Haren to Nationals?
FREE-AGENT pitcher Dan Haren and the Washington Nationals are close to completing a 1-year deal for $13 million, a person familiar with the talks told the Associated Press. The person spoke Tuesday at the baseball winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn., under condition of anonymity because no deal was announced.
FREE-AGENT pitcher Dan Haren and the Washington Nationals are close to completing a 1-year deal for $13 million, a person familiar with the talks told the Associated Press. The person spoke Tuesday at the baseball winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn., under condition of anonymity because no deal was announced.
Washington had the best record in the majors last season. The NL East champions already have a formidable rotation led by Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg, and could boost it by adding Haren, an All-Star from 2007-09.
Haren was 12-13 with a 4.33 ERA in 30 starts and 176 2/3 innings for the Los Angeles Angels.
In other baseball news:
* The Houston Astros traded reliever Wilton Lopez and a player to be named to Colorado for righthanders Alex White and Alex Gillingham . . . Free agent Eric Hinske agreed to a 1-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks . . . Second baseman Marco Scutaro is staying in San Francisco, agreeing to a $20 million, 3-year contract with the Giants.
Sport Stops *
Rory McIlroy was named the PGA Tour player of the year. McIlroy finished with four wins, including his eight-shot victory in the PGA Championship, and made a clean sweep of the biggest awards by winning the money title and having the lowest adjusted scoring average. The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland became the youngest player to win PGA Tour player of the year since Tiger Woods at age 21 in 1997.
* The IOC suspended India's national Olympic committee because of government interference in its election process.