Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis both finished in the top three of the AL Most Valuable Player voting. Now the two Boston stars will be sharing the Fenway infield for a few more seasons, too.

A baseball official told The Associated Press yesterday that the Red Sox and Youkilis have agreed to a four-year contract that would reportedly guarantee Youkilis about $41 million. The official, who asked not to be identified because the deal had not been announced, said the financial terms first reported by ESPN.com were pretty close.

Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein did not respond to e-mails seeking comment.

The deal buys out Youkilis' last two years of arbitration eligibility and delays his chance to become a free agent by at least two years. Youkilis filed for arbitration earlier yesterday, a formality that would be negated if he passes a physical and the long-term deal is completed.

Last month, Boston locked up Pedroia, who wouldn't have been eligible for free agency until after the 2012 season, with a six-year, $40.5 million deal.

Youkilis' deal also includes a $13 million club option for 2013 or a $1 million buyout, ESPN.com reported.

DODGERS RELEASE JONES

Andruw Jones, a $36.2 million bust with the Los Angeles Dodgers, was released by the team yesterday.

Heralded as the answer to the Dodgers' power-hitting void when he signed his rich two-year contract in December 2007, Jones was injured part of last season and was mostly ineffective otherwise, hitting only .158 with three home runs and 14 RBIs in 75 games.

111 FILE FOR ARBITRATION

Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder and Jonathan Papelbon were among 111 players who filed for salary arbitration yesterday, an annual ritual that gives many of them large pay increases.

World Series MVP Cole Hamels and Florida second baseman Dan Uggla also filed for arbitration.

Players who still haven't settled with their teams will exchange figures Tuesday. In most years, more than half the players who file reach agreements before the swap of proposed salaries.

SERENA FALLS IN SYDNEY

Top-seeded Serena Williams lost, 6-3, 6-1, amid a flurry of errors to Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva in the Sydney International semifinals yesterday.

The second-ranked Williams, who saved three match points in her three-set quarterfinal win over Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark late Wednesday, will head to Melbourne for the Australian Open beginning Monday.

AND WHAT’S MORE ...

Free agent Bartolo Colon, a former Cy Young Award winner, agreed yesterday to a $1 million, one-year contract with the Chicago White Sox.