Gagne, Hart agree to deals with Brewers

Former Cy Young Award winner Eric Gagne and the Milwaukee Brewers reached terms Tuesday on a minor-league contract, with an invitation to spring training.

Gagne, 33, is guaranteed a salary of $1.5 million US if he sticks with the Brewers, with the possibility of making an additional $3 million US in performance incentives.

The Brewers also struck a one-year, $3.25-million US deal with right-fielder Corey Hart, avoiding arbitration. 

Hart was seeking $3.8 million US in arbitration; the Brewers were offering $2.7 million US.

Gagne, from Montreal, earned $10 million US with Milwaukee last season, when he posted a 4-3 record with a 5.44 earned-run average in 50 relief appearances.

Problem was, he blew seven of 17 save opportunities and wasn't offered salary arbitration from the Brewers.

Milwaukee later replaced retiring closer Salomon Torres with free-agent Trevor Hoffman, baseball's all-time saves leader with 554.

Gagne is 33-26 lifetime with a 3.47 ERA and 187 saves in 402 appearances (48 starts) over 10 MLB seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and Brewers.

He won the Cy Young Award as top pitcher in 2003, when he went a perfect 55-for-55 in save opportunities for the Dodgers.

Bargain for Brewers

Hart was a bargain at $444,000 US last season, when he hit .268 with 20 home runs, 91 runs batted in and 76 runs scored in 157 games for the Brewers.

For his efforts, he was named an American League all-star.

The 26-year-old is a career .277 hitter with 55 HRs, 212 RBIs and 203 runs in 406 games since he broke into the major leagues with Milwaukee on May 25, 2004.