01:00 AM EST on Tuesday, December 20, 2005

The Kansas City Royals traded outfielder Matt Diaz to the Atlanta Braves yesterday for minor-league reliever Ricardo F. Rodriguez.

Diaz hit .281 with one homer and nine RBI in 89 at-bats for the Royals last season. He has also played for Tampa Bay and has a .252 career batting average with two home runs and 12 RBI in 119 major-league at-bats.

The 24-year-old Rodriguez began his professional career as an infielder when he joined the Braves in 1999, but was converted to a pitcher after the 2002 season. He was assigned to Double A and will be in Royals minor-league camp during spring training. In 98 minor-league appearances, the right-hander is 16-16 with a 4.21 E.R.A.

ROUNDUP

FREEL, REDS AGREE: Ryan Freel avoided salary arbitration yesterday by agreeing to a $3-million, two-year deal with the Cincinnati Reds that would increase if he plays regularly. The 29-year-old has led the Reds in steals each of the last two years. He hit .271 last season with 36 steals despite stints on the disabled list because of a swollen foot and torn knee cartilage. Freel will get base salaries of $1.3 million next year and $1.7 million in 2007. His base salary in the second year would increase to $2 million if he gets 200 plate appearances in 2006 and would increase to a maximum of $2.65 million if he has 650 plate appearances.

INDIANS GET PAIR: The Cleveland Indians turned to their past for help with their bullpen, agreeing yesterday to minor-league contracts with right-handed relievers Danny Graves and Steve Karsay. Graves and Karsay previously pitched for the Indians, who need fill the setup spot vacated when Bob Howry agreed to a $12-million, three-year contract with the Chicago Cubs in November.

THREE-YEAR DEAL: Catcher A.J. Pierzynski and the Chicago White Sox agreed to a three-year, $15-million contract yesterday and avoided arbitration. Pierzynski, who was eligible for free agency in 2006, will earn $4 million next season and $5.5 million each in 2007 and 2008. Signed by the White Sox after spending a year in San Francisco, Pierzynski helped the White Sox win their first World Series since 1917 last season. He committed one error -- none over the final 119 games -- and batted .257 with a career-high 18 home runs and 56 RBI.

ANGELS TRADE PAUL: Josh Paul, best known for rolling the ball back to the mound while the eventual winning run reached base for the Chicago White Sox in Game 2 in the A.L. Championship Series, was traded yesterday by the Los Angeles Angels to Tampa Bay for minor-league infielder Travis Schlichting. The Devil Rays also announced they avoided arbitration with third baseman Sean Burroughs by agreeing to a $1.5-million, one-year contract that includes a $2.25-million club option for 2007.

MINOR-LEAGUE PACTS: Relief pitchers Bret Prinz and Steve Colyer agreed yesterday to minor-league contracts with the Colorado Rockies. Prinz, a 28-year-old right-hander, was with the Los Angeles Angels last season but spent most of the year in rehabilitation after straining his right shoulder. In 93 major-league relief appearances since 2001, he is 5-4 with nine saves and a 4.77 E.R.A. He also pitched for the Diamondbacks and Yankees. Colyer, a 26-year-old left-hander, was 4-2 with a 5.67 E.R.A. in 28 appearances last season for the New York Mets' Triple-A Norfolk team. He was on the disabled list twice because of a strained left knee. In 54 major-league appearances since 2003, he is 1-0 with a 5.05 E.R.A.

METS CUT ISHII: Kazuhisa Ishii was released yesterday by the New York Mets, who signed three other pitchers to minor-league contracts. The Mets agreed to terms with left-handers Darren Oliver and Pedro Feliciano and right-hander Jose Parra. All three were invited to spring training. After starting pitcher Steve Trachsel went down with a back injury in March, Ishii was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for catcher Jason Phillips. The left-hander went 3-9 with a 5.14 E.R.A. in 19 games, including 16 starts, during his only season in New York. Ishii is 39-34 with a 4.44 E.R.A. in four major-league seasons. The 35-year-old Oliver pitched in the minors last season. He is 87-79 with a 5.07 E.R.A. in 12 big-league seasons. He split the 2004 season between the Florida Marlins and Houston Astros. Feliciano and Parra pitched in Japan this year. Both relievers were with the Mets in 2004.

PHILS GET RODRIGUEZ: The Philadelphia Phillies completed last week's trade of pitcher Vicente Padilla by acquiring right-handed pitcher Ricardo Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers yesterday. The 27-year-old Rodriguez went 2-3 with a 5.53 E.R.A. in 12 games for the Rangers last season, starting 10. He was 7-3 with a 2.91 E.R.A. in 13 games for Triple-A Oklahoma, starting 12 games and pitching two shutouts.

PUSHING FOR CUBA: U.S. Olympic Committee chairman Peter Ueberroth called on the Bush administration to reverse its decision to keep Cuba out of next year's World Baseball Classic. Ueberroth, a former baseball commissioner and head of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, said last week's decision by the Treasury Department to deny Cuba a permit to play in the 16-team event will damage American efforts to host the Olympics in the future. Olympic host countries must guarantee all nations can participate. "It is important to any future bid city from the United States that this be reversed," Ueberroth said during a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "It's disappointing. This will impact IOC members negatively. This may be the only example of a country prohibiting competition on an international scale."

O'S ROBERTS PROGRESSING: Brian Roberts' recovery from a dislocated left elbow is coming along well and the Baltimore Orioles' All-Star second baseman hopes to be on the field during spring training. "I probably won't be going 100 percent by the first day of spring training," Roberts said. "But if I'm ready to be playing by the middle of spring training, I think that's plenty of time." Roberts was injured when he and Bubba Crosby of the New York Yankees ran into each other while the Baltimore second baseman was covering first on a bunt in the second inning of a game on Sept. 20. The injury looked gruesome, required surgery and ended Roberts' season. He finished with a .314 average, 18 homers and 73 RBI as the Orioles' leadoff hitter. Roberts made the All-Star team for the first time.

KENNEDY, A'S IN ACCORD: The Oakland Athletics agreed yesterday to a $2.4-million, one-year contract with left-hander Joe Kennedy, avoiding salary arbitration. Kennedy, acquired from Colorado at the All-Star break last season, was 4-5 with a 4.45 E.R.A. in 19 games for Oakland in 2005.

-- Journal Wire Reports