Braves Keep Maddux Happy With $57.5 Million
In addition to his four Cy Young Awards, Greg Maddux can now call himself baseball’s highest-paid player.
He signed a five-year contract extension with the Atlanta Braves that will pay him $57.5 million.
“I love playing here,” he said Sunday. “It’s been a great five years and I look forward to the next five.”
Maddux’s agent, Scott Boras, said the deal included a signing bonus and no deferred money. The package averages $11.5 million a year and is guaranteed.
The 31-year-old right-hander leapfrogs past Barry Bonds of San Francisco and Albert Belle of Cleveland in the salary game. Bonds will earn an average of $11.45 million a year, beginning in 1999, and Belle makes $11 million.
Maddux is in the final season of a $28 million, five-year contract that pays him $6.5 million this season.
“They made me a nice deal,” said Maddux, who has 121 victories since 1991, the most in the majors. “I’d be a fool not to take it. Sometimes the grass isn’t greener on the other side. Nobody likes to lose and the Braves have a history of doing what it takes to win.”
Maddux said the negotiations turned serious the past week, and were quickly resolved.
“A number was given,” he said. “That number was reached and that was it. There was no bickering back and forth. There was no talking to the press every day. I’d gone through that my last year in Chicago and that was something I wanted to avoid.”
Maddux, 15-3 with a 2.36 ERA, is scheduled to make his next start tonight against Florida.
The six-time All-Star supplanted teammate Tom Glavine as the top-paid pitcher in baseball. Those two join John Smoltz and Denny Neagle in agreeing to long-term deals with the Braves, whose starting rotation has been baseball’s best during the 1990s. < Gwynn recuperating
Trying to hit .400 seems like a breeze to Tony Gwynn after the pain he endured because of kidney stones.
Gwynn, a seven-time batting champion hitting .383 this season, writhed in pain on the floor of the trainer’s room in the visitor’s clubhouse at Wrigley Field on Saturday, covered in blankets.
Padres trainer Larry Duensing said the stones were removed with an arthroscope Sunday. Gwynn wanted to return to San Diego with the team Sunday night, but was to remain hospitalized overnight.
Gwynn will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis, and could possibly play today against Montreal.
Irabu returns to Yankees
Hideki Irabu’s second chance with the New York Yankees will begin Wednesday.
Irabu will start against the Kansas City Royals that afternoon at Yankee Stadium, taking Dwight Gooden’s place in the rotation, manager Joe Torre said Sunday.
Gooden has been pushed back to Friday with Kenny Rogers returning to the bullpen once he recovers from a back injury.
Phillips busted for cocaine
Angels leadoff hitter Tony Phillips was released on bail after being arrested early Sunday morning on suspicion of possession of cocaine, Anaheim police said.
Phillips and team officials met and decided he should leave and join his family in Arizona, Angels general manager Bill Bavasi said, adding that Phillips remains eligible to play.
Anaheim police said Phillips was arrested as part of an ongoing investigation, using undercover officers and informants, into “the street-level sales of cocaine.”
Sanders has back troubles
Deion Sanders has a bulging disc in his lower back that required a cortisone injection and kept him out of the Cincinnati Reds’ lineup Sunday.
The outfielder might have to get another injection if he still has pain, but the problem is not serious enough to require surgery, Dr. Timothy Kremchek said.
Sanders is expected back in the lineup tonight.
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