see below story from Espn.com

 

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees moved to shore up their bullpen, agreeing Monday night with free-agent reliever Tom Gordon on a two-year, $7.25 million contract.

 

 

Replenishing their rotation also is one of New York's highest priorities, and according to a Newsday report the team has talked to the Dodgers about acquiring veteran right-hander Kevin Brown for beleaguered 27-year-old right-hander Jeff Weaver.

 

 

Brown turns 39 in March and will make $15 million in each of the next two seasons. The Yankees have been pursuing free agents Bartolo Colon and Javier Vazquez in the wake of Roger Clemens' retirement, Andy Pettitte's free agency, and their refusal to pick up David Wells' option. New York is trying to re-sign the left-handed Pettitte.

 

 

Gordon's deal was finalized after he passed a physical earlier in the day, a baseball source familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. "Flash" Gordon was 7-6 with a team-high 12 saves and a 3.16 ERA for the Chicago White Sox last season. The 36-year-old pitched in 66 games, striking out 91 in 74 innings.

 

 

After losing to the Florida Marlins in six games in the World Series, the Yankees again have prepared to pour resources into their bullpen.

 

 

The club also has been pursuing right-hander Paul Quantrill and is attempting to re-sign lefty Felix Heredia to further bolster the staff. The Hartford Courant reported Tuesday that two-year offers are on the table for both: $6 million for Quantrill and $3.5 million for Heredia. New York also is expected to re-sign lefty Gabe White, who was acquired from Cincinnati last July in the Aaron Boone trade.

 

 

General manager Brian Cashman was busy all of last season shuffling his bullpen. Heredia and Jesse Orosco also were acquired in midseason as set-up men for closer Mariano Rivera, and Jeff Nelson and Armando Benitez also were added to the mix. Steve Karsay was the right-handed prelude to Rivera but missed the entire year because of an injured right shoulder, and his return is not 100 percent certain.

 

 

Known for a knee-buckling curveball, Gordon has made a nifty comeback from injuries that threatened to end his career. He had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in December 1999 and spent the next 16 months rehabilitating.

 

 

Even after he recovered, Gordon was beset by injuries to his triceps and shoulder.

 

 

Gordon signed with the White Sox after pitching for the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros in 2002.

 

 

Gordon is 113-107 with 110 saves and a 4.07 ERA in a 15-year career that started with Kansas City. He was an All-Star in 1998, when he led the AL with 46 saves for Boston.

 

 

Tampa Bay, Oakland and the New York Mets were among the other teams that were interested in Gordon last month.

 

 

Gordon had thought about returning to a closer's role for next season, though he left open the possibility of being a setup man for two teams: the Philadelphia Phillies, with recently acquired Billy Wagner, and the Yankees.

 

 

Gordon reached the postseason twice in his career, with Boston in 1998 and 1999. He has never made it to the World Series.

Good... Let them get there Payroll up to 200 million... I'll laugh when they fall flat on there faces and George will have that pout on his face I see a lot of Yankess in the Social Security line in not a distant future....

 

 

When is baseball ever gonna have a salary cap? George is gonna ruin the game

I'd love to see the Yankees add Brown and love to see Weaver in the NL where other pitchers get to throw at him

Baseball is now much like a political race. Yankees are the Democrats, Red Sox are the Republicans, and all the other AL teams are Ross Perot. One of them almost always wins elections, and defintely outspend everyone else, but sometimes a Jesse ventura comes along(Marlins) and sneaks away with a win. With no salary cap, baseball will be a joke within 20 years--I guarantee it.

Baseball is now much like a political race.  Yankees are the Democrats, Red Sox are the Republicans, and all the other AL teams are Ross Perot.  One of them almost always wins elections, and defintely outspend everyone else, but sometimes a Jesse ventura comes along(Marlins) and sneaks away with a win.  With no salary cap, baseball will be a joke within 20 years--I guarantee it.

See also the NHL... Things are going to get that bad for MLB. The thing that made the situations deteriorate more quickly is the amount of teams from Canada who are paying wages in US $ but getting their revenues in Canadian $ worth only about 70 cents on the dollar.

 

I really expect to hear of a bankruptcy filing by a MLB team within the next 5 years.

See also the NHL...  Things are going to get that bad for MLB.  The thing that made the situations deteriorate more quickly is the amount of teams from Canada who are paying wages in US $ but getting their revenues in Canadian $ worth only about 70 cents on the dollar.

 

I really expect to hear of a bankruptcy filing by a MLB team within the next 5 years.

This maybe sad to say, but maybe just maybe that is what baseball needs. Will that be the slap in the face? Maybe it will allow some owners rto ealize that with only certain teams getting the "all stars" and paying the outragous salaries that the rest of the league has a hard time getting revenue.

 

 

On the Brown situation: I think the yankees by all star break will have to open their own hosptial wing with the injury prone players they are/will be signing this offseason.

I would love to see that happen. The Dodgers would be so pleased if they could do that...although Weaver does make a ton too.

LOL this is exactly why I hate the Bankees...

Disgusting.

According to The Sporting News this Brown deal would also include Nick Johnson going to LA. Obviously LA would have absolutely no use for PK if they get Johnson. Let's pray that this deal doesn't go down between LA and NY.

Knowing our luck, it will go down in about 30 seconds.

I read a couple of articles out of NY on this and there was no mention of Nick Johnson. However, the Dodgers are attempting to acquire Carlos Beltran, so that may preclude and PK deal to LA.