Brewers, Miller Agree to a Three-Year Deal

Damian Miller and the Milwaukee Brewers reached a preliminary agreement Tuesday on a three-year contract that would guarantee the catcher $8.75 million.

The deal is subject to Miller’s passing a physical. He would get $3.25 million in each of the next two seasons, and the Brewers would have a 2007 option at $3.75 million. If the Brewers declined the option, Miller would get a player option at $2.25 million.

“Nothing’s finalized yet. We hope to get it done [today],” Brewer General Manager Doug Melvin said. “I’m optimistic things will get done.”

Miller, 35, a native of West Salem, Wis., made $3 million last year in Oakland, where in 110 games he batted .272 with 25 doubles, nine home runs and 58 runs batted in.

He committed only one error in 751 chances for a .999 fielding percentage. Miller is a career .264 hitter with 68 home runs and 301 RBIs in 716 major league games.

“The Brewers outbid the Red Sox and Dodgers,” agent Bob Garber said. “Maybe the haves and have-nots are bridging the gap.”

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The Dodgers and Angels are among 10 teams that have inquired about free-agent pitcher Russ Ortiz, his agent, John Boggs said.

Ortiz, who attended Van Nuys Montclair Prep High, would like to play close to home, Boggs said, but the agent did not expect location to be “a determining factor.”

Ortiz was 15-9 with a 4.13 earned-run average last season with the Atlanta Braves, who are not expected to re-sign him.

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Free-agent pitcher Carl Pavano is expected to meet with Angel officials Dec. 9 as part of his cross-country tour of potential teams, said his agent, Scott Shapiro.

Pavano visited Boston last week and is expected to meet with the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners in addition to the Angels, Shapiro said.

“It’s a great opportunity to meet some of the folks in the organization and see some of the facilities so he can make an informed decision,” Shapiro said of Pavano. “He’s intrigued and looks forward to the trip.”

Pavano was 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA last season for the Florida Marlins. He rejected the team’s three-year, $21-million offer to stay in South Florida.

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The Dodgers added seven minor league players to their 40-man roster to protect them from being taken by another team in next month’s Rule 5 draft. Among the players are two left-handed pitchers who were All-Stars at double-A Jacksonville last season, Ryan Ketchner and Derek Thompson. Another Jacksonville pitcher, right-hander Franquelis Osoria, also was protected. Others added to the roster were catcher Russell Martin, outfielder Jason Repko and infielders Brian Myrow and Delwyn Young.

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Infielder Juan Castro and the Minnesota Twins agreed to a $2.05 million, two-year contract.... Right-handed reliever Rudy Seanez is returning to the San Diego Padres for a third time, agreeing to a $550,000, one-year contract that allows him to earn $400,000 more in performance bonuses.... Gary Sheffield’s left shoulder operation was postponed because the New York Yankees outfielder had trouble traveling to Birmingham, Ala. He’ll have surgery next week, Yankee spokesman Ben Tuliebitz said.

Miscellany

Luke Mehring scored with 11 minutes left in the first half, and Mike Enfield and substitute Ryan Valdez scored about 9 1/2 minutes apart in the second half to lead UCLA to a 3-0 victory over Loyola Marymount in the second round of the NCAA men’s soccer tournament.

UCLA (14-3-2) will next face St. John’s in the third round this weekend. Loyola finished 11-8-3.

In another match, defender Pat Scott scored in the 102nd minute -- his first goal of the season -- to lift UC Santa Barbara to a 2-1 overtime victory over Wisconsin Milwaukee.

The Gauchos (18-2-1), who also got a goal from Jonathan Davis, next face North Carolina Greensboro.

U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen shot a seven-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead over PGA champion Vijay Singh in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf at Poipu Beach, Hawaii.

Masters winner Phil Mickelson had two eagles and shot a 68, and British Open champion Todd Hamilton opened with a 70 in the 36-hole tournament for the year’s major champions.

Evander Holyfield appealed the medical suspension handed out by New York boxing officials after his Nov. 13 loss to Larry Donald at Madison Square Garden. The New York State Athletic Commission has been in touch with Holyfield’s camp regarding the next steps in the appeal process, a spokesman said.

Kasey Kahne, who narrowly missed out on his first victory five times this season, was selected NASCAR’s Nextel Cup Rookie of the Year.

Kyle Busch, younger brother of Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch, was the top rookie in the Busch Series. David Reutimann earned top honors in the Truck Series.

Two-time major champion Mary Pierce pulled out of France’s Fed Cup semifinal against Spain because of a right shoulder injury, the French tennis federation said on its website.

Former U.S. skating champion Christopher Bowman has pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors involving having a gun while drunk after prosecutors dropped felony charges against him in Rochester Hills, Mich.

Dave Salo of Irvine Novaquatics has been named by USA Swimming as its men’s coach for the 2005 World Championships at Montreal in July. Jack Bauerle of the University of Georgia/Athens Bulldogs will coach the women’s team.