Lieber, Leiter Leave New York

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The New York Sun

Jon Lieber agreed to a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, Al Leiter returned to the Florida Marlins, and Woody Williams went back to the San Diego Padres as teams moved quickly to grab starting pitchers yesterday after the first free-agent deadline of the offseason passed.


Lieber left the Yankees, agreeing to a $21 million, three-year contract with Philadelphia, and Leiter departed the Mets with some degree of acrimony, getting an $8 million, one-year contract from Florida.


Williams, 38, is guaranteed $3.5 million by the Padres as part of a deal that could be worth $14.5 million for two years. He was 11-8 with a 4.18 ERA for St. Louis last season and started the opener of all three postseason series for the Cardinals.


The Yankees didn’t waste any time filling Lieber’s spot in the rotation, closing in on a $21 million, three-year contract with Jaret Wright. New York also has a preliminary agreement with second baseman Tony Womack on a $4 million, two-year deal.


Dustin Hermanson left the San Francisco Giants for a $5.5 million, two-year contract with the Chicago White Sox, and catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. departed the White Sox for a $550,000, one-year deal with Texas.


Several players agreed to re-sign with their teams just before Tuesday night’s deadline, including pitcher Brad Radke, who got an $18 million, two-year contract from Minnesota. St. Louis agreed to one year deals with pitchers Matt Morris ($2.5 million) and Cal Eldred ($600,000), and outfielder John Mabry ($725,000).


Lieber, 35 in April, went 14-8 with a 4.33 ERA in 27 starts last season. He was 1-1 with a 3.43 ERA in three playoff starts for the Yankees, and got more effective later in the season as he regained arm strength following 2002 elbow-ligament replacement surgery. He gets a $1 million signing bonus and will earn $5.25 million in 2005, $7.25 million in 2006 and $7.5 million in 2007. Lieber joins Randy Wolf, Vicente Padilla, Brett Myers, and Cory Lidle in a rotation that is losing Milton and Millwood.


Leiter, 10-8 with a 3.21 ERA last season, returns to the team he helped pitch to the 1997 World Series title. The 39-year-old left-hander spent seven years with the Mets, who offered a one-year deal worth $4 million to $5 million during talks Leiter described as “convoluted and fuzzy.”


Leiter said he believed the Mets weren’t “upfront” and “forthright.” He was jettisoned as part of a makeover under new GM Omar Minaya that includes the departures of relievers John Franco, Mike Stanton, and Ricky Bottalico, and outfielder Richard Hidalgo.


Womack must pass a physical to complete his deal with the Yankees, and Wright’s representatives and the Yankees have to finalize contract language. New York still hopes to sign at least one more starter, and is talking with Carl Pavano and Milton.


The New York Sun

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