LITTLE ROCK — BASEBALL Reds sign Broxton for $21M
The Cincinnati Reds signed Jonathan Broxton to a three-year, $21 million contract on Wednesday, giving the NL Central champions a potential closer and a chance to reconfigure their starting rotation. Broxton came to the Reds last July in a trade with Kansas City and was part of their push toward the playoffs. He filled in as the closer when Aroldis Chapman came down with a tired shoulder and had four saves in six chances overall with a 2.82 ERA, impressing the Reds. Now they have the option of turning Chapman into a starter, which was the plan last season until closer Ryan Madson injured his pitching elbow. The Reds have told Chapman to prepare for next season as a starter, although they haven’t committed to Broxton as the closer.Broxton’s deal pays him a $4 million base salary in 2013, $7 million in 2014 and $9 million in 2015. There’s a club option for another year at $9 million with a $1 million buyout. He also got a limited no-trade provision. Broxton gets to pick 10 teams each year that would be acceptable in a trade. If he’s dealt, the club option becomes a mutual option and the buyout increases by $1 million.
Andy Pettitte is staying with the New York Yankees next season. The left-hander signed a one-year deal with the Yankees worth $12 million on Wednesday, putting baseball’s biggest postseason winner back in pinstripes. Pettitte turns 41 in June. He retired after the 2010 season, then decided to come back this year and signed a contract guaranteeing $2.5 million. Pettitte went 5-4 with a 2.87 ERA in 12 starts. He missed almost three months because of a broken lower left leg, sustained when he was hit by a line drive off the bat of Cleveland’s Casey Kotchman on June 27.
Right-handed reliever RyanMadson has agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels, hoping for a comeback from elbow ligament replacement surgery. The Angels announced the deal Wednesday. Madson says he expects to be the Angels’ closer, and General Manager Jerry Dipoto agreed the veteran is likely to supplant Ernesto Frieri when Madson is fully healthy. Madson pitched his first nine big-league seasons with Philadelphia, going 47-30 with 52 saves and a 3.59 ERA. He was outstanding as the Phillies’ closer in 2011, getting 32 saves with a 2.37 ERA.
The Baltimore Orioles have acquired infielder Danny Valencia from the Boston Red Sox for cash. Valencia, 28, played in 44 games with Minnesota and Boston last season. He hit a combined .188 with 3 home runs and 21 RBI.
The Kansas City Royals have traded right-hander Vin Mazzaro and first baseman Clint Robinsonto the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor league pitchers Luis Santos and Luis Rico. Mazzaro was 4-3 with a 5.73 ERA for the Royals while filling in as a spot starter because of injuries last season. Robinson struck out twice in his first four major league at-bats. Both were designated for assignment on Nov. 20.
The Texas Rangers have acquired right-hander Cory Burns from San Diego in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Burns made his major league debut, allowing 11 runs over 18 innings in 17 relief appearances for the Padres. He was 1-2 with 3 saves and a 3.14 ERA in 54 games for Class AAA Tucson.
HOCKEY Devils’ Henrique injured
New Jersey Devils center Adam Henrique is going to have a procedure to repair a ligament in hisleft thumb after being hurt playing for the team’s AHL affiliate. Albany Devils General Manager Chris Lamoriello said Wednesday that Henrique will have a procedure on his ulmar collateral ligament today. He is expected to be sidelined up to six weeks. Henrique, assigned the Devils’ top minor league team at the beginning of the NHL lockout, was injured in Sunday’s game against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in Atlantic City, N.J. The 22-year-old had 16 goals and 35 assists as a rookie last season.
BASKETBALL Blake out 2 more weeks
Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Blake will be sidelined at least two more weeks with an abdominal strain. The backup point guard had a magnetic resonance imaging exam Wednesday. Blake has missed eight games with the injury, which sidelined him Nov. 11 at Sacramento. He will miss at least seven more games.
GOLF
LeBrun leads Tour Q-school
Steve LeBrun shot an 8-under 64 on Wednesday on PGA West’s Stadium Course to take the firstround lead in the PGA Tour qualifying tournament in La Quinta, Calif. Edward Loar, Alexandre Rocha, Jin Park and Kris Blanks were a stroke back. Ron Whittaker (Little Rock) was the top Arkansan in the event with a 3-under 69. Also in the field were: Brenden Pappas (Arkansas Razorbacks) with a 70, Glen Day (Little Rock) with a 72 and Tag Ridings (Razorbacks) with a 73. They also opened the six-round event on the Stadium Course. The top 25 and ties will receive 2013 PGA Tour cards and the next 50 and ties will earn Web.com Tour cards.
BASEBALL DeCinces indicted for insider trading
LOS ANGELES - Former Baltimore Orioles All-Star Doug DeCinces and three others were indicted Wednesday on insider trading charges involving the use of information prior to the takeover of a medical device company in California, authorities said.
In 2008, DeCinces was told by a close friend and official at Advanced Medical Optics Inc. that Abbott Laboratories planned to pay $21 to $23 a share for the company’s stock, prosecutors said. At the time, Advanced Medical Optics was trading for about $8 a share.
DeCinces began buying Advance Medical stock based on that information and passed along the takeover details to three friends because he wanted to make up for previous investment recommendations that had gone bad, prosecutors said.
When Abbott’s offer was made public, DeCinces sold his newly purchased shares and profited about $1.3 million, court documents show. Abbott acquired Advanced Medical Optics in January 2009.
DeCinces’ three friends each bought and sold Advanced Medical stock and made anywhere from $140,000 to nearly $350,000, authorities said.
DeCinces, 62, was charged with 42 counts of securities fraud and one count of money laundering. Each of the fraud counts carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. DeCinces is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 17.
Sports, Pages 20 on 11/29/2012