Martinez: The $75-Million Man?

National League Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez said Wednesday he had agreed to a six-year, $75-million contract with the Boston Red Sox.

Martinez said Boston has two option years that could raise the total amount of the contract to $92 million over eight seasons.

Team spokesman Kevin Shea said that while a long-term contract for Martinez is a priority, no deal had been completed. Jim Bronner, the pitcher’s agent, declined comment.

“I’m a little ashamed to say how much I signed for,” Martinez told Radio Universal in the Dominican Republic.

The largest package to date is Gary Sheffield’s six-year, $61-million contract with Florida that starts next season. The highest average salary is the $11.5 million Greg Maddux will average in his five-year, $57.5-million contract that starts with Atlanta next season.

Martinez was acquired by the Red Sox from the Montreal Expos on Nov. 18 after going 17-8 with a major league-leading 1.90 earned-run average. He had 305 strikeouts, second in the majors behind Philadelphia’s Curt Schilling.

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The New York Yankees added some stability at designated hitter when they agreed to a contract with veteran switch-hitter Chili Davis. The deal reportedly is for two years and worth nearly $10 million. . . . Charlie O’Brien and Chad Kreuter signed with the Chicago White Sox, filling a catching void created by the departure of Ron Karkovice and Jorge Fabregas. O’Brien agreed to a two-year, $1.4-million contract and Kreuter signed a one-year, $635,000 deal. . . . The Cincinnati Reds traded outfielder Curtis Goodwin to the Colorado Rockies for pitcher Mark Hutton. . . . The Expos traded relief pitcher Dave Veres to Colorado for switch-hitting minor league outfielder Terry Jones. . . . The Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free-agent left-hander Jeff Tabaka.

Mark McGwire, whose 58 home runs were the most in the major leagues since 1961, was selected as The Sporting News’ 1997 Sportsman of the Year. . . . Cornell professor Dana Eischen has agreed to become baseball’s independent arbitrator, replacing Nicholas Zumas, who was fired by players and owners June 30.

Miscellany

Italy’s Juventus, the European Champions’ Cup winner in 1996 and the runner-up in ‘97, advanced to the quarterfinals of this season’s tournament, beating England’s Manchester United, 1-0, on an 84th-minute goal by Filippo Inzaghi in Turin.

Negotiations for a heavyweight unification bout between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield will be called off unless a contract is signed by Friday, according to Lewis’ promoter, Panos Eliades.

Former NBA star Rick Barry, 53, was hired to coach the developmental U.S. Basketball League’s newest member, the New Jersey Shore Cats.

Seven athletes and one chancellor will be inducted into UCLA’s Athletics Hall of Fame in ceremonies later this month. Former chancellor Charles E. Young will be joined by Paul Caligiuri (soccer), Tim Daggett (gymnastics), David Greenwood and Frank Lubin (basketball), Doug Partie (volleyball) and Cal Rossi (football and baseball).

Curt Fraser, coach of the International Hockey League’s Orlando Solar Bears, was suspended for two games and fined $1,000 and five players--Mel Angelstad, Ben Hankinson, Pat Mikesch, Eric Nickulas and Kevin Smyth--and the team’s equipment manager, Scott Moon, were fined $100 each for an altercation with fans in a Dec. 2 game against the Detroit Vipers at Auburn Hills, Mich.