Rafael Soriano, Washington Nationals agree on contract | Baseball ...

Baseball

Soriano, Nationals agree

on deal worth $28 million

Reliever Rafael Soriano and the Washington Nationals reached agreement pending a physical on a $28 million, two-year contract that includes $14 million in deferred money, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The source also said Soriano's contract contains a $14 million option for 2015 that would become guaranteed if he reaches 120 games finished over 2013 and 2014 combined.

Soriano, 33, had 42 saves and a 2.26 earned-run average for the AL East champion New York Yankees last year while filling in for injured closer Mariano Rivera, who plans to return from a knee injury in 2013.

Soriano pitched in 116 games and had a 2.89 ERA for the Mariners from 2002 through 2006.

Posey files for arbitration

San Francisco's Buster Posey, a catcher-first baseman who was last year's National League most valuable player, is among 133 players who filed for salary arbitration.

Players and teams are scheduled to swap proposed salaries Friday, with hearings before three-arbitrator panels next month in Phoenix. Most cases settle before they go to hearings.

Four Mariners filed ? catcher John Jaso, pitcher Shawn Kelley, first baseman Kendrys Morales and shortstop Brendan Ryan.

Ichiro sounds eager to play

Outfielder Ichiro, traded from the Mariners to the Yankees in July, sounds eager to return to New York.

"Signing with the Yankees has given me a new sense of determination," Ichiro said after a workout in Japan. "This is a unique team, a team that can have a player like Alex Rodriguez as a pinch-hitter is special and to be part of that is exciting."

Ichiro bristled when asked about turning 40 in October.

"It's annoying to be asked about age," he said.

Skiing

U.S. teen wins 3rd slalom

Mikaela Shiffrin, 17, of Eagle-Vail, Colo., won her third World Cup slalom event of the season. She had a two-run time of 1 minute, 51.45 seconds in Flachau, Austria, to beat runner-up Frida Hansdotter of Sweden by 0.85 seconds.

Golf

McGinley is named captain

Paul McGinley was selected Europe's Ryder Cup captain for 2014.

McGinley, a 46-year-old Irishman, replaces Jose Maria Olazabal, whose team rallied to victory over the United States in September in Medinah, Ill. Europe will defend the trophy at Gleneagles, Scotland.

Tom Watson was named U.S. team captain last month, replacing Davis Love III.

College football

Penn State wants suit tossed

Penn State's lawyers asked a judge to throw out a whistle-blower and defamation lawsuit filed by a former assistant coach who testified he saw Jerry Sandusky sexually attack a boy in a school shower more than a decade ago.

Mike McQueary's lawsuit is too vague and does not meet legal standards to support claims of defamation and misrepresentation, the university's court filing said.

Ex-Penn State quarterback McQueary has sued the university for millions of dollars, claiming in an October complaint then-president Graham Spanier made him a scapegoat in 2011 after Sandusky, a retired assistant coach, was arrested on child-molestation charges.

Sandusky, 68, who spent decades at Penn State on then-coach Joe Paterno's staff, was convicted of 45 counts of child sexual abuse and is serving a 30- to 60-year state-prison sentence.

Elsewhere

? Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas, who has started the past 27 games for the Hokies, is returning for his senior season rather than declaring for the NFL draft.

? Former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson will play wide receiver in the Jan. 26 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

? Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez added Jim Michalczik to his staff as offensive-line coach.

Michalczik ? a former Washington State offensive lineman who was a Port Angeles High School standout ? was California's offensive coordinator and offensive-line coach the past two years.

? The former media director for Syracuse University's athletic department pleaded not guilty to charges he secretly videotaped male athletes in the locker room.

Roger Springfield, 57, was arraigned in Onondaga County Court on four counts of unlawful surveillance.

Springfield was released on his own recognizance and ordered to return to court Jan. 22 for a pretrial hearing. He was fired Dec. 13.

? Watkins Glen International in New York has signed a multiyear deal with Cheez-It crackers to sponsor its Aug. 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

? Vancouver Canucks forward David Booth is expected to be out from four to six weeks because of a groin strain.

The NHL Canucks open their season Saturday against visiting Anaheim.

? British cyclist Nicole Cooke, 29, the gold medalist in the 2008 Olympic road race, is retiring.

Seattle Times news services

Source: http://seattletimes.com/html/othersports/2020139671_digs16.html?syndication=rss

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