Bedard, Mariners OK $7M deal

Baseball Notes

Erik Bedard has agreed to a one-year, $7 million contract with the Seattle Mariners, avoiding arbitration with the team that acquired him last week from the Orioles.

The two sides are believed to have already started negotiations on a long-term deal.

General manager Bill Bavasi, who has not had a contract go to arbitration since he joined Seattle in 2004, indicated last week that the team was exploring a multiyear extension for the left-handed ace, whom the Orioles traded for the Mariners' top outfielder prospect, Adam Jones, left-handed reliever George Sherrill and three minor league pitchers.

Bedard, 28, was 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA last year for the Orioles.

He was asking for $8 million in arbitration. Seattle's offer was $6 million.

Arbitration -- Right-hander Chien-Ming Wang lost his arbitration case against the Yankees, making players 0-for-4 this year. Wang was awarded $4 million instead of his request for $4.6 million by arbitrators Thursday in St. Petersburg, Fla. Nationals infielder Felipe Lopez lost his case Thursday ($4.9 million instead of $5.2 million), and relievers Brian Fuentes of the Rockies ($5.05 million instead of $6.5 million) and Jose Valverde of the Astros ($4.7 million instead of $6.2 million) lost yesterday.

Yankees -- Still at home in Texas, left-hander Andy Pettitte will throw a bullpen session to keep up with his teammates before he arrives at spring training Monday. Pettitte was given permission to report four days late after he gave a congressional deposition in which he corroborated accusations that Roger Clemens used performance-enhancing drugs.

Reds -- Second baseman Brandon Phillips agreed to a four-year, $27 million deal, settling Cincinnati's final arbitration case. The infielder, 26, hit .288 with 30 home runs, 94 RBIs and 32 steals.

Steroids -- A judge in San Francisco overseeing the BALCO case has ruled against the government and said Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative founder Victor Conte and Barry Bonds' personal trainer, Greg Anderson, can keep evidence prosecutors turned over to them from the investigation.