Mariners Agree on Deal to Send Cirillo to Padres

The Seattle Mariners have reached agreement to trade third baseman Jeff Cirillo to the San Diego Padres for pitcher Kevin Jarvis, catcher Wiki Gonzalez and infielder Dave Hansen, Associated Press learned Monday night.

The deal was to be announced today, according to a baseball source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Cirillo, who has struggled mightily since joining the Mariners, blocked a deal last month to the New York Mets that would have sent outfielder Roger Cedeno to Seattle.

Cirillo, a two-time All-Star, had said he would rather be a backup with the Mariners than have an uncertain role with an East Coast team.

Cirillo, 34, hit .249 with six homers and 54 runs batted in in 2002, then lost his starting job last season when he dropped to a career-low .205 in 258 at-bats.

*

Reliever Braden Looper passed his physical with the Mets, who planned to announce his $6.75-million, two-year contract today.... Infielder Eric Young agreed to a $1-million, one-year contract with the Texas Rangers. Young, a former Dodger, played in 125 games last season for Milwaukee and San Francisco, and batted .250.... Javier Vazquez and the New York Yankees agreed to a $45-million, four-year contract. The right-hander, acquired from Montreal on Dec. 4, would have been eligible for free agency after next season.... Closer Danys Baez agreed to terms with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after spending last season with Cleveland.

Tennis

Australian wild-card entry Samantha Stosur upset American Meghann Shaugnessy, 7-6 (3), 6-3, in the opening round of the Australian women’s hardcourt championships at Gold Coast, Australia.

Stosur’s best previous win was over world No. 37 Conchita Martinez of Spain at last year’s Australian Open.

American Vincent Spadea, the No. 2-seeded player, beat Jurgen Melzer of Austria, 7-6 (4), 6-2, in the first round of the AAPT Championships at Adelaide, Australia.

Fellow American Taylor Dent also won his opening match with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Luis Horna of Peru.

Mikhail Youzhny beat second-seeded Rainer Schuettler, 6-3, 7-6 (5), in the first round of the Qatar Open at Doha.... Seventh-seeded David Ferrer of Spain rallied to beat Fernando Verdasco, 1-6, 7-5, 6-0, in the first round of the Tata Open at Madras, India.... Kim Clijsters and Xavier Malisse won their singles matches and the mixed doubles to lead Belgium to a 3-0 victory over Slovakia at the Hopman Cup at Perth, Australia. France beat Russia, 2-1, in the eight-nation event.

Miscellany

Sweden’s Anja Paerson won her fourth World Cup slalom race of the season, defeating Austria’s Marlies Schild with a strong second run at Megeve, France. Paerson clocked a winning time of 1 minute 42.25 seconds.

China’s table-tennis association, the custodian of a sport considered a patriotic institution, has removed four national team members for having romantic affairs that it said impeded preparations for this year’s Olympic Games.

Women’s world No. 9 Li Nan and teammates Bai Yang and Fan Ying have been sent home to “carry out deep reflection,” news reports said, quoting Coach Cai Zhenhua.

Men’s player Hou Yingchao, identified by reports as Li’s boyfriend, was also sent home.

Cal State Fullerton will open the 2004 baseball season ranked fourth in the nation by Baseball America in its preseason poll. The Titans, who return All-America pitchers Jason Windsor and Dustin Miller, will open the season at sixth-ranked Stanford on Jan. 30. Long Beach State is ranked ninth in the poll.

Passings

James “Tip” Anderson, the longtime caddie for Arnold Palmer at the British Open, died over the weekend at his home in St. Andrews, Scotland. He was 71.

Charles Dumas, an Olympic gold medalist from USC who was the first high jumper to clear 7 feet, died of cancer Monday. He was 66. See B section.