BASEBALL Colon inks pact with Angels

The Red Sox owner is feuding with his shortstop's agent.
NEW YORK (AP) -- The free-agent has sprung to life, with Bartolo Colon finalizing his $51 million, four-year contract with Anaheim, Atlanta signing John Thomson to replace Greg Maddux and Seattle agreeing to a deal with reliever Eddie Guardado.
Meanwhile, Boston owner John Henry took a shot at the agent for Nomar Garciaparra, saying it was the "the height of hypocrisy" to accuse the team of betrayal even though the star shortstop rejected the team's lucrative, long-term offer last spring.
Six free agents got new deals Tuesday, raising the total of signed players to 55 among the 210 who filed after the World Series.
Thomson agreed to a $7 million, two-year contract with the Braves, and Guardado got a complicated one-year deal with two option years that can be exercised by the player or the team. He's guaranteed $13 million over three years if the options are exercised and could earn an additional $4 million in bonuses if he becomes the Mariners' closer.
Royals get Stairs
Kansas City delved into the market for two players, agreeing to a $5 million, two-year contract with reliever Scott Sullivan and a $1 million, one-year deal with outfielder Matt Stairs. The Royals also were close to agreement on a $4.3 million, two-year deal with catcher Benito Santiago.
Former San Francisco closer Tim Worrell on Tuesday agreed to a $5.5 million, two-year contract with the Phillies.
Colon's deal with the Angels was completed after he passed a physical.
"I'm happy to be with the new team and have the opportunity to be able to win with them," Colon said, speaking through an interpreter.
New York update
In other news, the New York Yankees' talks with outfielder Gary Sheffield remain shaky.
While the sides have agreed that a deal would be for $39 million over three years, the Yankees want $15 million of the money deferred without interest, a demand Sheffield is resisting, according to a baseball official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The outfielder wants a no-trade clause, but the Yankees don't want to give it, the official said.
Across town, the Mets planned to introduce their new shortstop, Kazuo Matsui, at a news conference today. A star with Seibu in Japan's Pacific League, he agreed to a $20.1 million, three-year contract Monday and traveled to New York for a physical Tuesday.
In another deal that could be finalized today, the Colorado Rockies were close to bringing back third baseman Vinny Castilla.
Boston's talks with Texas to acquire Alex Rodriguez for Manny Ramirez figure to take longer. Garciaparra says he's upset by the trade talk and wants to stay.
The Boston Globe and Herald both quoted sources on Tuesday as saying that the Red Sox offered Garciaparra a four-year deal last spring worth $60 million.
Slap in the face
Garciaparra says he'd like to stay in Boston and his agent, Arn Tellem, told The Boston Globe that the team's efforts to acquire Rodriguez are "a slap in the face."
"I hope he's being more honest with his client than he is with the media because we have made credible offers," Henry said Tuesday at the opening of the team's academy in the Dominican Republic, according to two Boston newspapers that covered the event.
"The reason we have continued in the manner in which we have, is that his agent has given us a very clear indication that there is no common ground. He seems to believe it is still the winter of 2000."
Tellem, reached in New York, thought Henry was out of line.
"Obviously, I strongly disagree with Henry's characterization of my comments in regards to Nomar's current situation with Red Sox," Tellem said. "All further communication regarding this matter will be conducted in a private and professional manner among myself, Nomar and appropriate representatives of the Red Sox organization. As Nomar has stated, it has always been and still remains his goal to stay with the Red Sox."