Prior signs deal to avoid arbitration

The Cubs and rehabbing right-hander Mark Prior came to terms on Wednesday on a one-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration and leaving Carlos Zambrano as the only arbitration-eligible Cub left unsigned for 2007.

Prior, 26, is coming off an injury-shortened season in which he was 1-6 with a 7.21 ERA in nine starts. He was asking for $3.875 million in arbitration, while the Cubs countered with an offer of $3.4 million.

According to SI.com, Prior took a pay cut and will reportedly make $3.575 million in '07. If he reaches some incentives, the right-hander could also make an additional $300,000.

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Cubs part ways with Rusch

The Cubs announced Thursday that they have released left-handed pitcher Glendon Rusch, whose 2006 season ended early because of a life-threatening blood clot in his lung.

Rusch, 32, has compiled a 60-94 record and 5.01 ERA in his nine big-league seasons, including a 3-8 record and 7.46 ERA last season for the Cubs. He needs four more appearances to reach 300 games in his career. Of his 296 appearances, he made 211 starts.

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Cubs, Floyd reach agreement

Free agent outfielder and first baseman Cliff Floyd agreed Wednesday to a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs after spending four seasons with the New York Mets. The deal includes a mutual option for 2008.

Floyd, a Chicago native, was limited to 332 at-bats last year because of an injured Achilles' tendon and will likely serve as a backup with the Cubs. Alfonso Soriano is expected to start in center, with Matt Murton in left and Jacque Jones in right.

The 34-year-old Floyd had surgery on his left foot in October, after hitting .244 with 11 homers and 44 RBIs. The Mets replaced him in left field with Moises Alou, a free agent who agreed to a contract in October.

An All-Star with the Florida Marlins in 2001, Floyd batted .273 with 34 homers and 98 RBIs for the Mets in 2005. He has a .279 average, 213 home runs and 781 RBIs during a career that began with the Montreal Expos in 1993.

Bengals CB Joseph arrested for marijuana possession

Bengals cornerback Johnathan Joseph was arrested early Monday and charged with possession of marijuana, the ninth Cincinnati player arrested in the last nine months.

The arrest came three weeks after coach Marvin Lewis promised to get tougher on player misconduct, hoping to stop a series of arrests that has embarrassed the team and drawn the attention of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Joseph was arrested on U.S. Route 42 in northern Kentucky. He lives nearby in Union, Ky. The Boone Country sheriff's office arrest report said Joseph was the passenger in a vehicle driven by a woman who had a suspended license, was driving slowly and weaving.

When a Boone County sheriff's deputy asked Joseph to get out of the vehicle, he smelled marijuana. The deputy searched Joseph's black backpack with a Super Bowl logo and found a bag of marijuana in a pouch, the arrest report said.

Joseph was released Monday morning, and his first court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 5. Marijuana possession is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum of one year in jail and a maximum $500 fine. He was the team's first-round draft pick last season and had positioned himself to take over a starting job next season.

Cubs, Floyd closing in on contract

Cliff Floyd and the Chicago Cubs are nearing agreement on a one-year contract, a deal that may include an option for 2008 that the outfielder can control.

Floyd, who was born in Chicago, is likely to make a decision this week. Several AL West teams and Pittsburgh also have shown interest in the 34-year-old left-handed hitter -- Pirates manager Jim Tracy managed Floyd at Double-A.

Limited to 332 at-bats last year with the New York Mets because of an injured Achilles' tendon, Floyd likely would be a backup with Chicago. Alfonso Soriano probably will wind up in center, with Matt Murton in left and Jacque Jones in right.

Samardzija passes up NFL to sign with Cubs

Notre Dame wide receiver Jeff Samardzija will take his talents to the baseball diamond rather than the football field. Opting to pass up a chance at the NFL, Samardzija on Friday signed a five-year contract with the Chicago Cubs.

ESPN 1000 in Chicago reported Samardzija's deal is worth less than pitcher Mark Prior's first contract with the Cubs. When Prior was selected second overall in 2001, his deal was worth $10.5 million.

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Cubs kick off caravan with good news

The Cubs began their winter Cubs Caravan tour on Wednesday with good news regarding Mark Prior, who is throwing off the mound and making good progress.

"Mark is up on the hill, throwing some bullpens and doing well," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Wednesday before boarding a bus with other players and staff for a trip to downstate Illinois.

"The reports have been encouraging, and we're all keeping our fingers crossed," Hendry said. "We'd love to show up and have the old Mark back and feel like we have a great, new player come in that we weren't expecting. We wanted to cover ourselves in depth if Mark was behind, but if he's on schedule, we'll feel like we got a bonus."

Prior, 26, is coming off an injury-shortened season in which he was 1-6 with a 7.21 ERA in nine starts. A shoulder injury hampered him, and he was forced to devote this offseason to rehab. Pitching coach Larry Rothschild said he talked to the right-hander every week for progress reports.

"He's going through a pretty strenuous program and has been throwing for quite a while," Rothschild said.

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Pacers, Warriors swing 8-player trade

The Indiana Pacers traded Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday for forwards Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy as part of an eight-player deal designed to shake up two struggling teams.

The Pacers also sent guard Sarunas Jasikevicius and forward Josh Powell to the Warriors, who gave up forward Ike Diogu and guard Keith McLeod.

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Cubs agree with LHP Ohman on two-year deal

The Chicago Cubs on Tuesday agreed to terms with lefthanded reliever Will Ohman on a two-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Ohman, 29, set career highs last season in games (78), innings (65 1/3) and strikeouts (74). He went 1-1 with a 4.13 ERA, holding the opposition to a .208 batting average.

Zambrano asks for $15.5 million

On a day when dozens of players asked for big raises, Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano asked for the biggest. Zambrano submitted a proposed salary of $15.5 million in arbitration on Tuesday, while batting champions Joe Mauer and Freddy Sanchez also sought huge hikes.

Zambrano went 16-7 for the Cubs last year and made $6.65 million. He was offered $11,025,000 by Chicago and is eligible for free agency after the season. Both his request and the club's offer were the highest numbers traded this year.

Cubs sign IF Tomas Perez to minor-league deal

The Chicago Cubs on Friday added some infield depth with the signing of Tomas Perez to a minor-league contract.

Perez hit .212 with no homers and 16 RBI in 99 games for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2006. He started 68 games at five different positions, including 33 at shortstop and 18 at second base.

The 33-year-old has hit .240 with 24 homers and 180 RBI in 781 games over 10 years with Toronto, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay.

Cubs to make more moves

The Chicago Cubs are trying to add two outfielders, and a trade of right fielder Jacque Jones remains a possibility. Jones, signed for $9 million over the next two seasons, could be a bargain for a club in need of an outfielder.

With or without Jones, the Cubs are likely to sign free-agent left fielder Cliff Floyd, and they also want a stopgap in center until top prospect Felix Pie is ready.

Pie, 21, could win the job in spring training, complicating the Cubs' pursuit of veteran center fielders such as Darin Erstad and Steve Finley.

Webber headed back home

The Detroit Pistons are close to reaching an agreement with free agent Chris Webber, sources close to the negotiations said Thursday night. Webber, 33, who had the final two seasons of his contract bought out by the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, will return to his Michigan roots where he once starred for Detroit Country Day High School and the University of Michigan.
Webber, who's still clearing waivers, can't officially with a team until Monday.

He is expected to sign for a pro-rated $1.87 million-a-season, 10-year-veteran contract.
All along, sources said, the Pistons were Webber's No. 1 choice upon leaving the 76ers. They would give him a chance to finally reach the NBA Finals and perhaps compete for his first NBA title.

Bengals DE Geathers gets extension

Defensive end Robert Geathers' breakout season earned him one of the biggest contract extensions in Cincinnati Bengals history.

Geathers signed a six-year extension Thursday that will pay him $14 million next season in various bonuses and salary, making him one of the team's top-paid players. He can earn $32.5 million in salary and bonuses over the six-year deal.

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Jackson could follow Petrino

Bobby Petrino’s move from Louisville to Atlanta as head coach of the Falcons is going to cause a domino effect that may affect the Bengals sooner rather than later.

Word from around the NFL is that Petrino may turn to Bengals receivers coach Hue Jackson to revive the career of Falcons quarterback Michael Vick as his offensive coordinator and it could come down Monday with Petrino scheduled for an afternoon news conference.

Jackson, who is in the mix because he worked with Petrino at Arizona State in the early ‘90s, couldn’t be reached for comment. Last week, head coach Marvin Lewis said his coaches are under contract, but they can leave for a promotion.

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Arizona close to Unit deal

The New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks are "very close" to the framework of a trade that would send five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson back to Arizona for right-handed reliever Luis Vizcaino and a pitching prospect, according to a source with knowledge of the talks.

Diamondbacks officials expect to request from Major League Baseball a negotiating window – typically 72 hours – to discuss a contract extension with Johnson, who has a no-trade clause, and his agent, Alan Nero. Johnson, 43, also must pass a physical. He had surgery to repair a herniated disk in November.

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Cubs agree to one-year contract with LHP Cotts

The Chicago Cubs on Wednesday agreed to terms on a one-year contract with lefthander Neal Cotts, who was acquired from the crosstown rival White Sox on November 16. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Cotts made $400,000 last season.

The deal for Cotts, who was acquired for righthanders David Aardsma and Carlos Vazquez, marked the first time that the Chicago teams completed a trade since July 29, 1998, when the Cubs sent righthander Jon Garland to the White Sox for righthander Matt Karchner.

Cotts, 26, appeared in a career-high 70 games last season with the White Sox, going 1-2 with a 5.17 ERA. He was dominant in 2005, going 4-0 with a 1.94 ERA in 69 games and recording the win against Houston in Game Two of the World Series. The hard-throwing Cotts is 10-7 with a 4.52 ERA in 199 career games over three-plus seasons with the White Sox.