BASEBALL NOTES

Reliever T.J. Mathews more than doubled his annual salary, re-signing with the Oakland Athletics for $3.25 million over two years.

Mathews went 9-5 with a 3.81 earned-run average in 50 games last season, when he made $750,000. The right-hander, obtained by the A’s in 1997 as part of the trade that sent Mark McGwire to the St. Louis Cardinals, also had three saves.

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Reliever Julian Tavarez, claimed on waivers from the San Francisco Giants last week, agreed to a $1.2-million, one-year contract with the Colorado Rockies.

Tavarez, 26, was 2-0 with a 5.93 ERA last season, when injuries limited him to a career-low 47 appearances. He was 5-3 with a 3.80 ERA in 60 games with the Giants in 1998 and led the majors with 89 appearances in 1997.

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Frank Robinson has decided not to join new Manager Don Baylor’s Chicago Cub coaching staff. . . . Florida Marlin right-hander Brad Penny and Texas Ranger left-hander Doug Davis were picked as the top prospects of the Arizona Fall League. Penny was 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA, while Davis was 5-2 with a 2.25 ERA. . . . Lou Merloni, a utility infielder with the Boston Red Sox last season, has signed to play next season with the Yokohama BayStars of Japan’s Central League. . . . The Milwaukee Brewers hired Gary Allenson as their first-base coach. Allenson, 44, spent seven seasons in the majors as a catcher with Boston and Toronto.