Padres’ Harrington Is Sharp

Right-hander Matt Harrington was impressive in his first public workout since last summer, throwing three perfect innings Saturday against participants in an open tryout in the San Diego Padres’ minor league camp at Peoria, Ariz.

Harrington, the Padres’ second-round draft pick last June and a first-round pick by Colorado in 2000 from Palmdale High, consistently reached 91 mph with his fastball. He’s coming off shoulder soreness that forced him to stop pitching last summer for the independent St. Paul Saints.

Harrington turned down a reported $4-million bonus offer from the Rockies. The Padres have yet to make a contract offer, other than the $850 tendering offer necessary to retain his rights.

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The Cleveland Indians signed left-hander C.C. Sabathia to a $9.5-million, four-year contract that contains a club option for a fifth year and could be worth up to $19.75 million over five years.

Sabathia was 17-5 with a 4.39 earned-run average last season and finished second to Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki in the American League rookie-of-the-year voting.

He tied for sixth in the league in victories, held opponents to a .228 batting average and struck out 171.

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Shortstop Jimmy Rollins, an All-Star and the National League stolen base champion as a rookie in 2001 with 46, and the Philadelphia Phillies agreed to a $365,000, one-year contract....Left-hander Joe Kennedy, third among AL rookies with a 4.44 ERA last season, signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays....Former Toronto Blue Jay manager Cito Gaston was hired as a special assistant to team President and Chief Executive Paul Godfrey. The team offered Gaston the position when he was dismissed as hitting coach at the end of last season....Ken Griffey Sr. reported to the Cincinnati Reds’ training camp at Sarasota, Fla., to start scouting for the team, one day after he resigned as first-base coach. Griffey, 51, declined to talk to reporters after leaving a meeting with Red General Manager Jim Bowden, but later said on his show on WCIN-AM in Cincinnati that he “was tired of being treated like dirt.” He claimed that members of the front office knew he was unhappy with how things were going, but didn’t go into specifics.... Former Dodger outfielder Trenidad Hubbard agreed to a minor league contract with the Padres.