Lopez, Orioles Are Close to $23-Million Agreement

Javy Lopez is on the verge of becoming the latest addition to the Baltimore Orioles’ rebuilding program.

The free-agent catcher and Baltimore were close to agreement Sunday night on a three-year deal worth about $23 million. The team hopes to finalize the deal today.

“We’ve had ongoing discussions with Baltimore since the winter meetings,” Lopez’s agent, Chuck Berry, said. “They’ve been productive. They’re hopeful of working out an agreement in the near future.”

Baltimore already has added shortstop Miguel Tejada. The 2002 American League most valuable player agreed Dec. 14 to a six-year, $72-million contract.

Lopez, 33, batted .328 last season for the Atlanta Braves with 43 home runs and 109 runs batted in, both career highs. It was his best year since 1998, when he batted .284 with 34 homers and 106 RBIs.

But the cost-cutting Braves decided not to re-sign him and didn’t offer salary arbitration Dec. 7, meaning he couldn’t re-sign with them until May 1.

Baltimore has finished fourth in the American League East for six straight seasons behind the New York Yankees, Boston and Toronto.

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The Chicago Cubs cleared up their logjam at catcher, signing Michael Barrett and then sending veteran Damian Miller and cash to the Oakland Athletics.

Barrett had been traded by Montreal to Oakland on Monday, and the A’s shipped him to Chicago on Tuesday.

Barrett, 27, made $2.6 million last season. He was eligible for arbitration, but the Cubs wanted him to take a pay cut. But he couldn’t take more than a 20% reduction without first becoming a free agent.

So the Cubs didn’t offer him a contract by Saturday night’s deadline, making him a free agent, and he then signed a one-year deal for $1.55 million.

That left the Cubs with three catchers, and Paul Bako had reached agreement on a one-year, $865,000 deal Friday. So Chicago sent Miller to Oakland along with $800,000.

Miller, 35, batted only .233 -- below his .262 career average -- and is due to earn $3 million next season.

Barrett batted .208 last season, but spent most of the year on the disabled list.

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The A’s signed Mark Redman to a three-year contract worth about $12 million.

Oakland acquired Redman from Florida on Tuesday for reliever Mike Neu and a player to be named or cash.

The left-hander had a 14-9 record with a 3.59 earned-run average in 29 starts for the World Series champions.

The A’s also agreed to a one-year contract with outfielder Billy McMillon.

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Ricky Ledee and the Philadelphia Phillies avoided salary arbitration, agreeing to a one-year, $1,225,000 contract.

Ledee, 30, primarily as a pinch-hitter last season, batted .247 with 13 home runs and 46 RBIs.

Winter Sports

Davide Simoncelli earned his first World Cup victory, winning a giant slalom at Alta Badia, Italy, in which Bode Miller of the United States finished third.

Simoncelli defeated second-place finisher Kalle Palander of Finland by 1.03 seconds and became the first Italian to win a giant slalom on the Gran Risa course since Alberto Tomba in 1994. He had a two-run time of 2 minutes 33.90 seconds.

Miller finished 1.21 seconds behind. Americans Dane Spencer and Daron Rahlves finished 11th and 28th, respectively.

Olympic champion Andre Lange led Germany to victory in a World Cup four-man bobsled race at Altenberg, Germany, with Todd Hays piloting his U.S. team to third place.

Lange finished in 1:49.26 to beat the German crew led by Matthias Hoepfner by 0.07 seconds. Hays and his team finished in 1:49.59.

Miscellany

Peter Lonard of Australia closed with a three-under-par 69 for a nine-under 279 to win the Australian Open at Rye.

Quarterback Sean Norton and receiver Kevin Ciccone, who led Newhall Hart High to the Southern Section Division II title, have committed to Fresno State.