MLB roundup: Verlander, Posey agree to long-term extensions
Justin Verlander, the 2011 American League MVP, and Buster Posey, the 2012 National League MVP, both agreed to lucrative long-term contract extensions on Friday.
Verlander and the Detroit Tigers have reached agreement on a new contract that could surpass $202 million, making him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball, ESPN.com reported. The reported seven-year deal is for $180 million with an option for an eighth year.
The team announced the contract, but did not disclose financial figures.
Verlander had two years left on an $80 million contract and was not eligible for arbitration until the end of the 2014 season.
Verpander won the Cy Young Award in 2011 and finished second last season, when he went 17-8 record with a 2.64 ERA.
Meanwhile, the San Francisco Giants signed catcher Posey to a nine-year, $167 million contract extension that runs through the 2021 season.
The deal, which includes a no-trade clause, is the largest guaranteed contract in history for a player with three or fewer years in the major leagues and the longest in Giants history.
Posey, 26, signed a one-year, $8 million contract before the 2012 season, when he hit .336 with 24 homers and won the NL MVP Award.
---The Arizona Diamondbacks reached agreement with first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a five-year, $32 million contract extension with a club option for 2019, Fox Sports reported Friday.
The 25-year-old Goldschmidt batted .286 with 20 home runs, 82 RBI and 18 stolen bases in 2012.
---The St. Louis Cardinals placed closer Jason Motte on the disabled list on Friday because of a strained right elbow. The team offered no timetable for Motte's possible return.
Motte led the league with 32 saves last season.
---All signs point to New York Mets third baseman David Wright being ready for Opening Day.
Wright had been sidelined with a strained rib-cage muscle. But he played five innings at third base on Thursday in a minor-league game, and went 0-ofr-3 while playing third base for the Mets on Friday.
---Miguel Tejada made the Kansas City Royals' season-opening roster as a utility infielder, manager Ned Yost announced.
The 38-year-old Tejada, a former American League Most Valuable Player, last played in the major leagues in 2011 for San Francisco.
---Scott Rice, a first-round pick in1999 who spent the next 14 years in the minors, earned a spot on the New York Mets' Opening Day roster. Rice, 31, is on a major-league roster for the first time.
---The Tampa Bay Rays have selected Roberto Hernandez as their fifth starter and sending Jeff Niemann to the bullpen, according to reports.
