Red Sox Enrich Martinez
Pedro Martinez has shattered baseball’s salary scale, saying Wednesday he had agreed to a record $75 million, six-year contract with the Boston Red Sox.
The deal, which may be announced this week, would break baseball records for largest contract (Gary Sheffield’s $61 million, six-year deal with Florida) and highest average annual salary (the $11.5 million Greg Maddux will average during his five-year contract with Atlanta).
“I’m a little ashamed to say how much I signed for,” Martinez told Radio Universal in the Dominican Republic.
Martinez was acquired by the Red Sox from Montreal on Nov. 18 after going 17-8 with a major-league leading 1.90 ERA. He had 305 strikeouts, second in the majors behind Curt Schilling.
Martinez made $3,615,000 last season and was eligible for salary arbitration this winter and free agency after next season.
“I thank God that I was chosen to show the people that with effort they can do anything,” Martinez said. “I come from a world of much poverty and, thanks to God, I’ve been able to get to where I am today.”
News of the dizzying deal, which broke when Martinez spoke in Santo Domingo, overshadowed Wednesday’s free-agent signings:
Designated hitter Chili Davis agreed to a $9.8 million, two-year contract with the New York Yankees.
The Chicago White Sox signed two catchers, agreeing to a $1.4 million, two-year contract with Charlie O’Brien and a $635,000, one-year deal with Chad Krueter.
Left-hander Jeff Tabaka agreed to a deal with Pittsburgh that calls for him to make $300,000 if he’s in the major leagues and $70,000 if he’s in the minors.
In trades, outfielder Curtis Goodwin, sent to the minors after a shouting match with Cincinnati Reds manager Jack McKeon and general manager Jim Bowden on Aug. 7, was dealt to the Colorado Rockies, and Montreal sent reliever Dave Veres to the Rockies for switch-hitting minor-league outfielder Terry Jones.
Hershiser to Giants
In a signing announced late Tuesday night, Orel Hershiser agreed to a $4.35 million, one-year contract with San Francisco.
“It will be fun to come to the ballpark,” said Hershiser, once a member of the N.L. West rival Los Angeles Dodgers. “I just think it adds to the spice of the game. It’s just another thing I can use as a stimulus.”
The 39-year-old right-hander was 14-6 with a 4.47 ERA for the Cleveland Indians last season. Hershiser, who made $3.1 million last season, gets a $250,000 signing bonus and a $3 million salary, of which $1 million is deferred. In addition, he can earn a bonus of $10,000 per inning for every inning over 155.
Puckett interested in Twins
Former Twins star Kirby Puckett said he is willing to invest up to $10 million in the team if a deal can be worked out to keep it in Minnesota.
“I’m not going to North Carolina,” Puckett told the Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
Twins owner Carl Pohlad has an agreement to sell the team to North Carolina businessman Don Beaver. The Minnesota Legislature failed to approve any plan in last month’s special session to build the new stadium Pohlad says the team needs to be profitable.
The possibility that Puckett might buy into the Twins as part of a new ownership group is important because it may make league owners reluctant to approve a Twins move. Baseball officials have said they prefer a legitimate local offer to an out-of-state deal.