Yankees win bidding for Igawa

The New York Yankees won the bidding for Japanese pitcher Kei Igawa when the Hanshin Tigers accepted their offer of about $25 million yesterday. The identity of the winning team was disclosed by a baseball official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the commissioner's office had not released the information. Igawa, a 27-year-old lefthander, went 14-9 last season with a 2.97 ERA in Japan . . . The Baltimore Orioles reached preliminary agreements on a $10.5 million, three-year contract with reliever Chad Bradford and a $900,000, one-year deal with reliever Scott Williamson, the deals confirmed by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because they had not been finalized.

The Cardinals made their first big moves since winning the World Series, agreeing to a $10 million, three-year contract with second baseman Adam Kennedy and a $4 million, one-year deal with righthander Kip Wells. The Cardinals also agreed to a $900,000, one-year contract with backup catcher Gary Bennett . . . Randy Wolf and the Los Angeles Dodgers finalized an $8 million, one-year contract. Wolf, 30, spent much of last season recovering from elbow surgery. He came off the disabled list July 31 and went 4-0 with a 5.56 ERA in 12 starts for the Phillies . . . Gregg Zaun remained with the Toronto Blue Jays, agreeing to a $7.25 million, two-year contract after Rod Barajas backed out of an apparent deal. Zaun hit .272 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs last season.

Donovan McNabb could be sidelined between 8-12 months after having surgery to repair a torn knee ligament. McNabb, a five-time Pro Bowl quarterback, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the second quarter of the Eagles' loss to Tennessee last week. It was his third season-ending injury in mid-November in the last five years. Renowned orthopedist James Andrews performed the reconstructive surgery in Birmingham, Ala. The Eagles also will be without long snapper Mike Bartrum for the rest of the season because of a neck injury.

Running back Priest Holmes will not return to the Chiefs this season but medical tests have been encouraging and Holmes hopes to return for the 2007 season. The three-time Pro Bowler, 33, has not played since Oct. 30, 2005, when he was injured on a hit by Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman . . . The Oakland Raiders replaced offensive coordinator Tom Walsh, promoting tight ends coach John Shoop to take charge of the team's struggling offense . . . Steelers safety Troy Polamalu has a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee and will miss Sunday's game against Tampa Bay . . . Johnnie Bettis, 61, the father of retired NFL running back Jerome Bettis, died at a suburban Detroit hospital of an apparent heart attack while driving, police said . . . Oregon State, the only team to beat USC this season, accepted a bid to play in the Sun Bowl . . . Tulane fired coach Chris Scelfo after eight years and a 37-57 overall record.

Sabres rookie Jiri Novotny will miss up to 10 days after injuring his upper body Sunday against the New York Rangers. Novotny has five goals and nine points in 24 games . . . Thrashers defenseman Andy Sutton is out indefinitely because of an ankle injury sustained in practice.

Shaquille O'Neal knew his left leg felt weak. He just didn't think it needed to be surgically repaired. "I knew something was wrong with it when I went back, but I was very surprised when they said surgery," said O'Neal, speaking to the media for the first time since having surgery to repair torn cartilage Nov. 19. When O'Neal, 34, will be back remains uncertain. O'Neal has a target date, but said only that it is 4-6 weeks after the surgery . . . The Bobcats signed veteran swingman Derek Anderson. Charlotte will be the seventh team for Anderson, who averaged 8.1 points with Houston and Miami last season.

The US national soccer team will be based in the Boston area during next year's CONCACAF Gold Cup, and will likely play first-round and quarterfinal matches at Gillette Stadium. Doubleheaders are to be scheduled at Gillette June 12 and 16 for the Gold Cup, the biannual continental championship to which Foxborough played host in 2003 and 2005.
Frank Dell'Apa

The IOC approved the addition of a new freestyle ski event called skicross for the 2010 Winter Olympics and rejected women's ski jumping, a team event in Alpine skiing, individual curling, and team luge . . . Six months after retiring from the ring, longtime middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins has decided he wants to win the heavyweight title and has targeted World Boxing Council champion Oleg Maskaev of Kazakhstan.