BASEBALL | Tuesday's moves

Indians: The Indians traded left-hander Brian Tallet to the Toronto Blue Jays for right-hander Edward "Bubbie" Buzachero on Tuesday. Buzachero, 24, spent most of the 2005 season at Double-A New Hampshire, where he went 4-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 46 games. Tallet, 28, was designated for assignment by Cleveland last Thursday. He spent most of last season at Triple-A Buffalo and made two appearances for the Indians. Tallet had reconstructive elbow surgery at the end of 2003. The Indians and reliever David Riske avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.8 million contract. The right-hander made 58 appearances last season, mostly in middle relief. He went 3-4 with a 3.10 ERA and one save in 72 2/3 innings. Riske, 28, who has spent his six-year career in Cleveland, has a 17-12 career record with 16 saves and a 3.55 ERA. He set career highs of seven wins, 77 1/3 innings and 72 appearances in 2004. Cleveland has two players still eligible for arbitration: left fielder Coco Crisp and first baseman Ben Broussard.
Hall of Fame Game: The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates were picked Tuesday to play in the annual Hall of Fame game, held this year on May 15 at Doubleday Field. Pittsburgh will be playing in the exhibition game for the first time since an 11-8 win over the Chicago White Sox in 1980. Cincinnati's last appearance was a 3-0 loss to Baltimore in 1967. The Reds' 1981 trip was canceled by a players' strike and their 1989 appearance was wiped out by airplane mechanical problems that kept the team from getting to Cooperstown.
Yankees: Shawn Chacon asked the New York Yankees for $4.15 million in salary arbitration and Aaron Small requested $1.45 million. New York offered $3.1 million to Chacon and $1,025,000 to Small. The pair were among the pitchers brought in to shore up the Yankees' pitching staff last summer after injuries left New York short. Chacon, acquired from Colorado, went 7-3 with a 2.85 ERA in 12 starts and two relief appearances, and Small was 10-0 with a 3.20 ERA in nine starts and six relief appearances. Small, brought up from the minors, joined Tom Zachary (12-0) of the 1929 Yankees, Howie Krist (10-0) of the 1941 St. Louis Cardinals and Dennis Lamp (11-0) of the 1985 Toronto Blue Jays as the only pitchers to finish a major league regular season unbeaten with 10 or more wins. Small did lose Game 3 of the AL playoffs to the Los Angeles Angels. Small is eligible for arbitration for the first time and will make more this year than he has previously in his entire professional career, which began in 1989.
Rangers: All-Star first baseman Mark Teixeira has agreed to a $15.4 million, two-year contract with the Texas Rangers, avoiding salary arbitration this year and next. Teixeira hit .301 with 43 home runs and 144 RBIs last season. The RBIs were the most for a switch-hitter, breaking the record set by George Davis, who had 136 RBIs for the New York Giants in 1896. The Rangers also agreed to one-year deals with right-hander Adam Eaton ($4.65 million) and outfielder Brad Wilkerson ($3.9 million), avoiding arbitration with two players acquired in separate trades last month. Teixeira will get $6 million this season and $9.4 million in 2007. He will turn 26 in April, and is not eligible for free agency until after the 2008 season.
Other deals: More than two dozen players reached agreements Tuesday, including Washington catcher Brian Schneider ($16 million over four years), Houston closer Brad Lidge ($3,975,000), Los Angeles Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez ($3,775,000), St. Louis pitcher Jason Marquis ($5.15 million), new Texas pitcher Adam Eaton ($4.65 million), and Toronto pitcher Ted Lilly ($4 million). Cincinnati's Adam Dunn, who will move to first base this season following the trade of Sean Casey to Pittsburgh, asked for the second-highest amount, $8.95 million. The Reds offered $7.1 million, up from the $4.6 million Dunn made last season, when he batted .247 with 40 homers, 101 RBIs and 114 walks. The Chicago Cubs have some of the most high-profile cases, swapping figures with pitchers Mark Prior and Carlos Zambrano along with new leadoff hitter Juan Pierre. After opting out of the final year of a contract that would have paid $2.75 million next season, Prior asked for $4 million and was offered $3.3 million. Zambrano, the Cubs' ace last season, hopes to nearly double his earnings from $3.76 million to $7.2 million. The team offered $6 million. Pierre, acquired in a trade with the Florida Marlins, is seeking $6.5 million after earning $3.6 million in the final season of a multiyear contract. The Cubs are offering $5 million. Catcher Josh Paul filed the lowest request, $750,000, and Tampa Bay made him the lowest offer, $475,000, a raise of just $25,000. Soriano, acquired from the Rangers last month, was offered $10 million by the Nationals, a raise of $2.5 million. While the Nationals want to move Soriano to the outfield, he said he prefers to remain at second base. He is eligible for free agency after the season, and it is possible Washington could trade him. He batted .268 last year with 34 homers, 104 RBIs and 30 steals. Schneider led NL catchers by throwing out 38 percent of would-be base stealers last season, and he hit .268 with 10 homers and 44 RBIs. He gets $2.7 million this year, $3.5 million in 2007 and $4.9 million in each of the final two years. Tampa Bay and pitcher Travis Harper's $100,000 gap was the smallest. The $2 million difference between Soriano and Washington was the largest. Seattle and utilityman Willie Bloomquist agreed to a two-year contract worth $1,525,000 but they exchanged figures anyway because the deal is pending a physical.
Other deals: More than two dozen players reached agreements Tuesday, including Washington catcher Brian Schneider ($16 million over four years), Houston closer Brad Lidge ($3,975,000), Los Angeles Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez ($3,775,000), St. Louis pitcher Jason Marquis ($5.15 million), new Texas pitcher Adam Eaton ($4.65 million), and Toronto pitcher Ted Lilly ($4 million). Cincinnati's Adam Dunn, who will move to first base this season following the trade of Sean Casey to Pittsburgh, asked for the second-highest amount, $8.95 million. The Reds offered $7.1 million, up from the $4.6 million Dunn made last season, when he batted .247 with 40 homers, 101 RBIs and 114 walks. The Chicago Cubs have some of the most high-profile cases, swapping figures with pitchers Mark Prior and Carlos Zambrano along with new leadoff hitter Juan Pierre. After opting out of the final year of a contract that would have paid $2.75 million next season, Prior asked for $4 million and was offered $3.3 million. Zambrano, the Cubs' ace last season, hopes to nearly double his earnings from $3.76 million to $7.2 million. The team offered $6 million. Pierre, acquired in a trade with the Florida Marlins, is seeking $6.5 million after earning $3.6 million in the final season of a multiyear contract. The Cubs are offering $5 million. Catcher Josh Paul filed the lowest request, $750,000, and Tampa Bay made him the lowest offer, $475,000, a raise of just $25,000. Soriano, acquired from the Rangers last month, was offered $10 million by the Nationals, a raise of $2.5 million. While the Nationals want to move Soriano to the outfield, he said he prefers to remain at second base. He is eligible for free agency after the season, and it is possible Washington could trade him. He batted .268 last year with 34 homers, 104 RBIs and 30 steals. Schneider led NL catchers by throwing out 38 percent of would-be base stealers last season, and he hit .268 with 10 homers and 44 RBIs. He gets $2.7 million this year, $3.5 million in 2007 and $4.9 million in each of the final two years. Tampa Bay and pitcher Travis Harper's $100,000 gap was the smallest. The $2 million difference between Soriano and Washington was the largest. Seattle and utilityman Willie Bloomquist agreed to a two-year contract worth $1,525,000 but they exchanged figures anyway because the deal is pending a physical.