Fielder to Stay With Yankees

Cecil Fielder chose to stay with the New York Yankees, dropping his trade demand at 11:59 p.m. EST Saturday--one minute before he would have become a free agent and lost a $7.2-million salary.

Fielder, concerned about playing time this year and wanting a contract extension, filed the trade demand after the World Series--a right given to veterans dealt during multiyear contracts.

Because the Yankees said they couldn’t work out a trade, Fielder would have become a free agent if he hadn’t withdrawn the demand Saturday.

Fielder gave no indication of what he would do after finishing his workout Saturday morning at the Yankees’ camp. He was not on the traveling roster for the exhibition against Detroit at Lakeland, Fla.

“I don’t know. We’ll see,” he said. “I’m not commenting on those questions.”

Fielder hit 39 home runs with 117 runs batted in for Detroit and New York last year. His agent, Bob Gilhooley, declined comment Saturday night.

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Atlanta Brave pitcher Denny Neagle was scratched from his scheduled start Saturday. He has been bothered by a sore right shoulder most of the spring and had a cortisone shot Thursday. He is expected to make his next start Friday, but he could be inserted into the rotation earlier if he’s ready.