DETROIT - Free agent Troy Percival and the Tigers agreed Wednesday to a $12-million, two-year contract, a move that likely will lead to Ugueth Urbina becoming a setup man or getting traded.
Percival, 35, was 2-3 with a 2.90 ERA and 33 saves in 38 opportunities last season with Anaheim. The Angels made no attempt to re-sign him and plan to use Francisco Rodriguez as their closer in 2005.
Percival was fourth in the AL in saves, reaching 30 for the seventh straight season, the longest streak by an active pitcher. He also missed a month with an elbow injury, and his strikeouts slipped for a third straight season to a career-low 5.98 per nine innings.
"We're extremely pleased to have a person of his makeup and his ability to bolster the bullpen," Tigers president Dave Dombrowski said.
Coming off a $21.25-million, three-year deal that paid him $7.5-million in 2004, Percival gets $6-million in each of the next two seasons. He thinks Detroit can win the AL Central next season.
"They've got the platers to do it and they've got the commitment from the owner to do it," he said.
On Nov. 5, Detroit exercised a $4-million option on Urbina, who was 4-6 with a 4.50 ERA and 21 saves in 24 chances in his first season with Detroit. He left the team for the season after his mother was kidnapped Sept. 1 in Venezuela.
Urbina was ninth in the AL in saves and is 39-43 with a 3.42 ERA and 227 saves in 10 seasons.
Dombrowski recalled how Urbina was the setup man in Florida and mentioned a trade as a possibility.
"I don't know where that's going to go," Dombrowski said. "We'll have to see."
EXPOS SALE: The team's proposed move to Washington is set to be approved when owners meet today in Chicago.
Owners also were to vote on the $223-million sale of the Brewers from the family of commissioner Bud Selig to Mark Attanasio. But the commissioner's office has not finished processing the transaction, likely delaying approval for several weeks.
Selig announced the intended move of the Expos on Sept. 29, but the agreement was subject to ratification by owners and to the District of Columbia government putting funding in place for a new ballpark.
Though the agreement estimates the ballpark cost at $435-million, some District of Columbia Council members have claimed it would be perhaps $600-million or more. Council Chair Linda Cropp postponed a Nov. 9 vote on the deal, saying the District should spend two weeks seeking private financing.
A change in the terms would require agreement from the Expos, which appears unlikely. The commissioner's office probably will rename the franchise this month, with the Washington Nationals the leading candidate.
LEYLAND STILL ON MARKET: Jim Leyland still wants to manage again despite being turned down by the Phillies, but he has little interest in any job that wouldn't allow him to return regularly to his Pittsburgh home.
Leyland was a late and unexpected applicant for the Phillies' job and appeared to be the fan favorite, but he was passed over two weeks ago when general manager Ed Wade hired his special assistant, former Indians manager Charlie Manuel.
"It was one of those too-good-to-be-true deals," Leyland said. "Maybe I was being selfish on my part, but it was in my back yard and it would have been a nice situation for my family. I wanted the Philly job bad, but give Ed Wade credit: He hired who he thought was the best man for the job and, if he doesn't do that, shame on him."
BREWERS: Catcher Pat Borders, a former Devil Rays farmhand, signed a minor-league contract and was invited to spring training. Borders, 41, was the 1992 World Series MVP with Toronto.
PADRES: Infielders Damian Jackson and Jesse Garcia and right-handers Marty McLeary and Mike Brunet signed minor-league contracts and were invited to spring training.
