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Mets, Santana Agree At $137.5M

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The Associated Press

Published: February 2, 2008

NEW YORK - Johan Santana is a money pitcher, and the New York Mets are paying for it.

Santana and the Mets agreed Friday to a $137.5 million, six-year contract, a record for a pitcher and the last major step needed to complete the team's blockbuster trade with Minnesota.

After the sides were granted an extra two hours to work on a deal, the Mets announced about 30 minutes before the new 7 p.m. deadline that negotiations had concluded. The two-time Cy Young Award winner was scheduled to take a physical today.

Terms of the agreement were disclosed by a baseball official with knowledge of the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. The deal includes deferred money and a club option for 2014 with a $5.5 million buyout that could make the contract worth about $150 million over seven seasons. Depending on Santana's performance, the option could become guaranteed.

Santana's contract topped the previous mark for pitchers, set when Barry Zito received a $126 million, seven-year deal from the San Francisco Giants last offseason.

The only players with larger packages are Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez ($275 million), Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter ($189 million), Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez ($160 million) and Colorado first baseman Todd Helton ($141.5 million).

The Twins agreed Tuesday to swap Santana for outfielder Carlos Gomez and right-handers Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra.

The Mets also agreed to a $1,025,000, one-year deal with left-handed reliever Pedro Feliciano that avoided an arbitration hearing.

Knoblauch Answers Questions For Congress

WASHINGTON - Chuck Knoblauch came to Congress toting his toddler Friday, and the former major-leaguer met for about 1 1/2 hours with lawyers from a House committee investigating drug use in baseball.

Knoblauch, the 1991 AL Rookie of the Year and one of more than 80 players linked to performance-enhancing drugs in the Mitchell Report, did not reveal what he was asked or what he said.

Asked by a reporter whether there were questions about himself or other players, Knoblauch replied, "I only know about myself."

A committee staffer told The Associated Press that Knoblauch was asked whether he used performance-enhancing drugs, as alleged in former Senate majority leader George Mitchell's report, and also was asked about former Yankees teammate Roger Clemens and trainer Brian McNamee.

The closed-door meeting was part of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee's preparation for a Feb. 13 public hearing. That session is expected to focus on Clemens' denial of allegations by McNamee, his former personal trainer, that he injected the seven-time Cy Young Award winner with human growth hormone and steroids in 1998, 2000 and 2001.

DODGERS: Los Angeles avoided arbitration with left-handed reliever Joe Beimel by agreeing to a $1,925,000, one-year deal.

INDIANS: Third baseman Casey Blake avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $6.1 million, one-year contract.

ORIOLES: Former Rays right-hander Esteban Yan and former Countryside High and USF catcher Chris Heintz agreed to minor-league contracts and were invited to spring training.

RED SOX: Free agent Sean Casey reached a preliminary agreement on an $800,000, one-year contract, giving Boston an experienced backup at first base to Kevin Youkilis.

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