Giants land relief help in Benitez

Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2004 | 9:56 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPORTS

Closer Armando Benitez, who tied for the National League lead last season with 47 saves, signed a three-year contract Tuesday with the San Francisco Giants.

Benitez gets a $7.4 million signing bonus, of which $1.6 million is payable in 2005, $2.6 million in 2006, $1.6 million in 2008 and $1.6 million in 2009. He gets salaries of $2.5 million in 2005, $4 million in 2006 and $7.6 million in 2007.

Benitez, 32, was 2-2 with a 1.29 earned run average in 51 save opportunities with the Florida Marlins last season. He tied St. Louis' Jason Isringhausen for the NL save lead, while setting a Marlins single-season record. His ERA was the lowest among major-league relievers, as was his opponents' .152 batting average.

Benitez has a 32-33 record with a 2.85 ERA and 244 saves during 11 major-league seasons. "He's the prototype," general manager Brian Sabean said. "He has been and will be a dominant force at the end of the game. ... He's a guy we had our eye on."

Since Robb Nen was sidelined with a serious shoulder injury following the 2002 World Series, the Giants have pieced together their bullpen. Tim Worrell closed in 2003 before leaving for Philadelphia as a free agent and San Francisco struggled at the end of games last season.

Matt Herges started the year as closer before being replaced by Dustin Hermanson in August. Hermanson saved 17 games but couldn't hold a three-run lead on the final Saturday of the season against Los Angeles, helping cost San Francisco a playoff berth.

"I'm excited he's on our side," manager Felipe Alou said. "We had to make a change in the middle of the season and it was not easy. Our guys did a tremendous job saving the games. ... We have a guy who has been very successful and an intimidating closer."

Meanwhile Tuesday, New York Mets fans remained in a lather about the possibility of the Mets signing free agent pitcher Pedro Martinez while pitcher Paul Wilson, a former Met, signed a two-year, $8.2 million deal to remain with the Cincinnati Reds.

Martinez isn't close to making a decision on where to sign, a person close to the free-agent ace said on condition of anonymity, and is likely to wait until the New York Yankees determine their level of interest. That could hinge on whether they acquire Randy Johnson from Arizona in a trade that could send Javier Vazquez to the Diamondbacks.

The Mets, trying to make a splash in the free-agent market, offered a $37.5 million, three-year contract last weekend, an agent with knowledge of the proposal said, also on condition of anonymity. The offer contains an option for a fourth season that could make the deal worth $50 million over four years, the agent said.

Boston has offered a two-year deal to retain Martinez and must decide by Dec. 7 whether to offer salary arbitration, which would extend the window for the World Series champion Red Sox to re-sign him until Jan. 8.

Martinez's agent, Fernando Cuza, would not comment on the Mets' proposal, which was first reported Tuesday in several New York and Boston newspapers. New Mets general manager Omar Minaya declined comment.