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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Brett Tomko became the third former San Francisco player to switch to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

 

Tomko reached a preliminary agreement on an $8.7 million, two-year contract, two people close to the negotiations said Thursday. Both requested anonymity because the deal was not final.

 

His deal calls for salaries of $3.6 million next year and $4.1 million in 2007. The Dodgers must decide within five days of the end of the 2007 World Series whether to exercise a $4.5 million option for 2008. If the option is exercised, Tomko has 72 hours to reject it. If the Dodgers decline or Tomko rejects, he gets a $1 million buyout.

 

The right-hander, who went 8-15 with a 4.14 ERA for the Giants last season, becomes the sixth free agent signed by Ned Colletti, a former San Francisco assistant general manager who became the Dodgers' GM on Nov. 15.

 

Kenny Lofton and Bill Mueller are the other former Giants who recent have joined the NL West rival Dodgers.

 

Tomko has an 81-73 record in nine major league seasons. With a fastball in the low 90-mph range, he has made at least 30 starts and pitched at least 190 innings each of the past four years.

 

He pitched for Cincinnati, Seattle, San Diego and St. Louis before spending two years in San Francisco. He went 19-22 with a save and a 4.26 ERA in 65 games for the Giants.

 

Tomko has been effective at Dodger Stadium, going 4-2 with a 2.93 ERA in 13 appearances in Los Angeles. He figures to follow Derek Lowe, Brad Penny and Odalis Perez in Los Angeles' rotation. The Dodgers are still in the market for another starter.

 

Other players acquired by the Dodgers since Colletti became their GM are Nomar Garciaparra, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Rafael Furcal. Like Tomko, the other five free agents all have postseason experience.

there's nowhere else I'd rather see him play...

The guy goes 8-15 and gets rewarded with a 3+ million dollar deal....see stuff like that is what is wrong with this game