Contract

Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome and the Chicago Cubs reached a preliminary agreement yesterday on a four-year, $48 million contract. The deal is subject to a physical, according to a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. The agreement could be finalized as early as today. Fukudome, who is expected to play right field, was considered one of the best outfielders in Japanese baseball. He had surgery on his right elbow in August but has 192 homers and a .305 batting average over nine seasons with the Chunichi Dragons.

Good morning -- Big Baby -- Glen Davis, if you get a first-round contract, you'll be Bonus Baby.

Moves Baseball MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL -- Announced that umpire Bruce Froemming will retire at end of season. ASTROS -- Placed SS Adam Everett on 15-day DL. Recalled IF Eric Bruntlett from Triple-A Round Rock. ATHLETICS -- Claimed P Ruddy Lugo off waivers from Devil Rays. BREWERS -- Placed P Chris Capuano on 15-day DL, retroactive to Saturday. Purchased contract of P Yovani Gallardo from Triple-A Nashville. DIAMONDBACKS -- Optioned IF Alberto Callaspo to Triple-A Tucson. Recalled IF Augie Ojeda from Tucson.

A team lead by Battelle Memorial Institute has won a five-year, $333 million Defense Department contract to provide biological and chemical detection support at Aberdeen Proving Ground and 11 other hubs around the world. Battelle will administer the program from Aberdeen. The Columbus, Ohio, institute manages or co-manages seven national laboratories for the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Energy. Battelle has been expanding in Harford County, where it has had offices for 20 years.

Moves Baseball MLB -- Suspended Rangers P Vicente Padilla seven games and Athletics OF Nick Swisher three games for their roles in an altercation during a game Saturday. Suspended Mets IF-OF Marlon Anderson two games and fined him an undisclosed amount for inappropriate actions after called third strike during a game Friday against Phillies. Anderson has appealed the decision. METS -- Designated P Brian Lawrence for assignment. Purchased contract of P Dave Williams from Triple-A New Orleans.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling called on Roger Clemens to give up the four Cy Young Awards he has won since 1997 if he can't clear his name after allegations that he used steroids to prolong and enhance his career. "Just like I stated about Jose [Canseco], if that is the case with Roger, the four Cy Youngs should go to the rightful winners, and the numbers should go away if he cannot refute the accusations," Schilling wrote yesterday in his blog, 38pitches.com. Clemens was the biggest name in the Mitchell Report released last week.

Moves Baseball ASTROS -- Signed OF Luke Scott and P Chad Qualls to one-year contracts. Colleges DUKE -- Announced that G Gerald Henderson was suspended one game for actions in yesterday's loss to North Carolina. GEORGIA STATE -- Fired men's basketball coach Michael Perry. ILLINOIS -- Suspended WR Jody Ellis and WR Derrick McPhearson from football team for "alleged criminal activity." Football BROWNS -- Signed DB Kenny Wright to three-year contract. BUCCANEERS -- Signed FB B.J. Askew.

Chrysler and the United Auto Workers union began contract talks yesterday, formally opening the U.S. auto industry's effort to reduce labor costs that now give an advantage to Asian rivals. UAW President Ron Gettelfinger and Chrysler Chief Executive Officer Thomas W. LaSorda shook hands to mark the start of bargaining in a ceremony at company headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich. The talks are aimed at replacing a four-year contract expiring Sept. 14. General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. open negotiations Monday.

Moves Baseball METS -- Optioned P Joe Smith to Triple-A New Orleans. NATIONALS -- Purchased contract of P John Lannan from Triple-A Columbus. REDS -- Placed SS Pedro Lopez on 15-day DL. Activated IF Juan Castro from 15-day DL. Football BILLS -- Agreed to terms with RB Marshawn Lynch, first-round pick, on five-year contract. BROWNS -- Agreed to terms with OT Joe Thomas, first-round pick, on six-year contract. BUCCANEERS -- Signed DE Gaines Adams, first-round draft pick. Released DE Simeon Rice.

MOVES Baseball MLB -- Suspended free-agent P Luther Hackman 50 games for violating baseball's minor league drug program after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. ASTROS -- Agreed to terms with C Brad Ausmus on one-year contract. BREWERS -- Named Ted Simmons bench coach. Switched bench coach Dale Sveum to third base coach. Declined 2008 contract option on OF Geoff Jenkins. DODGERS -- Announced resignation of manager Grady Little. ORIOLES -- Named John Shelby first base coach, Lee MacPhail IV special assistant to the president of baseball operations, and Brian Graham special assignment coach for the minor leagues.

Baltimore County officials hope to piggyback on Montgomery County's existing contract for the lease and installation of speed-monitoring cameras. The County Council is to review the proposal, estimated to cost $179,925 a month, at its session Monday. Montgomery County's contract was awarded through a competitive process to ACS State & Local Solutions Inc., one of four bidders. The Dallas-based company would install the cameras at 15 county school locations, determined by Baltimore County police, and provide citation processing, statistical reporting, site assessments and maintenance.

The real referees will work the real games. The NBA and its referees union agreed on a two-year contract Friday, ending a lockout of more than a month and saving the league from using replacements when the regular season starts. The officials ratified the deal that was reached earlier this week in a vote Friday night. No details of the vote were provided, nor were terms of the agreement. "We are pleased to reach this agreement," NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement. "The negotiations extended further than either side had hoped, but when our regular season tips off on Tuesday we'll have the best referees in the world officiating our games."

The city's development arm announced Thursday it will cancel a $1.5 million contract to demolish eight downtown buildings at Calvert and Lombard streets, the second planned demolition to be halted since The Baltimore Sun reported that the agency was not following the city's open-bidding rules. "We're not planning to do any future demolition at this time," said Baltimore Development Corp. President M.J. "Jay" Brodie. "We are not going to follow this approach of BDC soliciting work." The Baltimore Sun reported Monday that the agency had awarded a $378,477 demolition contract at the proposed site of a slots casino after soliciting prices from a handful of firms rather than advertising the work publicly.

If the Baltimore County Council authorizes the installation of speed cameras in school zones today, officials said they will review several options before awarding a contract for the equipment. Initially, the county had expected to add a lease for about a dozen cameras onto an existing contract with the Texas company that supplied the red light cameras. But that contract specifies the purchase of equipment. "We prefer to lease the speed cameras and will not be using the existing contract," said Don Mohler, county spokesman.

The Ravens released backup inside linebacker Nick Greisen after two seasons. Greisen, 29, made just five tackles on defense last season, 33 fewer than the season before. He finished fifth on the team with 12 special teams tackles last season. His release comes one year after he signed a three-year, $4 million contract with the Ravens (which included a $1 million signing bonus). The Ravens saved $716,000 in salary cap space and now have a little over $2 million in cap room. Under new defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, the Ravens are looking to add speed at linebacker.

News item: Linebacker Ray Lewis came to terms with the Ravens last week on a three-year contract believed to be worth $22 million. The team also signed veteran center Matt Birk to a three-year deal to replace departed free agent Jason Brown. My take: Whether Lewis was worth $22 million on the free-agent market is irrelevant. He's worth it to the Ravens, especially in the first season of the post-Rex Ryan era. News item: New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez is reportedly still debating whether to have hip surgery or try to play through the injury this season, but he had no choice but to pass on the World Baseball Classic.

April 20, 1996:: Drafted by the Ravens with the 26th pick in the first round. Lewis was the fourth linebacker selected in that draft (behind Kevin Hardy, John Mobley and Reggie Brown). July 15, 1996:: Signs five-year contract worth $5 million in time to report for first training camp. The deal includes a $1.3 million signing bonus. Nov. 19, 1998:: Reaches a four-year contract extension that totals $26 million and includes a $7 million signing bonus. The new deal, which comes with two years still remaining on his rookie contract, makes him the NFL's highest-paid middle linebacker.

Ryan Howard just wanted to concentrate on baseball this spring. No squabbles over his contract. No daily questions about his future. The big slugger got his wish - and a hefty raise, too. Howard and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract yesterday, avoiding a potentially contentious arbitration hearing. The 2006 National League Most Valuable Player will earn $15 million this season, $19 million next year and $20 million in 2011. "The things that have happened prior with Ryan, it was really nothing adversarial, although I know with some people it was depicted that way," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.

It sure seems James Franklin will be Maryland's football coach by 2012. Ralph Friedgen's contract is up in January 2012. If you're Maryland, would you really consider extending the incumbent coach's contract while you've got a hot young prospect waiting in the wings? ( For more, go to baltimoresun.com/terpsblog)

The Tampa Bay Rays added a big bat for the middle of their batting order, as the American League champions agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract with Pat Burrell. Burrell, 32, spent the past nine seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, who defeated the Rays in the World Series a little over two months ago. "At the end of last year, obviously I got a chance to know the team pretty well," said Burrell, who hit .250 with 33 home runs, 33 doubles, 86 RBIs and 102 walks in a career-high 157 games in 2008.