Scrimping Expos Cut Off Their Own Right Arms

Right-handers Ken Hill and John Wetteland, Montreal’s top starter and top reliever, were traded in separate deals Wednesday as the financially-imperiled Expos began dismantling last season’s winningest team.

Hill was sent to the St. Louis Cardinals for outfielder Darond Stovall and pitchers Bryan Eversgerd and Kirk Bullinger. Only Eversgerd pitched in the majors last season.

Wetteland went to the New York Yankees for outfielder Fernando Seguignol, a .262 hitter in two seasons of Class A ball. The Expos also got a fringe prospect and cash.

Hill and Wetteland are eligible for arbitration and likely would ask for annual salaries of $4 million to $5 million.

The Expos’ team payroll was about $18,771,000 last season, and Malone said it could be as low as $10 million this season because the Expos lost $15 million from the strike.

Padres sign Valenzuela

Fernando Valenzuela, who overcame a shoulder ailment that reduced his efficiency and threatened his career, signed with the San Diego Padres for $200,000 plus attendance bonuses.

Valenzuela can earn an additional $300,000 in attendance bonuses. He would get $100,000 if he makes 10 home starts the Padres’ attendance for those games is 5,000 over the team average. The bonus would jump to $200,000 if the average for his games is 7,500 more than the team average, and to $300,000 if he draws an average of 10,000 more fans to his games than the team average.

Rockies may land Walker

Montreal outfielder Larry Walker could be heading for the Colorado Rockies as early as today, according a partner in the firm representing the free agent.

The Rockies are pursuing Walker’s left-handed power, which would be especially suited to Coors Field. Walker reportedly is asking for a fiveyear, $25 million contract, and the Rockies have vowed to open their checkbook to bring talent to Denver.

“I think if something’s going to happen, it’s going to happen this week,” said Jim Bronner, a partner in the firm representing Walker.

Royals trade McRae for pitching

For the first time since 1973, the Kansas City Royals do not have a McRae in their organization.

Center fielder Brian McRae was traded to the Chicago Cubs for two minor-league pitchers, right-handers Derek Wallace and Geno Morones.

“It’s like I’m leaving a family,” McRae said.

Wallace pitched for Orlando and Iowa in the Cubs’ system last year. Morones spent last season at Class A Daytona Beach.

Other transactions

John Franco, whose 266 career saves are the most ever by a lefthander, re-signed as a free agent with the New York Mets.

Franco, who was offered about $600,000 more by Baltimore, agreed to a two-year, $5 million deal.

In other baseball moves, the Baltimore Orioles gave catcher Chris Hoiles a five-year $17.25 million contract, the Cleveland Indians signed outfielder Dave Winfield to a oneyear deal, and former Mariner outfielder Eric Anthony agreed to a oneyear contract with the Cincinatti Reds.

Wisconsin voters snub Brewers

Is Milwaukee still a major-league town?

The Milwaukee Brewers think so, but Wisconsin voters’ nearly 2-to-1 rejection of a sports lottery to help pay for a new ballpark leaves the team’s future in doubt.

The snub Tuesday forces the Brewers, lawmakers and stadium boosters to look at even less popular ways to fund a new $223 million ballpark, such as expanded Indian gambling and an assortment of sales taxes.

Arizona names stadium

The Arizona Diamondbacks named their 47,000-seat, retractableroof stadium the Bank One Ballpark and said they’ve sold nearly 33,000 season tickets for their inaugural season in 1998.

The 30-year naming deal is similar to America West Airlines’ arrangement in buying naming rights to the Phoenix Suns’ arena. The bank’s investment starts at $1 million annually for the naming rights and another $1 million-a-year contract for broadcast and other marketing avenues.

Opening day now April 25

Owners and players agreed to move up opening day to April 25, a day earlier than their original deal, with the Florida Marlins playing host to the Los Angeles Dodgers at 4:35 p.m. PDT.

The American League schedule, barring rainouts, calls for Cal Ripken to tie Lou Gehrig’s consecutivegames record on Sept. 5 at home against California. He would break it the following day at home against the Angels.

The full schedule will be released this week when all teams have finalized their adjustments.

Antitrust action

A Senate subcommittee voted for a partial repeal of baseball’s antitrust exemption, the first step in what promises to be a difficult legislative path.

The bill was approved 4-0 in a voice vote by the subcommittee on antitrust, business rights and competition.

“A limited repeal of this antitrust immunity is now in order,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican who chairs the Judiciary Committee. “This is an aberration that government has created, and it is an aberration that government should fix.”

White Sox consider move

The Chicago White Sox are considering moving their spring training camp to Tucson from Sarasota, Fla.

“I can confirm that we have initiated discussions with the White Sox and that development is very new,” said Dan Schneider, president of the Southern Arizona Sports Development Corp.