Source: Athletics ready to fill bullpen vacancy with Rhodes

NEW YORK (AP) -- Reliever Arthur Rhodes and the Oakland Athletics agreed on a three-year contract Thursday, a source familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. The lefty must pass a physical to finalize the deal worth about $9.2 million.
The A's also acquired reliever Chris Hammond in a trade with the New York Yankees for a pair of minor leaguers.
Reliever Kent Mercker and outfielder Todd Hollandsworth signed with the Chicago Cubs, pitcher Ismael Valdes went to San Diego and a pair of backup catchers got jobs -- Henry Blanco in Minnesota and Mike DiFelice in Detroit.
Plus, the Seattle Mariners made sure they'd have right fielder Ichiro Suzuki for a while, agreeing with him on a $44 million, four-year contract.
Filling a vacancy
Rhodes, 34, is expected to start the season as the Athletics' closer, a spot the team needed to fill after Keith Foulke signed last weekend with Boston. Foulke led the AL with 43 saves for the AL West champion A's.
Rhodes has never been a full-time closer. His season high for saves is four in 1998.
Rhodes was 3-3 with three saves and a 4.17 ERA in 67 games for Seattle last season. He served mostly as a setup man for Kazuhiro Sasaki and Shigetoshi Hasegawa.
The Athletics got Hammond from the Yankees for pitcher Edwardo Sierra and infielder J.T. Stotts. New York also is sending cash to cover part of Hammond's contract.
Hammond, 37, was 3-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 62 relief appearances last season, his first with New York.