NEW YORK -- Free agent reliever Arthur Rhodes and the Oakland Athletics have reached agreement on a three-year contract, The Associated Press learned Thursday.
The deal, worth about $9.2 million, was subject to Rhodes
passing a physical, a source familiar with the negotiations said on
the condition of anonymity.
The Athletics have not confirmed a deal. But during the day,
general manager Billy Beane said, "We're moving along. Hopefully,
that will get done later in the weekend."
Atlanta and the Chicago White Sox also pursued the left-handed
Rhodes at the recent winter meetings. Each club proposed two-year
deals -- the Braves saw him as a setup man, the White Sox wanted him
to finish games.
Rhodes, 34, is expected to start the season as the Athletics'
closer, a spot the team needed to fill after Keith Foulke signed
last weekend with Boston. Foulke led the AL with 43 saves for the
AL West champion A's.
The hard-throwing Rhodes has never been a full-time closer. His
season-high for saves is four in 1998.
"I don't think you can question his stuff," A's manager Ken
Macha said at a team function Thursday night. "It's a matter of
him getting out there and seeing what he does."
Rhodes was 3-3 with three saves and a 4.17 ERA in 67 games for
Seattle last season. He served mostly as a setup man for Kazuhiro
Sasaki and Shigetoshi Hasegawa.
Earlier Thursday, the Athletics acquired lefty reliever Chris
Hammond from the New York Yankees for a pair of minor leaguers,
pitcher Edwardo Sierra and infielder J.T. Stotts. New York also is
sending cash to cover part of Hammond's contract.
Rhodes is 69-51 with 17 saves and a 4.33 ERA in a big league
career that started in 1991 with Baltimore. He was strictly a
starter with the Orioles until 1995, and his last start in the
majors came in 1996.
Before the 2000 season, Rhodes signed as a free agent with the
Mariners. With Seattle, he averaged 69 appearances per year and
more than a strikeout per inning.
Rhodes' teams have reached the AL championship series four
times, but never made it to the World Series.
Rhodes became the latest prominent reliever to change teams this
offseason. Philadelphia got Billy Wagner in a trade with Houston
while Foulke, Eddie Guardado, Tom Gordon, LaTroy Hawkins, Paul
Quantrill and Tim Worrell all signed as free agents.
The Athletics have been busy reshaping their roster since the
season ended. They've already lost shortstop Miguel Tejada, the
2002 AL MVP, and Foulke to free agency.
On Tuesday, the A's got pitcher Mark Redman from Florida for
reliever Mike Neu.
The A's previously traded pitcher Ted Lilly to Toronto for
outfielder Bobby Kielty, and sent catcher Ramon Hernandez and
outfielder Terrence Long to San Diego for outfielder Mark Kotsay.