Spiezio lands in Seattle

Spiezio, who helped the Anaheim Angels win the 2002 World Series, agreed to a $9.15 million, three-year contract. He hit .265 with 16 home runs for Anaheim last season, setting career highs in games (158), doubles (36), triples (7), and RBIs (83). He started 89 games at first base, 43 at third, and three in right field.

"The signing of Scott Spiezio provides us with another quality hitter," Seattle general manager Bill Bavasi said. "He is a great situational hitter and has an ability to come through in the clutch, which was evident during the 2002 playoffs."

The Mariners now are shopping third baseman Jeff Cirillo, trying to unload his $16 million contract and troubled hitting history at Safeco Field.

Cirillo played strong defense at third base but was a liability at the plate for the second straight year. A two-time All-Star when he played in Milwaukee and Colorado, Cirillo hit .205 in 87 games last year after hitting .249 in 146 games during 2002.

Sheffield shuffles in

Gary Sheffield finalized his $39 million, three-year contract with the Yankees. His deal, which includes $13.5 million in deferred money and a $13 million team option for 2007, took weeks to complete after the outfielder and owner George Steinbrenner agreed to the basics. In the end, Sheffield dropped his demand to eliminate the deferred money. He'll be the Yankees right fielder. Sheffield, 35, hit .330 for the Atlanta Braves last season, with 39 homers and a career-high 132 RBIs. The seven-time All-Star broke into the majors in 1988 with the Milwaukee Brewers, and he also has played for the Padres, Marlins and Dodgers . . . Yankees manager Joe Torre thinks that the Red Sox' acquisitions of starter Curt Schilling and closer Keith Foulke have made the AL East a tossup. The Yankees have won the division for six straight seasons. "[The Red Sox] certainly have caught up, at the least, because of the pitching moves," Torre said. The manager also said he doesn't think Roger Clemens will come out of retirement to pitch for the Astros "I'm doubtful that he'll be back," Torre said. "I think he was ready to do [retire]."

Deal called off

The proposed shortstop swap sending the Indians' Omar Vizquel to the Mariners for Carlos Guillen is off. Vizquel had waived his no-trade clause and only needed to pass a routine physical exam to complete the deal. However, after putting Vizquel through agility drills and a medical checkup at Safeco Field Tuesday, the Mariners apparently were concerned about the condition of Vizquel's surgically repaired right knee and called off the deal. "There were a lot of complicated issues," Seattle assistant GM Lee Pelekoudas said. "That's as far as we can go with it. The player was never our property. To go into any greater details would be inappropriate." Trading Vizquel, who will make $6 million next season, for Guillen, who makes $2.5 million, would have given the Indians money to complete their pitching staff . . . Free agent catcher Eddie Perez a backup catcher for Atlanta in seven division-winning seasons, agreed to a two-year contract to rejoin the Braves . . . The Tigers signed 35-year-old righthander relief pitcher Al Levine to a one-year contract.