team tournament.
The U.S. Treasury Department last week denied a permit request from Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association. The permit is required because of U.S. laws and regulations governing certain transactions with Cuba.
Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney said a new application was submitted Thursday to the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. The commissioner's office and the union had said they planned to address government concerns and ensure that no money would go from U.S. entities to the Cubans. "OFAC turns around all license requests as quickly as they are able to," Treasury spokeswoman Molly Millerwise said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "We don't comment on individual license requests."
Israel Roldan, president of the Baseball Federation of Puerto Rico, and Hector Cardona, president of the U.S. island territory's Olympic Committee, opposed the decision by the Treasury Department.
"What we are saying is that we should renounce our position as host if Cuba is not permitted to compete," Roldan said.
Roldan sent a letter on Wednesday to International Baseball Federation president Aldo Notari saying the island would decline to be a venue because of the U.S. government's decision.
"We have not heard that directly from the federation," Courtney said.
Antonio Munoz, a businessman who agreed to pay millions of dollars to bring the games to Puerto Rico, would not comment on Roldan's announcement, but said he was not part of the decision.
Notari said he sympathized with Roldan's view but said it was up to Major League Baseball to move the games out of Puerto Rico, which is scheduled to host games during the first and second rounds.
'BERNIE! BERNIE!' TO BE HEARD IN BRONX AGAIN: Fans at Yankee Stadium will be chanting "Bernie! Bernie!" again next year.
The Yankees announced Thursday that they had agreed to a $1.5 million, one-year contract with the popular outfielder, who has been in pinstripes since 1991 and compiled statistics that put his name alongside the team's greatest players.
"He ranks right there with the Gehrigs and the Berras and the Ruths and the Mantles," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.
Williams' playing time will be reduced following this week's agreement with Johnny Damon, who takes over as the starting center fielder. Damon had his physical Thursday, and the Yankees called a Friday news conference to finalize his $52 million, four-year contract. Williams had 485 at-bats last season, starting 99 games in center and 22 at designated hitter.
"There were no promises made in terms of certain amount of at-bats or where," Cashman said. "It could materialize as a pinch hitter, a DH, a pinch runner, an everyday outfielder, a defender whether it's left field, center field. It just remains to be seen."
Williams is now 37, but despite his diminished skills he remains a favorite of teammates and fans. He joins Yogi Berra, Frank Crosetti, Bill Dickey, Whitey Ford, Lou Gehrig and Mickey Mantle as the only players to spend 16 seasons with the Yankees.
BOSTON NABS PLAYER FROM YANKEES: Two days after losing Johnny Damon to the Yankees, the Red Sox took a player from New York.
Backup catcher John Flaherty and the Red Sox reached a preliminary agreement Thursday on a $650,000, one-year contract. Flaherty's agreement was disclosed by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because Boston had not announced the deal. In addition to his salary, Flaherty would get a $100,000 payment if he is on Boston's opening day major league roster.
Boston needed a backup to Jason Varitek after trading Doug Mirabelli to San Diego for second baseman Mark Loretta on Dec. 7. Mirabelli was knuckleballer Tim Wakefield's catcher, a role that likely will go to Flaherty if he makes the team.
The 38-year-old Flaherty batted .165 with two homers and 11 RBIs last season, when he caught Randy Johnson's final 17 regular-season starts plus his outing against the Los Angeles Angels in the playoffs. New York replaced him last month with Kelly Stinnett.
BELLHORN AGREES TO DEAL WITH PADRES: Second baseman Mark Bellhorn agreed to an $800,000, one-year deal with San Diego on Thursday, giving the Padres another member of the 2004 Boston Red Sox team that won the World Series. Bellhorn likely will replace Mark Loretta, who was traded to Boston this month for catcher Doug Mirabelli. Other candidates to play second base for the NL West champs are Josh Barfield and Bobby Hill.
Also on the Padres from the 2004 Red Sox team is leadoff batter Dave Roberts, who will move from center field to left field to make room for Mike Cameron.
Bellhorn lost his starting job last season and was released on Aug. 26 after declining an assignment to Triple-A. He was picked up off waivers by the New York Yankees. In 2004, he batted .264 with 17 homers and 82 RBIs.
The Padres also agreed to a $500,000 deal with reliever Brian Sikorski, of which $200,000 is guaranteed. He pitched in Japan the last five seasons. Sikorski can earn an additional $250,000 in performance bonuses.
He pitched for the Texas Rangers in 2000.
TWINS GET RONDELL WHITE: After getting hurt so many times chasing line drives in the outfield, Rondell White welcomes the idea of becoming an everyday designated hitter.
White agreed Thursday to a contract with the Minnesota Twins that guarantees him $3.25 million for one year and could be worth up to $8.5 million over two seasons if he plays regularly.
"He's at a point in his career where the DH is suited to his ability," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. "Our main objective is to keep his bat in the lineup." The 33-year-old White, who spent the last two seasons in Detroit, should help make up for the loss of right fielder Jacque Jones, who agreed to a three-year deal with the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.