Quantrill is added to Yankee bullpen
Phillies get Milton in deal with Twins
As usual, pitching was the hot commodity on the major league market yesterday as trades and free agent signings percolated throughout baseball. And not surprisingly, George Steinbrenner was one of the major brokers, trying to restock his depleted Yankee bullpen.
According to ESPN, Steinbrenner & Co. have come to terms with ex-Dodgers reliever Paul Quantrill on a two-year deal worth $6.8 million.
Quantrill, who was praised by Dodger closer Eric Gagne in his Cy Young Award acceptance speech, had a 1.75 ERA in 77 1/3 innings and a 2-5 record with one save last season as Gagne's setup man.
The Yankees also took care of some leftover business by signing reliever Felix Heredia to a $3.8 million, two-year contract.
The Yankees' brain trust spent much of the day discussing a proposed trade with the Expos that would send pitcher Javier Vazquez to New York for first baseman Nick Johnson and outfielder Juan Rivera.
The team also announced the numbers on the free agent deal that brought closer Tom Gordon to New York. The righthander will get $7.25 million over two years.
In other mound moves around the majors, the Phillies acquired lefthander Eric Milton from the Minnesota Twins for reliever Carlos Silva and utility infielder Nick Punto. The Twins also get a player to be named.
Milton, who won 41 games from 2000-02, started just three games last season after having surgery on his left knee during spring training.
The Cubs also dipped into the Twins' 2003 roster, agreeing to terms with free agent setup man LaTroy Hawkins. The deal, which includes a player option for 2006, guarantees the pitcher $11 million over three years.
And finally, the Blue Jays went shopping in the Pacific Rim, signing 18-year-old lefthander Chi-Hung Cheng off the Taiwanese national team to a minor league contract. Cheng will still get to pitch for the Taiwan in the Olympics.
Bonds to testify
Barry Bonds, who went from a 185-pound leadoff hitter as a rookie in 1986 to a muscle-bound 230-pounder who holds the season record for home runs, will testify today in San Francisco in a probe focusing on possible tax and drug violations by Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative. The Giants slugger says his increased strength comes from intense weight training, a proper diet, and nutritional supplements from companies such as BALCO. Bonds, 39, repeatedly has denied using steroids and argues that his evolution as a home run hitter has been steady. Bonds became a BALCO client just before his record-setting 2001 season and has praised BALCO founder Victor Conte for giving him a personalized nutritional program . . . The Giants re-signed free agent outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds to a $1 million, one-year contract. The deal includes performance bonuses for games and plate appearances. Hammonds, 32, began last season with Milwaukee, then signed a minor league contract with the Giants July 1 . . . The publication date of Pete Rose's new autobiography has been moved up two months to January. Rodale Inc., which is publishing "My Prison Without Bars," said the book will go on sale Jan. 8.
