Santana, Mets agree to a $137.5-million deal

Johan Santana and the New York Mets agreed to terms Friday on a $137.5-million, six-year contract, a record for a pitcher and the last major step needed to finalize the team’s blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Twins.

After the sides were granted an extra two hours to work on a deal, the Mets announced about 30 minutes before the new 7 p.m. EST deadline that negotiations had concluded. The pitcher was scheduled to take a physical today.

Terms of the agreement were disclosed by a baseball official with knowledge of the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. The deal includes deferred money and a club option for 2014 with a $5.5-million buyout that could make the contract worth about $150 million over seven seasons.

Santana’s contract topped the previous mark for pitchers, set when Barry Zito received a $126-million, seven-year deal from the San Francisco Giants last off-season.

The only players with larger deals are New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez ($275 million), Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter ($189 million) and Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez ($160 million).

Former major leaguer Chuck Knoblauch spoke for about 1 1/2 hours with congressional lawyers investigating drugs in baseball.

He did not reveal specifics of what he was asked or what he told staff members from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Knoblauch was among more than 80 baseball players cited in former Senate majority leader George Mitchell’s report on drug use in the sport.

Left-hander Joe Beimel and the Dodgers avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $1.925 million. The salary falls in the middle of the arbitration figures filed by Beimel and the Dodgers, which were $2.15 million and $1.7 million.

Beimel can make up to $160,000 in bonuses, but to do so, he would have to make 85 appearances, two more than the career-high 83 he made last season. Beimel was 4-2 with a 3.88 earned-run average in 67 1/3 innings.

The final arbitration-eligible Dodger to sign, Beimel will get a $40,000 bonus for pitching in 50 games. He will earn additional $40,000 bonuses for reaching the 60-game, 70-game and 85-game plateaus.

Beimel’s base salary increased by more than $1 million from last season, when he lost his arbitration case and made $912,500.

-- Dylan Hernandez

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Third baseman Casey Blake avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $6.1-million, one-year contract with the Cleveland Indians.

Blake had been seeking $6.9 million. Cleveland offered $5.4 million. He made $3.75 million last season.

Free-agent first baseman Sean Casey reached a preliminary agreement on an $800,000, one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. The deal is pending a physical, a baseball official with knowledge of the agreement said

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TRACK AND FIELD

Lagat wins another Millrose Games mile

Bernard Lagat used his signature finishing kick to win his sixth Wanamaker Mile at the 101st Millrose Games at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Lagat took the lead with a lap and a half to go and finished in 3 minutes 57.51 seconds. The Kenyan-born American moved a victory away from Eamonn Coghlan’s meet record of seven wins.

Two-time Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson set a meet record in winning the shotput at 72 feet, 5 inches.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Georgia house votes for playoff system

The Georgia House voted, 151-9, in favor of a resolution urging the NCAA to create a playoff system for college football.

Georgia was ranked fourth in the Bowl Championship Series entering the final week of the season, behind Missouri, West Virginia and Ohio State.

When Missouri and West Virginia lost, Georgia did not rise to second behind Ohio State and dropped to fifth in the BCS. Southeastern Conference champion Louisiana State went from seventh to second.

The Bulldogs went on to beat previously undefeated Hawaii, 41-10, in the Sugar Bowl.

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MISCELLANY

Predators’ Dumont signs four-year deal

J.P. Dumont signed a four-year, $16-million contract with the Nashville Predators. Dumont has a franchise-record 16-game point streak dating to Dec. 29, and 18 goals and 45 points overall.

Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC switched coaches, with John Carver replacing Mo Johnston. Johnston will become the manager and director of soccer. Carver is a former coach at Luton Town of England’s First Division.

Robby Gordon will drive Dodges instead of Fords this season as part of a partnership the Orange-based NASCAR Sprint Cup owner/driver reached with Gillett Evernham Motorsports.

-- Jim Peltz