Dotel Signing With Yankees

Passion · December 21, 2005

The Yankees, continuing to add to their bullpen depth, are closing in on a one-year contract with right-hander Octavio Dotel for more than $2 million, FOXSports.com has learned.

The deal is contingent on Dotel passing a physical. Other details need to be finalized, according to a source close to the negotiations. But Dotel, who began his career with the Mets, has chosen to return to New York with the Yankees.

Six months after undergoing elbow-ligament transplant surgery, Dotel also considered the Mets, Indians and Cardinals, among other clubs. But he turned down multi-year offers from some teams to sign his one-year, incentive-laden deal.

Dotel, 32, is said to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from surgery, but might not be available until June. He will become the fourth reliever to join the Yankees this off-season, following right-hander Kyle Farnsworth and left-hander Mike Myers, who also signed as free agents, and left-hander Ron Villone, who arrived from the Marlins in a trade.

The Yankees earlier signed Farnsworth to a three-year, $17 million contract, envisioning him as the likely setup man for closer Mariano Rivera. Dotel also could fill a setup role when healthy; he worked in that capacity with the Astros when Billy Wagner was the team's closer, and later closed for the Astros and A's.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5182962

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