Milton, Reds Agree to a Deal

Left-handed pitcher Eric Milton agreed to a $25.5-million, three-year deal on Monday with the Cincinnati Reds, a team that joined the bidding late and seemed an unlikely match for a pitcher who yearns to get back to the playoffs.

“I wouldn’t be sitting here today if I didn’t think we have a real chance of winning,” Milton said.

The Reds think so too, and were willing to structure his contract so he can leave if they don’t win during his first two seasons. Milton got a $4-million signing bonus and base salaries of $4 million in 2005, $8.5 million in 2006 and $9 million in 2007, matching the total value of Matt Clement’s deal with Boston.

After the 2006 season, Milton has the option of staying for the final year of the deal or going somewhere else.

The Reds have gone four consecutive years without a winning season, their longest stretch since 1945 to ’55.

Milton, 29, finishing 14-6 with a 4.75 earned-run average for Philadelphia last season. The Phillies decided not to offer salary arbitration to Milton, who made $9 million last season.

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The Chicago Cubs agreed to a $900,000, one-year deal with outfielder Todd Hollandsworth, avoiding arbitration.... As expected, the San Francisco Giants finalized a two-year contract with Moises Alou. The deal is worth $13.25 million and includes a player option for the 2006 season.

Miscellany

The United States matched Switzerland’s four-goal outburst in the third period for a 6-4 victory in the preliminary round of the World Junior Hockey Championship at Grand Forks, N.D.

The United States, the tournament’s defending champion, improved to 2-0. Switzerland fell to 1-1. In other games, Canada beat Sweden, 8-1; Slovakia beat Finland, 2-0; and Russia defeated the Czech Republic, 4-1.

Lance Armstrong, who won a sixth consecutive Tour de France in July, was voted Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third year in a row.

Armstrong joined Michael Jordan (1991 to ‘93) as the only athletes selected by sportswriters and broadcasters three times in a row since the honor was first awarded in 1931. Armstrong received 51 first-place votes and 312 points. Indianapolis Colt quarterback Peyton Manning was second with 17 first-place votes and 156 points.

Khari Johnson, a UC Irvine assistant athletic director since 2001, resigned to pursue a career in real estate finance.