Tuesday's Signing Roundup

NEW YORK (AP) All-Star first baseman Mark Teixeira agreed to a $15.4 million, two-year contract Tuesday with the

Texas Rangers, and catcher Brian Schneider got a $16 million, four-year deal from the Washington Nationals.

Dontrelle Willis agreed to a $4.35 million, one-year contract with Florida, and Angels pitcher John Lackey also

was one of several players who avoided arbitration by reaching a new deal.

Atlanta second baseman Marcus Giles, Toronto first baseman Lyle Overbay and Texas catcher Rod Barajas got one-year

contracts as well Monday, a day before players in arbitration were to exchange proposed salaries with their teams.

Los Angeles Angels catcher Jose Molina agreed to a two-year deal for $2.1 million.

More than a quarter of the 100 players who filed for arbitration Friday had settled with their teams by Tuesday morning.

Teixeira, who gets $6 million this year and $9.4 million in 2007, hit .301 with 43 home runs and 144 RBIs last season.

The RBIs were the most for a switch-hitter, breaking the record set by George Davis, who had 136 RBIs for the New York

Giants in 1896. In three major league seasons, the former first-round pick has a .282 career average with 107 homers

and 340 RBIs.

Schneider led NL catchers by throwing out 38 percent of would-be base stealers last season, and he hit .268 with 10

homers and 44 RBIs.

"Brian is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball and we're glad to be able to keep him in Washington for at

least the next four years,'' general manager Jim Bowden said. "It is the goal of any organization to sign, develop and

then retain their own homegrown players, and this is what we've accomplished with Brian's contract.''

After leading the major leagues in wins, Willis earned a big raise from the $378,500 he made last season, when he went

22-10 with a 2.63 ERA and finished runner-up to St. Louis' Chris Carpenter for the NL Cy Young Award.

The 24-year-old left-hander is 46-27 with a 3.27 ERA in 93 career starts for the Marlins. He would also get a $100,000

bonus for winning the Cy Young Award this year, $50,000 if he starts 35 games, $25,000 for making the All-Star team and

$25,000 for winning a Silver Slugger award.

Lackey agreed to a $3.76 million, one-year contract with the Angels after going 14-5 last year, when he had a 3.44 ERA

and 199 strikeouts. The 27-year-old right-hander was 8-1 with a 2.57 ERA in 15 starts after the All-Star break.

"John has been an integral part in the success of our pitching staff,'' Los Angeles general manager Bill Stoneman

said. "We look forward to another impressive season from him.''

A backup in 2005, Molina has a chance to replace his free-agent brother, Bengie, as the Angels' starter this

season. Jose Molina, who had six homers and 25 RBIs last year, is guaranteed $850,000 in 2006 and $1.25 million in

2007. He can double his 2007 base salary by starting 115 games at catcher this season.

On Saturday, the AL West champions agreed to multiyear contracts with leadoff hitter Chone Figgins and outfielder

Juan Rivera. Three Angels now remain eligible for arbitration: closer Francisco Rodriguez, reliever Scot Shields and reliever Brendan Donnelly.

The Toronto Blue Jays also reached one-year agreements Monday with a pair of players: Overbay ($2,525,000) and

left-hander Scott Downs ($705,000).

Acquired last month in a trade with Milwaukee, Overbay batted .276 with 19 homers, 72 RBIs and 34 doubles for the

Brewers in 2005.

Giles agreed to a $3.85 million deal, while Barajas got $3.2 million. Houston shortstop Adam Everett ($1.9 million)

and Cincinnati outfielder Austin Kearns ($1.85 million) also reached one-year agreements. New York Mets pitcher Victor

Zambrano got a one-year contract worth $3 million.

Other players who agreed to one-year deals were Tampa Bay pitcher Mark Hendrickson ($1.95 million), Pittsburgh lefty

Oliver Perez ($1.9 million), Cleveland reliever David Riske ($1.8 million), Philadelphia outfielder Jason Michaels ($1.5

million), Arizona pitchers Claudio Vargas ($1,275,000) and Brandon Lyon ($830,000), and Oakland right-hander Juan Cruz

($575,000).

Also, reliever Jeff Nelson agreed to a minor league contract with the Cardinals, who need a middle man to replace

injured Al Reyes.

The 39-year-old Nelson went 1-3 with a 3.93 ERA and one save in 49 games last season for Seattle. The right-hander

has spent 14 years in the major leagues. He'll be a non-roster invite to spring training.

"He's got everything going in as far as experience, a lot of success in key situations,'' St. Louis manager Tony La

Russa said. "It's just a matter, like any of us, it's 2006 and he's got to show what he's got.''