BASEBALL Varitek to stay with the Red Sox

St. Louis signed shortstop David Eckstein.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOSTON -- Catcher Jason Varitek will remain with the Boston Red Sox, reaching a preliminary agreement on a four-year contract, a lawyer with knowledge of the negotiations said Thursday.
The deal probably will be announced today, the lawyer said, speaking on condition of anonymity,
Red Sox president Larry Lucchino referred questions on Varitek to general manager Theo Epstein, who was not immediately available for comment.
Varitek, known for his handling of pitchers, was Boston's top priority among its four high-profile free agents.
Since being obtained in a trade with Seattle in 1997, Varitek has a .271 batting average with 97 homers and 418 RBIs in 832 games.
Cardinals
ST. LOUIS -- David Eckstein agreed to a $10.25 million, three-year contract, completing a trio of shortstop switches.
Boston started it by luring Edgar Renteria from St. Louis with a $40 million, four-year contract. Anaheim then chose to cut loose Eckstein on Monday and give a $32 million, four-year deal to Orlando Cabrera, who played last season for the Red Sox.
Eckstein was the second major off-season acquisition for the Cardinals, who obtained 17-game winner Mark Mulder from the Athletics on Saturday.
Dodgers
LOS ANGELES -- Outfielder J.D. Drew and Los Angeles finalized a $55 million, five-year contract.
Drew, 29, played in a career-high 145 games for the Braves last season, hitting .305 and setting career highs with 31 homers, 128 runs and 118 walks. He also had 93 RBIs and 12 outfield assists.
Drew had never played in more than 135 games in a season before last year because of injuries. His best prior season was in 2001, when he hit .323 with 27 homers and 73 RBIs in 109 games for the St. Louis Cardinals.
He played six seasons with the Cardinals before he was dealt to the Braves last December along with catcher-outfielder Eli Marrero for pitchers Jason Marquis, Ray King and Adam Wainwright.
Drew will receive a $2 million signing bonus and a $9 million salary next season. He will earn $11 million annually in the final four seasons.
The left handed-hitting Drew is expected to play right field for the Dodgers. That would put Shawn Green at first base, assuming he's not traded. Green played first base for the most part last year -- his first season at that position.
Mets
NEW YORK -- Andres Galarraga is taking his quest to reach 400 homers to New York.
The 43-year-old first baseman agreed Thursday to a minor league contract with the Mets and would get a $600,000, one-year deal if he is added to the major league rosters.
Galarraga, who has 399 homers, spent the final month of the season with the Anaheim Angels and went 3-for-10 with one homer and two RBIs in seven games. He batted .304 (31-for-102) for Triple-A Salt Lake of the Pacific Coast League with four homers and 19 RBIs.
Galarraga missed the 1999 season after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, then hit .302 with 28 home runs and 100 RBI with Atlanta in 2000. The disease reoccurred in November 2003.
New York also agreed to minor league contracts with right-handers Scott Strickland, Grant Roberts and Juan Padilla; catchers Ramon Castro and Andy Dominique; infielder Marlon Anderson; utilityman Luis Garcia; and outfielders Gerald Williams and Kerry Robinson.
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