Howard, Phillies agree to $54-million deal

Ryan Howard and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed Sunday to a three-year, $54-million contract, avoiding salary arbitration.

The 2006 National League most valuable player will receive $15 million this season, $19 million next year and $20 million in 2011.

“We’re very pleased to have avoided the arbitration process, not just for this year, but also for the next two,” Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “Ryan is clearly one of the top power hitters and run producers in the major leagues and is a very important part of our championship club.”

Howard led the major leagues with 48 home runs and 146 runs batted in last season and helped the Phillies win their first World Series title since 1980. He was runner-up to Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL MVP voting.

Howard, 29, asked for $18 million in salary arbitration, the third-highest figure submitted since the process began in 1974. Philadelphia offered $14 million, a raise of $4 million. A hearing had been scheduled for this week.

Howard has less than four years service time in the majors and isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2011 season.

Andruw Jones, who was released by the Dodgers last month in exchange for restructuring his contract, has agreed to a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers.

Jones will earn $500,000 if he makes the Rangers’ major league roster and can make an additional $1 million in incentives, according to his agent, Scott Boras. The Dodgers owe Jones $22.1 million minus half of the money he earns from Texas this year.

-- Dylan Hernandez

Scott Olsen agreed to a one-year, $2.8-million contract with the Washington Nationals, who acquired the left-hander from the Florida Marlins in a five-player trade in November.

Olsen was 8-11 with a 4.20 earned-run average with the Marlins last season.

Mark Teahen and the Kansas City Royals agreed to a one-year contract worth $3,575,000.

Teahen played in a career-best 149 games last season, hitting .255 with 31 doubles, 15 homers and 59 RBIs.

He plays the three outfield positions, and first and third base.

The Atlanta Braves said they have made an offer to Tom Glavine, but the 300-game winner hasn’t decided whether to accept a significant pay cut.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Glavine could earn up to $3 million, including incentives.

The left-hander, who spent the first 16 years of his career with the Braves before moving to the New York Mets for five seasons, returned to Atlanta in 2008 for an $8-million contract.

TENNIS

U.S. advances in Fed Cup

Julie Ditty and Liezel Huber defeated Gisela Dulko and Betina Jozami, 6-2, 6-3, in the deciding doubles match to give the United States a 3-2 victory over Argentina in a Fed Cup quarterfinal at Surprise, Ariz.

Melanie Oudin beat Jozami, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, in the second singles match of the day after Dulko defeated Jill Craybas, 6-1, 6-3, to give Argentina a 2-1 lead after the day’s first match.

Mary Joe Fernandez, the U.S. team captain, decided at the last minute to go with the left-handed Ditty rather than Oudin or Craybas.

Ditty joined the team only after Bethanie Mattek withdrew Tuesday because of a nagging hip injury.

Top-seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Chile defeated fourth-seeded Jose Acasuso of Argentina, 6-1, 6-3, to win the Movistar Open at Vina del Mar, Chile, for the fourth time.

Seventh-seeded Marin Cilic beat Mario Ancic, 6-3, 6-4, in an all-Croatian final at the Zagreb Indoors in Croatia.

ETC.

Former Falcons player is arrested

Former Atlanta Falcons running back Jamal Anderson has been charged with felony cocaine possession and misdemeanor marijuana possession after being arrested, along with an unidentified man, early Sunday in a nightclub, Atlanta police said.

Anderson and the man were taken to Fulton County jail, and Anderson has a court hearing today.

Anderson helped lead the Falcons to their first NFC title in 1998, when he rushed for 1,846 yards.

He played eight seasons for the Falcons before leaving the team because of a knee injury in 2001.

Buffalo Sabres All-Star Thomas Vanek will be sidelined three to four weeks after having surgery for a broken jaw.

Magnum ran down Well Armed to win the Grade II San Antonio Handicap at Santa Anita, his first victory since May 2006.

The 8-year-old gelding, a 16-1 shot, finished in 1 minute 49.14 seconds under Joel Rosario to win by a length. Well Armed, ridden by Aaron Gryder, finished second, 2 1/4 lengths ahead of 2-1 favored Tiago, with Mike Smith aboard.