Boddicker to Join Royals for $9 Million : Baseball: The 17-game winner leaves the Red Sox. Meanwhile, Browning re-signs with the Reds.

Free agent Mike Boddicker, a 17-game winner for Boston who has pitched some of the best games at Royals Stadium, signed a guaranteed three-year contract today with Kansas City.

The deal is worth slightly more than $9 million, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.

Also today, the Cincinnati Reds and free agent left-hander Tom Browning agreed to a four-year contract with a club option for a fifth year. Terms of the guaranteed contract were not disclosed.

Boddicker was 17-8 with a 3.36 earned-run average for the Red Sox last season and is 5-1 lifetime against the Royals in Kansas City.

“I’ve just never had a bad game here,” said Boddicker, 118-95 with a 3.66 ERA in nine season with Boston and Baltimore. “I just always seem to have good stuff. I don’t ever seem to have one of those games where I’m just (giving up) line drives all night.”

The Royals’ signing of the 33-year-old Boddicker was a surprise, especially after the disappointing seasons they got from high-priced free agents Mark Davis and Storm Davis.

“When you fall off, you have to get back on the horse,” said Herk Robinson, who became the Royals’ new general manager last month when John Schuerholz resigned to join the Atlanta Braves. “We were disappointed in what happened with Mark and Storm last year, but we still feel they will be able to come back and pitch as they have pitched before. Both were hurt somewhat last year.”

Boddicker said he was contacted by about 12 clubs and received serious offers from five.

“Boston made a substantial effort to sign him,” said his agent, Ron Shapiro. “Lou Gorman worked assiduously to make a deal and match or exceed other offers.”

Browning, 30, was 15-9 for the Reds in 1990, with a 3.80 ERA in 227 2/3 innings.

“It was tough,” Browning told reporters at a news conference this afternon in Cincinnati, referring to the contract negotiations. “I’m glad we got things taken care of.”

He is 93-61 for his career and stands 18th on the Reds’ all-time victory list. He has averaged more than 15 victories over the last six years.

The length of the contract had been the issue between Browning and the Reds. He had sought a five-year deal, while the Reds had said they would stay with their policy of not offering contracts of longer than three years.

Browning’s agent, Jim Bronner, said two undisclosed teams had made him five-year offers. The Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs had been pursuing Browning, Bronner said Monday.