A's Sign Pitcher Ben Sheets to One-year, $10 Million Deal

The Oakland Athletics finally found a player who would take their money, albeit one who didn't put on a uniform last season.

After losing out in their pursuit of free agents Adrian Beltre, Marco Scutaro and Aroldis Chapman -- sometimes even when outbidding the competition -- the A's on Tuesday signed right-hander Ben Sheets to a one-year, $10 million deal, plus incentives.

Sheets, a four-time All-Star, sat out last season after having elbow surgery but impressed the A's during a throwing session for potential suitors last week in Monroe, La.

Often injured, Sheets, 31, has played his whole career with the Milwaukee Brewers and helped them reach the playoffs in 2008, when he went 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA.

"I feel renewed for the game," said Sheets, adding he won't have any restrictions in spring training. "I missed the competitive part of this game, and I'm just ready to get started."

If healthy, Sheets would give Oakland a legitimate ace and a veteran to take pressure off a youthful rotation that may include Dallas Braden, 26, as well as Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill, both 21. Another likely starter, Justin Duchscherer, also missed last season because of an elbow injury and depression.

Oakland's starters ranked 11th in American League ERA (4.76).

"You have a guy in the prime of his career who has been a four-time All-Star, and you have a shot, you should take it," said general manager Billy Beane, acknowledging the elbow injury put Sheets' asking price within the A's parameters. "I think he's going to help the development of those other guys."

Just like the boisterous fans that pack the ballpark, manager Charlie Manuel wishes the Philadelphia Phillies still had Cliff Lee.

Six weeks after the two-time NL champions made the blockbuster moves to acquire Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays and send Lee to the Seattle Mariners, Manuel spoke about the deals at a news conference.

He sounded like a fan when asked how he felt about the team trading away Lee to get Halladay.

"Halladay is the best pitcher in baseball right now. Lee is a tad behind him. Of course it would've been nice to have both of them," Manuel said. "It'd be good to have Halladay, Lee, (Cole) Hamels. I'd be looking good. I might even be buying more expensive furniture than the Mrs. has been buying me lately."

Outfielder Xavier Nady and the Chicago Cubs reached preliminary agreement on a one-year, $3.3 million contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Nady must pass a physical before the team announces the deal.

Nady, who had Tommy John elbow surgery in July, joins a Cubs outfield that includes Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome and Marlon Byrd. Nady is a career .280 hitter with 87 homers in 679 major league games.

Catcher Carlos Ruiz finalized a three-year, $8.85 million contract with the Phillies, avoiding salary arbitration. ...New York Mets ace Johan Santana threw off a mound for the first time since elbow surgery Sept. 1 and said he felt good. The two-time Cy Young Award winner threw 24 pitches over six minutes on the second day of the team's voluntary mini-camp. It was his first time off a mound since Aug. 20.