Posted at 2:41 p.m., Monday, December 10, 2007
Baseball: Gagne, Brewers finalize $10M, 1-year deal
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE — Former NL Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagne and the Milwaukee Brewers finalized a $10 million, one-year contract today.The 31-year-old right-hander, who finished last season with the World Series champion Boston Red Sox, can earn an additional $1 million in performance bonuses: $250,000 each for 50, 55, 60 and 65 games finished.
Gagne joins a bullpen that lost closer Francisco Cordero, who agreed to a $46 million, four-year contract with the Cincinnati Reds. Derrick Turnbow and Gagne are the top candidates to close for the Brewers.
"Eric's saves numbers speak for themselves," Milwaukee general manager Doug Melvin said. "This signing provides a proven closer who will be an integral part of our rebuilt bullpen."
Gagne was a disappointment in Boston, which acquired him from Texas last July. He was 2-2 with a 6.75 ERA in 20 games for the Red Sox, finishing 4-2 with 16 saves and a 3.81 ERA overall.
Gagne had 152 saves with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2002-04, the most in a three-year period in major league history. The Canadian converted a record 84 consecutive save opportunities.
"He's got a history of closing, and he's a guy that can help our bullpen on the back end," Melvin said last week.
Gagne won the NL Cy Young Award in 2003 with a career-high 55 saves and a 1.20 ERA.
He had a season-ending operation on his right elbow in June 2005 and appeared in only two games for the Dodgers the following year.
