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Baseball

Bosox beat Yankees to Cuban star

FORT MYERS -- Score one for the Red Sox over the Yankees in the pursuit of Cuban pitchers.

The Red Sox reached an agreement on a minor-league contract with Gary Galvez, 18, the ace of Cuba's junior national team who defected in August.

Less than two months ago, Boston lost to New York in the more publicized fight for Jose Contreras, 32, who could be in New York's rotation. Galvez likely will start the season in Class A.

The Yankees were among three or four teams that made offers to the right-hander, said Louie Eljaua, Boston's director of international scouting.

Boston general manager Theo Epstein wouldn't get drawn into the rivalry between the teams, fueled by team president Larry Lucchino's characterization of the Yankees as the "Evil Empire."

Asked if he took greater satisfaction in obtaining Galvez because the Red Sox beat the Yankees to him, Epstein said Sunday: "I'm not going to fall for that."

METS PURSUE 3B: The Mets again are pursuing Shea Hillenbrand and Mike Lowell after a door opened Saturday with the Red Sox picking up former Marlin Kevin Millar.

Boston now intends to trade Hillenbrand, and the Mets plan to be players, possibly parlaying Hillenbrand into a trade with the Marlins for Lowell, the New York Daily News reported.

Meanwhile, Mets outfielder Cliff Floyd arrived 20 pounds lighter than last season and determined to prove somebody's scouting report wrong.

Floyd said that while playing for the Marlins, Expos and Red Sox last season, he hovered around 258 pounds. He weighed 240 after an offseason conditioning and nutrition program.

Floyd was stung during the offseason by an Internet scouting report that said he had a tendency to give less than 100 percent. "I never dogged a game," he said.

CUBS: Broadcaster Ron Santo, who had his left leg amputated below the knee a year after having the same done to his right leg because of diabetes, arrived at camp in Mesa, Ariz., pronouncing himself ready to work. "As far as I'm concerned, I feel I can do a whole schedule," he said.

D'BACKS: The weather finally allowed Arizona to take the field in Tucson. That meant Craig Counsell fielded grounders for the first time since neck surgery in September. "It went fine," he said. "I'm a little rusty, but fine." Manager Bob Brenly has said that if Counsell is healthy, he will start at third base ahead of Matt Williams.

INDIANS: Left-hander Cliff Lee will be sidelined at least a month with an abdominal strain, a blow to his chances of making the opening-day roster. Also, right-handed reliever Mark Wohlers will be sidelined for a week with a sore pitching elbow.

ORIOLES: Pitcher Steve Bechler felt dizzy toward the end of a final conditioning run and was hospitalized as a precaution.

ROCKIES: Delayed by a visa problem, closer Jose Jimenez reported to spring training a day late on Sunday. Fellow reliever Rich Garces, however, remained a no-show.

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