Eckstein Lands With Cardinals

David Eckstein agreed Thursday to a $10.25-million, three-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, completing a trio of shortstop switches.

Boston started it by luring Edgar Renteria from St. Louis with a $40-million, four-year contract. The Angels then chose to cut loose Eckstein on Monday and give a $32-million, four-year deal to Orlando Cabrera, who played last season for the Red Sox.

“David was the player we focused on right away after Cabrera signed,” Cardinal assistant general manager John Mozeliak said. “Given the current free-agent market at shortstop, it pushed salaries higher, but we still felt this was a value signing for us.”

Eckstein was the second major off-season acquisition for the Cardinals, who obtained 17-game winner Mark Mulder from the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.

“I’m thrilled,” Eckstein said. “They have a great nucleus of guys. That lineup they put out there, you’re playing with a bunch of All-Stars, and it’s going to be fun to be a part of it.”

Eckstein, 29, was a fan favorite in Anaheim, helping the Angels win the 2002 World Series title with his spunky play. Cardinal Manager Tony La Russa told him to keep it up.

“Mr. La Russa said just to play my game, be a pest at the plate and play solid defense,” Eckstein said during a telephone interview.

He hit .276 with two home runs and 35 runs batted in last season, and scored 92 runs. He was the second-hardest player to strike out in the American League, with only 49 in 566 at-bats.

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Catcher Jason Varitek is staying in Boston, the latest prize in a flurry of free-agent deals by the Red Sox since Pedro Martinez left town.

Varitek and the team agreed to a $40-million, four-year contract, a lawyer with knowledge of the negotiations said. The deal will be announced today, the lawyer said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Varitek will receive a $4-million signing bonus paid over four years and annual salaries of $9 million.

The sides compromised over his desire for a no-trade clause, working out a solution that will cover a large part of the contract but not all of it.

Varitek hit a career-high .296 last season with 18 home runs and 73 RBIs.

Varitek’s agreement came a few hours after the Red Sox finalized a $1.5-million, one-year deal with right-hander Wade Miller.

Miller, 28, had spent his entire career in Houston’s organization but became a free agent when the Astros didn’t offer him a contract Monday.

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Andres Galarraga is taking his quest to reach 400 homers to the New York Mets.

The 43-year-old first baseman agreed to a minor league contract with the Mets and would get a $600,000, one-year deal if he is added to the major league roster.

Galarraga, who has 399 homers, spent the final month of the season with the Angels and went three for 10 with one home run and two RBIs in seven games.

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Private investors have until Jan. 17 to submit proposals to assist financing Washington’s new ballpark under a process started by the city’s chief financial officer.

Legislation approved Tuesday by the District of Columbia Council contemplates that at least half of the stadium construction cost come from a private source.

The process gives investors nearly four weeks to submit proposals along with nonrefundable $10,000 deposits.