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Indians signJason Johnson
CLEVELAND -- Free agent pitcher Jason Johnson agreed to a $4 million, one-year contract with the Cleveland Indians on Monday, just hours before Kevin Millwood agreed to join the Texas Rangers.
Johnson went 8-13 with a 4.55 ERA in a career-high 210 innings last season for Detroit. The 32-year-old right-hander could earn as much as $11.5 million over two years in a deal that includes a mutual option for 2007.
Johnson and Paul Byrd, signed by the Indians this month, join C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Jake Westbrook in one of the AL's deepest rotations. The newcomers will try to replace Scott Elarton, who signed with Kansas City, and Millwood, who got a $60 million, five-year deal from Texas.
Millwood signed a one-year package with Cleveland last winter that linked his pay to his health. He was plagued by arm problems while in Philadelphia but led the AL in ERA and helped mentor the Indians' young staff.
Indians general manager Mark Shapiro has said since the season ended that it would be a long shot to keep Millwood.
"With him not accepting arbitration and us having five starters under contract, it definitely takes us out of the Kevin Millwood competition at this point," Shapiro said.
With Millwood pricing himself out of Cleveland and Shapiro not wanting to complete the rotation with a young pitcher, the Indians turned to the 6-foot-6 Johnson, who has made at least 32 starts in four of the past five seasons. His contract includes a club option for 2007.
The biggest obstacles for Johnson have been pitching with diabetes and remaining strong in the second half of the season. Johnson said working out too much after the All-Star break -- not his ailment -- caused him to wear down before he altered his exercise routine last season.
"It took me seven years to figure out what to do to stay strong the whole year," he said.
Johnson has a $3.5 million salary and the option price will be equal to his 2006 salary, including performance bonuses. He would get the $500,000 buyout if Cleveland declines the option. If the Indians exercise the option and he declines it, he still would get the buyout, unless he pitched fewer than 205 innings in 2006. He can earn $2 million in performance bonuses each year.
Correction
Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk did not win the Butkus Award as stated in a story Sunday. Hawk won the Lombardi Award.
Indians to launch cable station
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians have announced a deal with Time Warner Cable to start the club's own cable television network in hopes of boosting revenue and competing with baseball's big spenders. The largest television package in team history includes 130 regular-season games and eight spring training games to be aired on cable and satellite systems. An additional 20 regular-season games will be shown on Cleveland station WKYC Channel 3, returning the Indians to free TV for the first time since 2001. In Mahoning County, Time Warner services Youngstown while Armstrong Cable provides cable-TV to just about everyone else. Neither service carries Cleveland's Channel 3. The Indians, who finished second in the AL Central last season, have had a difficult time competing financially with larger-market teams. Cleveland's $42 million payroll last season was barely one-fifth of the New York Yankees, who launched their own TV network years ago.
With help from the new TV network, which hasn't been given a name, the Indians' payroll is expected to exceed $60 million in 2006, team president Paul Dolan said.
Although the Indians will have their own network with Time Warner, the deal doesn't mean fans won't be able to watch the club on other cable outlets. The team plans to work out deals with other providers for the games on cable and free TV. The club has been shopping for a new television contract since their deal with Fox Sports Net Ohio expired after last season.
Slots, arenatie is urged
PITTSBURGH -- The state auditor general wants to tie the license to operate a slots parlor in Pittsburgh with responsibility for fully funding a new arena for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins have partnered with Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. on a $1 billion development plan that would include a new $290 million, 18,500-seat arena for the team. The Penguins have played in Mellon Arena -- the oldest and smallest in the National Hockey League -- since they began as an expansion team in 1967.
Isle of Capri has pledged to pay the full cost of the arena if it gets the casino license.
Auditor General Jack Wagner, a former state senator and Pittsburgh City Council president, wants other bidders to match that offer.
Vindicator staff/wire reports