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Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Pitchers in News at Annual GM Meeting

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[November 06, 2007]  ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Greg Maddux, Andy Pettitte and Curt Schilling were the names in the news on the first day of the annual general managers' meetings.

Maddux stayed with the San Diego Padres, agreeing to a $10 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the talks said Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet announced the deal.

There was little doubt Maddux would return to the Padres. He went 14-11 with a 4.14 ERA this year for San Diego, which fell one win short of its third straight playoff appearance.

Maddux, a 347-game winner who turns 42 on April 14, had a player option for $8.75 million. Had he pitched 200 innings -- he finished with 198 -- the option price would have increased to $10 million. In addition, San Diego had a club option for $11 million.

The new deal contains award bonuses, a no-trade clause and a suite on road trips, a person familiar with the contract said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Padres had not yet announced the agreement. The deal was first reported by ESPN.com.

Pettitte told the Yankees he was declining his $16 million option for next season because he still was uncertain whether he wanted to pitch again or retire. The 35-year-old left-hander had until Wednesday to decide on the option.

"If Andy decides to play, I am confident we can reach an agreement with the Yankees within 24 hours," Pettitte's agent, Randy Hendricks, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "The only options, as Andy has stated, are the Yankees or retirement. He appreciates the Yankees' willingness to give him the time he feels he needs. I do not expect him to make a decision for quite some time."

Pettitte went 15-9 with a 4.05 ERA for the Yankees this year, including 11-3 after the All-Star break. He was their most effective starter in the postseason, pitching 6 1-3 scoreless innings in Game 2 of New York's first-round loss to Cleveland.

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"Obviously, we want Andy to stay with the Yanks and pitch for us in '08. In fact, I'd say I need him to," general manager Brian Cashman said. "He's an important piece for us. ... We're hopeful that at some point that the marriage of the Pettittes and the Yankees can continue."

Schilling and the Boston Red Sox were making progress toward a contract that would allow him to remain with the World Series champions, a person familiar with those discussions said, speaking on condition of anonymity because a deal had not yet been struck. The progress in the negotiations was first reported by the Boston Herald on its Web site.

Schilling, who turns 41 on Nov. 14, was 9-8 during the regular season, then went 3-0 in four starts during the playoffs to improve his postseason record to 11-2.

GMs were to discuss instant replay on Tuesday, and they could for the first time recommend that it be used for boundary calls -- such as whether home runs are fair or foul and whether balls go over fences or hit at the top. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig opposes the use of replays, and it's unclear how the proposal would proceed if it received a recommendation from GMs.

[Associated Press; By RONALD BLUM]

AP Sports Writer Bernie Wilson in San Diego contributed to this report.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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