Lo Duca Is Rewarded With Three-Year, $7-Million Deal

The Dodgers have reached an agreement with catcher Paul Lo Duca on a three-year contract that is believed to be worth about $7 million. An official announcement is expected today or Wednesday.

After spending almost eight years in the minor leagues, Lo Duca, 28, had a breakthrough season in 2001, batting .320 with 25 home runs and 90 runs batted in while playing four positions (catcher, first base, left field, right field) and hitting in six different spots in the order.

The deal rewards Lo Duca for his outstanding 2001 season and provides some cost certainty for the Dodgers, who will avoid the arbitration process with Lo Duca in 2003 and 2004. Lo Duca can’t become a free agent until 2005.

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The Dodgers are attempting to sign reliever Matt Herges to a multi-year contract, but the sides are still far apart on a two-year deal.... The club has decided not to bid for South Korean reliever Jin Pil-Jung. Major league teams have until 2 p.m. today to submit offers to the commissioner’s office for Jung. The amount of the highest bid--he could go for as much as $1.5 million--will be forwarded to Jung’s Korean League team, and the high bidder will have 30 days to negotiate a contract.... Dodger ace Kevin Brown, recovering from elbow surgery, threw 50 pitches off the mound again Monday, and pitching Coach Jim Colborn said he should be ready to start a game in the second week of the exhibition season. Manager Jim Tracy believes that will give Brown enough preparation time to pitch the season opener against San Francisco on April 2.