Yankees to finalize deals for Sabathia and Burnett

In what might be the final news conference at Yankee Stadium, the team will introduce CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett today.

The free-agent pitchers reached preliminary agreements last week, with Sabathia agreeing to a $161 million, 7-year contract and Burnett an $82.5 million, 5-year deal. Sabathia's agreement is a record for a pitcher.

While the news conference will be at the old ballpark, the pair will be taken across the street afterward for photo opportunities at the new $1.3 billion stadium, which is still under construction.

Catcher Jorge Posada, meanwhile, threw from 60 feet yesterday at the Yankees' spring-training complex in Tampa, Fla., his first throws from that distance since shoulder surgery on July 30. He had three sessions of 25 throws each.

In another Yankees matter, righthander Joba Chamberlain had his arraignment on drunken-driving charges delayed until next month.

Chamberlain is charged with first-offense drunken driving and having an open alcohol container. He was pulled over Oct. 18 by the Nebraska State Patrol on the outskirts of Lincoln.

* Rafael Furcal accepted a 3-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers worth at least $30 million, and the Atlanta Braves accused the star shortstop of reneging on a deal they thought was agreed to earlier this week.

Furcal can earn an additional $3 million if he remains healthy during the three guaranteed seasons of the contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal was still not yet official.

A day earlier, Furcal had been close to accepting a $30 million, 3-year offer from the Braves, his original major league team.

"From our perspective, we reached an agreement Monday night," Braves general manager Frank Wren said.

Earlier yesterday, agent Paul Kinzer said his client had never accepted the Braves' offer.

"They know we didn't have a signed contract, that we didn't have even a verbal agreement. We had, 'Things look very good and Raffy's going to sleep on it,' " Kinzer said.

* Free agent Mark Teixeira reportedly won't become a member of his hometown Baltimore Orioles unless he's willing to take substantially less money than other teams are offering.

A source told ESPN.com that "the Orioles are out of it, unless Teixeira really, really wants to play there."

Sources told ESPN.com that the Orioles have not increased their offer, which is believed to be about $150 million for 7 years. MLB.com has reported that the Nationals have offered $160 million over 8 years. Anaheim, Boston, Washington and the New York Yankees have also expressed interest.

* New York Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said that like many others, his family was allegedly swindled by Bernard Madoff.

Madoff was arrested and charged with allegedly running a $50 billion "Ponzi scheme" in what may rank among the biggest fraud cases ever.

"The individual partners lost some money at Madoff. It doesn't affect the Mets," Wilpon said.

He vehemently stated the team was "uncategorically, totally, completely not for sale."

"Not a piece of it, not a part of it, none of it," he said.

* Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg will manage the Chicago Cubs' Double A Tennessee Smokies next season.

The Southern League team announced that Sandberg is moving up from the Cubs' Class A Peoria Chiefs, who Sandberg managed the past two seasons.

* Reliever Scott Dohmann agreed to a1-year, guaranteed $650,000 contract with the Japan's Hiroshima Carp. The 7-year veteran pitched with Tampa Bay last season.

* San Diego outfielder Brian Giles is being sued by Cheri Olveram, his former girlfriend, for more than $10 million, alleging he battered her while she was pregnant and caused her to have a miscarriage.

The lawsuit was filed in San Diego Superior Court on Dec. 5 and reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Giles' agent, Joe Bick, told the Union-Tribune he would not comment. *