TEMPE, Ariz.
– Right-hander Ervin Santana and the Los Angeles Angels agreed to a $30 million, four-year contract Saturday, a day after their scheduled arbitration hearing was postponed. Santana’s deal includes a $13 million club option for 2013 with a $1 million buyout. If the option is exercised, the agreement would be worth $42 million over five seasons. The 26-year-old is the youngest active big league pitcher with at least 50 wins. He rebounded from a sub-par season in 2007 to go 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA for the AL West champion Angels last year, striking out a career-high 214 in 219 innings with only 47 walks. Santana expects to be a mid-rotation starter on a staff that includes John Lackey, Joe Saunders and Jered Weaver. METS: RHP Hernandez agrees to minor-league deal PORT ST. LUCIE — Livan Hernandez and the New York Mets agreed to a minor league contract Saturday, giving the team another pitcher who could compete for the final rotation spot during spring training. With the move, Mets general manager Omar Minaya all but ruled out bringing back Pedro Martinez, a free agent coming off four injury-plagued seasons in New York. Martinez plans to pitch in the World Baseball Classic next month, hoping he can showcase his stuff before picking a big league offer.
NATIONALS: Dukes, 22 others