Gonzalez Puts a Stop to His Trade to Expos

Texas slugger Juan Gonzalez rejected a trade to the Montreal Expos on Friday, exercising a no-trade clause in his contract three days after the teams agreed to a deal.

Ranger General Manager John Hart made a deal Tuesday to send the two-time American League most valuable player to the Expos for prospects, possibly three, if the 33-year-old outfielder accepted the trade.

Montreal General Manager Omar Minaya, who has a long history with the slugger, traveled to Texas on Wednesday in hopes of persuading Gonzalez to accept the deal.

But in a statement before Friday night’s game against the Houston Astros, Gonzalez said he would remain with the Rangers.

“During my career, I’ve learned a lot,” Gonzalez said. “I signed with Texas as a kid. Texas is a very special place to me. Also, Omar Minaya is a very special person in my life, and I want to thank Montreal and him for their interest. However, I have a no-trade clause and respectfully decline the trade to Montreal.”

Gonzalez, in the last year of his $24 million, two-year deal with Texas, had until this morning to invoke the no-trade clause.

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Houston Astro second baseman Jeff Kent was put on the 15-day disabled list because of tendinitis in his left wrist, which already has caused him to sit out seven games.

Kent has 11 home runs and leads the team with 50 RBIs. He received a cortisone shot on June 22 and team physician Tom Mehlhoff said an examination revealed no structural damage. The move to the disabled list was retroactive to June 19.

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Cleveland Indian reliever Jason Boyd dropped his appeal of a three-game suspension and $1,500 fine for bumping umpire Dana DeMuth during an argument last weekend and began serving the penalty Friday.

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A 15-year-old girl who was hurt when a baseball bat flew into the stands during a Ranger game was released from a Dallas hospital Friday afternoon.

John Spence said his daughter, Elizabeth Spence, was released from Baylor Medical Center after sustaining a fractured skull and blood clotting on the brain. She required more than 20 stitches.

He said doctors have restricted the teenager’s activity for the remainder of the summer.

Another young fan who was hit by the bat, 4-year-old Sean Haynes, was treated at the hospital and released Wednesday night. He received about six stitches, his father said.

The two were injured Wednesday when a bat swung by Texas outfielder Carl Everett slipped out of his hands and went into the stands.

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The Tampa Bay Devil Rays released pitcher John Rocker. Rocker was pitching for double-A Orlando, where he was 0-1 with a 9.15 earned-run average in 17 games.... The Expos signed first-round draft pick Chad Cordero. Cordero, selected 20th overall, went 5-1 with eight saves and a 1.58 ERA in 40 appearances as the closer for Cal State Fullerton last season. He attended Chino Don Lugo High.... Former Dodger manager Davey Johnson has been hired as interim manager of the Dutch national team, the International Baseball Assn. said.

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Major League Baseball won a decisive court victory in its fight to deny media access to internal memos and financial documents from its attempt to eliminate the Minnesota Twins. The Minnesota Supreme Court issued an order Thursday refusing to hear an appeal from Associated Press, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis and KARE-TV. The media outlets wanted to inspect the information gathered as part of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission’s successful lawsuit that spared the Twins before the 2002 season.