HOUSTON — When Jeff Bagwell joined the Houston Astros in 1991, they were a last-place team having trouble drawing fans to a stadium that had seen its better days.
Bagwell's enormous popularity helped triple the team's annual attendance in the 1990s, and his slugging helped lift the team from mediocrity to perennial pennant contention.
Bagwell's 16-year career with the Astros came to a close Friday, ending his time as one of Houston's best-loved athletes. Along with his teammate and friend, Craig Biggio, Bagwell helped convert Houston to a far more savvy baseball city.
Ultimately, his arthritic right shoulder forced him off the field.
"Physically, I cannot do it anymore," the 38-year-old Bagwell said in announcing his retirement. "I wish I could. I wish I could continue to play and try to win a World Series in Houston. But I'm just not physically able to do that anymore."
When Bagwell joined the Astros as a relatively scrawny 22-year-old, the team finished 29 games out of first place and drew just over 1.2 million fans to the cavernous Astrodome. By the time he left, the Astros had defended their first-ever NL pennant before 3 million fans at Minute Maid Park.
Bagwell said he was grateful that he was able to spend his entire major league career with one team.
"That's always been a big thing for me, and always meant a lot for me," he said.
WELLS DEAL NEAR: All-Star center fielder Vernon Wells and the Toronto Blue Jays are close to agreement on a $126 million, seven-year contract extension that would be the sixth-largest deal in baseball history. Wells said Friday that the agreement is not yet complete but that he anticipates the contract will be finalized soon. The deal will start with the 2008 season.
ANGELS TRADE DONNELLY: After landing Japanese ace Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Red Sox started working on finding some guys to relieve him. Boston acquired former All-Star reliever Brendan Donnelly from the Los Angeles Angels on Friday and agreed to a contract with left-hander J.C. Romero. The team also finalized a deal to bring back Doug Mirabelli, who was the personal catcher for knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Boston sent rookie left-hander Phil Seibel to the Angels for the 35-year-old Donnelly, who became expendable when the Angels signed right-hander Justin Speier and lefty Darren Oliver.
LILLY GETS 4-YEAR DEAL: Left-hander Ted Lilly joined the Chicago Cubs on Friday, finalizing a $40 million, four-year contract agreed to last week at the winter meetings. The 30-year-old receives a $4 million signing bonus, payable next month, and salaries of $5 million in 2007, $7 million in 2008 and $12 million in each of the next two years.
IWAMURA AGREES : Infielder Akinori Iwamura became the second Japanese star to land in the major leagues in as many days when he agreed Friday to a $7.7 million, three-year contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. With one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, the last-place Devil Rays lack the financial resources to compete for top-tier free agents. They feel they made a significant acquisition, however, in the 27-year-old Iwamura. "He's a player who can help us next year and for years down the line," Devil Rays vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said.