Lofton Goes Back to Cleveland

Kenny Lofton wasn’t kidding when he grabbed a microphone two years ago and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Cleveland, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”

In a remarkable epilogue to one of baseball’s biggest trades, the Indians brought Lofton home on Monday and traded Marquis Grissom to the Milwaukee Brewers.

“It’s like I was a ghost for a year,” a grinning Lofton said, “but now I’m back.”

When Lofton returned to Cleveland, there was a new teammate waiting for him--Dwight Gooden, who signed a two-year contract worth $5,675,000.

The Indians, who made it to the World Series for the second time in three years after trading Lofton to Atlanta, signed their career stolen base leader to a three-year, $24-million deal.

“We missed him for a year,” said Cleveland General Manager John Hart, who traded Lofton and pitcher Alan Embree to Atlanta on March 25 for Grissom and David Justice. “It is now my great pleasure to bring Kenny Lofton back home.”

The Brewers acquired Grissom and right-hander Jeff Juden for pitchers Ben McDonald, Mike Fetters and Ron Villone. Cleveland immediately turned around and dealt Fetters to Oakland for right-hander Steve Karsay.

“I’m glad to be back where I belong,” Lofton said. “Hopefully I’ll be here for the rest of my career.”

Lofton, who played for the Indians from 1992-96, will get $7.5 million in each of the next three seasons, and Cleveland has an option for 2001 at between $8 million and $9 million, depending on his performance. If the option isn’t exercised, Cleveland must pay a $1.5-million buyout.

Notes

Toronto added two free agents, agreeing to a two-year, $6.15-million, two-year contract with catcher Mike Stanley and a one-year, $2.5-million deal with second baseman Tony Fernandez. . . . Paul Sorrento agreed to a $5.25-million, two-year deal with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. . . . The Texas Rangers signed free-agent shortstop Kevin Elster, who spent last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. Elster had personal bests of 24 homers and 99 runs batted in and a .252 batting average for Texas in 1996, his only season with the Rangers, before he left to sign a one-year deal with the Pirates. He was limited to 39 games with Pittsburgh because of injuries last season and hit .227 with seven homers and 25 RBI. . . . Pitcher Andy Benes and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a five-year, $30-million contract. But because the midnight Sunday deadline passed before terms were called in, the Cardinals can’t re-sign him until May 1. . . . The Angels hired former major league shortstop Garry Templeton as a minor league manager. He will manage at class-A Cedar Rapids (Iowa).