Lease may lead to sale of Nats

The District of Columbia and Major League Baseball agreed Friday on a lease for a new Washington Nationals’ ballpark, a deal that if approved will clear the biggest obstacle remaining before the team is sold.

The agreement, subject to approval by the D.C. Council in a vote set for Dec. 20, will lead to the sale of $535 million in bonds to cover construction costs for the proposed 41,000-seat ballpark, to be built about a mile south of the Capitol.

Bob DuPuy, baseball’s chief operating officer, said a new owner would not be chosen from among the eight bidding groups until after a lease agreement. The other 29 teams bought the franchise in 2002 and moved it to Washington last winter.

“This lease moves us one step closer to building a beautiful, state-of-the-art ballpark along the Anacostia River,” Mayor Anthony A. Williams said. “We’ve negotiated a good deal for the city and persuaded Major League Baseball to concede on many fronts.”

The Nationals will pay rent ranging from $3.5 million in the first year to $5.5 million in the sixth year, with additional rent payments based on attendance if the team sells more the 2.5 million tickets. The Nationals will have the naming rights to the ballpark and will pay no property taxes.

Twins send Romero to Angels

Saying he felt “disrespected” during his last few seasons with the Minnesota Twins, J.C. Romero wanted to be traded. The Twins accommodated him, dealing the left-handed reliever to the Los Angeles Angels for minor league infielder Alexi Casilla.

“When you feel disrespected, and feel you can’t do anything about it, that’s when you get frustrated,” Romero said. “You have to move on. If you don’t move on, you’re going to be a mediocre pitcher and a mediocre person.”

The 29-year-old Romero was 4-3 with a 3.47 ERA and had 48 strikeouts in 57 innings last season, but clashed with manager Ron Gardenhire and struggled to keep inherited runners from scoring.

Clearing the bases

The New York Mets agreed to a $2.2 million, two-year deal with Julio Franco, 47, luring baseball’s oldest player away from Atlanta and giving them a backup for first baseman Carlos Delgado. … Atlanta signed veteran catcher Todd Pratt to a one-year contract. … Reliever Roberto Hernandez and Pittsburgh agreed to a $2.75 million, one-year contract. … Utility infielder Lou Merloni agreed to a minor league contract with Cleveland. … The Mets dealt minor league pitcher Gaby Hernandez and outfielder Dante Brinkley to Florida, completing the trade that sent catcher Paul Lo Duca to New York.