Sports Briefs January 17, 2012
Baseball
Washington Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez's new $42 million, five-year contract includes both a club option and a vesting player option that could make it worth $65.5 million over seven seasons.
The deal includes a $500,000 signing bonus and salaries of $3.25 million in 2012, $6.25 million in 2013, $8.5 million in 2014, $11 million in 2015 and $12 million in 2006.
Washington holds a $12 million option for 2017 with a $500,000 buyout. If that option is exercised, Gonzalez gets a $12 million option for 2018 that becomes guaranteed if he has 180 innings in 2017.
Gonzalez's agreement is the largest contract for a pitcher eligible for arbitration for the first time.
• The Colorado Rockies traded outfielder Seth Smith to the Oakland Athletics for right-hander Guillermo Moscoso and left-hander Josh Outman.
Smith and the Rockies avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract worth $2,415,000.
Smith has spent the last three seasons with the Rockies, playing both left and right field, and has a .275 batting average with 51 homers and 181 RBIs in 487 major league games. He hit .284 with 32 doubles, nine triples, 15 homers and 59 RBIs last season, when he made $429,000.
Moscoso went 8-10 with a 3.38 ERA in 21 starts last year. The Rockies are his fourth major league team. Outman went 3-5 with a 3.70 ERA last year for the Athletics.
• Oft-injured relief pitcher Joel Zumaya and the Minnesota Twins have agreed on an $850,000, one-year contract.
A person with direct knowledge of the deal, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the agreement. Zumaya's decision to join the Twins was first reported by MLB.com.
Zumaya can make up to $900,000 more in performance bonuses, bringing the potential value of the contract to $1.75 million.
Football
Auburn quarterback Barrett Trotter isn't coming back for his senior season.
The seven-game starter isn't planning to transfer. Trotter lost his starting job late in the season but relieved an injured Clint Moseley in the Chick-fil-A Bowl with perhaps his best performance.
He wound up passing for 175 yards and rushing for 32 in the win over Virginia.
Trotter passed for 1,184 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior and was intercepted six times. He didn't log any significant playing time before last season.
• Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy has joined the list of candidates for the Miami Dolphins' head coaching job.
McCoy completed an interview Monday, the Dolphins said. He's the first candidate to meet with the Dolphins since they were turned down Friday by former Titans coach Jeff Fisher, who chose instead to become coach of the St. Louis Rams.
Basketball
Syracuse is a runaway No. 1 in The Associated Press' college basketball poll for the sixth straight week.
The Orange, one of three unbeatens entering play Monday, received 60 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel.
Illinois moved in at No. 22. Saint Mary's, Calif. is No. 24, its first appearance this season.
Gonzaga, which lost to Saint Mary's last week, and Seton Hall dropped out of the poll.
Auto racing
At age 31, Katherine Legge will finally be an IndyCar rookie.
Dragon Racing confirmed the British native would race in America this season, driving the No. 6 entry sponsored by TrueCar. Legge has signed a two-year deal with a one-year option to drive with teammate Sebastien Bourdais for Jay Penske's team.
- The Associated Press