Expos, Everett Agree to Deal

The Montreal Expos think Carl Everett’s troubled past is behind him.

The All-Star outfielder, who feuded with management in Boston but revived his career last season in Texas and Chicago, agreed Monday to a contract with Montreal that guarantees him $7.5 million.

“We needed to replace some of the offense we lost with Vladimir,” said Expo General Manager Omar Minaya, who couldn’t work out a deal to re-sign Vladimir Guerrero.

Also Monday, the Expos traded catcher Michael Barrett to the Oakland Athletics for a player to be named.

Everett’s complex contract will pay him either $3 million for one year, $7.5 million for two seasons or $12 million for three years. He receives a $3-million salary in 2004 and a $4-million player option for 2005. If he exercises it, Montreal would get a $5-million team option for 2006 with a $500,000 buyout.

He earned $9.15 million last season, when he became an All-Star for the second time.

Everett, 33, hit .287 last season with 28 homers and 92 RBIs for the Rangers and White Sox, who acquired him July 1. He is a .278 hitter over 11 frequently turbulent seasons, including stints with the Florida Marlins, New York Mets, Houston Astros and Red Sox.

Everett was an All-Star his first season in Boston after being traded from Houston, hitting .300 with 34 homers and 108 RBIs in 2000. But he was also suspended for 10 days after he head-butted umpire Ron Kulpa.

After numerous arguments with Red Sox managers Jimy Williams and Joe Kerrigan, Everett was traded to Texas at the 2001 winter meetings.

“We were not concerned about any troubled history,” Minaya said. “People that are players just praise Carl to me.”

Barrett, 27, hit .208 with 10 homers and 30 RBI in 226 at-bats last season, missing time because of an injured hip and thumb.

Barrett made $2.6 million last season, and Minaya said the Expos couldn’t afford to go to salary arbitration with him.

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Free agent Jeff Suppan and St. Louis agreed to a two-year contract, giving the Cardinals a much-needed pitcher for their depleted rotation. The $6-million deal was finalized after Suppan took a physical.

Suppan, 29 next month, went 13-11 with a 4.19 earned-run average for Pittsburgh and Boston. The right-hander has pitched at least 200 innings for five straight years, and a durable starter is exactly what the Cardinals needed.

St. Louis faded late last season, finishing three games behind the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. The Cardinals made it through the year despite a patchwork rotation, with ace Matt Morris continuing to battle injuries.

Since the season ended, the Cardinals have parted ways with starters Garrett Stephenson, Brett Tomko and Sterling Hitchcock.

Suppan is 62-75 with a 4.90 ERA for the Red Sox, Arizona, Kansas City and Pittsburgh.

He was traded from the Pirates to Boston on July 31. With the Red Sox, he went 3-4 and made 10 starts.

He was left off the roster for Boston’s first-round AL playoff series against Oakland and then added for the AL championship series, but did not pitch in the seven-game loss to the New York Yankees.

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The Philadelphia Phillies agreed with free-agent reliever Roberto Hernandez on a one-year contract.

Hernandez must pass a physical, expected to be taken today, before the deal is finalized. The contract guarantees him $750,000, with bonuses based on performance.

Hernandez, 39, ranks ninth on the career saves list with 320. But he did not have any as a right-handed setup man for the Atlanta Braves last season, when he was 5-3 with a 4.35 ERA.

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The San Francisco Giants acquired outfielder Dustan Mohr from the Minnesota Twins for a player to be named.

Mohr hit .250 with 10 homers, 36 RBIs and 50 runs for the AL Central champions last year. He batted .272 with eight homers and 23 RBIs while serving as the primary right fielder before Minnesota traded for Shannon Stewart on July 16.