USA TODAY's Paul White breaks down the CC Sabathia and Francisco Rodriguez free-agent deals:  The deal: Yankees agree with pitcher C.C. Sabathia to seven-year, $161 million contract.  Impact on Yankees: The best pitcher on the market would transform the rotation of any team that signed him. But the Yankees hope to do more to beef up a starting staff that provided the third-fewest innings in the American League in 2008. Derek Lowe, Ben Sheets and long-time Yankee Andy Pettitte are among the free-agent pitchers available. Sabathia, 28, replaces Mike Mussina, who retired after winning 20 games. The rotation also improves with the return of Chien-Ming Wang, whose 2008 season ended in June with a foot injury.  Impact on Brewers: Milwaukee made the first offer and attempted to the buck the odds and the Yankee dollars by remaining in the bidding. But the Brewers now face the daunting task of probably trying to fill the top two spots in their rotation with Ben Sheets also on the market. Yovani Gallardo, 22, and Manny Parra, 26, are promising pitchers but to replicate their first playoff berth in 26 years, the Brewers will need an upgrade over veterans Jeff Suppan, Dave Bush and Seth McClung.  The deal: Mets sign pitcher Francisco Rodriguez to three-year, $37 million contract plus $14 million vesting option.  Impact on Mets: Plenty of factors contributed to the Mets' second consecutive September slide but none more than the injury that ended closer Billy Wagner's season Aug. 2. The Mets had 12 blown saves, most in the National League, over the final two months of the season. Now they have in Rodriguez a 26-year-old closer who set the a record with 62 saves last season and, thanks to a buyer's market, didn't have to commit beyond a three-year deal.  Impact on Angels: Manager Mike Scioscia used the "C" word (committee) within hours of Rodriguez's deal but also indicated the Angels are open to going outside the organization to find a replacement. Scot Shields is the most experienced late-inning reliever on the team but if there's a closer of the future on the roster, it's Jose Arredondo, who was 10-2 as a rookie this year.  By Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY  might not have gotten the exorbitant contract he hoped to command, but former teammate  said he thought the perceived slight could only further motivate him.  Rodriguez, coming off a season in which he set a season record with 62 saves, agreed to a three-year, $37 million contract with the New York Mets on Tuesday, according to four people involved in the negotiations. The people, who requested anonymity because the deal had not been finalized, said the signing was expected to be announced today after Rodriguez completed a physical in New York.  The deal could be worth $51 million if a fourth-year option is vested, which still would leave it short of the five-year, $75 million deal the former Los Angeles Angels right-hander was seeking.  "The Mets are picking up a guy who knows how to pitch and will take the ball anytime," Hunter said. "He'll love New York, too. He loves that type of environment and will feed off the energy."  Rodriguez's contract fell short of the four-year, $47 million deal closer Joe Nathan signed with the Minnesota Twins last year. Still, Rodriguez will receive a higher average annual salary ($12.3 million) than every closer except the New York Yankees' Mariano Rivera, who signed a three-year, $45 million contract last winter.  A three-time All-Star who turns 27 next month, Rodriguez was regarded as the top closer on the market. While some teams were worried about his violent pitching motion and drop in velocity last season, he developed an outstanding curveball to go along with his other pitches.  "Everyone kept talking about how his velocity was down," Hunter says. "It was down for a while, but by August he was throwing 93-94 mph and added a changeup. It was the equalizer. He expected to be paid pretty good for what he did."  But with baseball executives worried about the national recession, Rodriguez's agent, Paul Kinzer, accepted a more modest deal. The Mets were a natural fit because they were one of the few big-market teams looking for an elite closer this offseason.  All-Star Billy Wagner is expected to miss all of next season following elbow ligament replacement surgery.  "The way that we lost so many close games late, I think that was critical for us to — theoretically — address this thing here. We have addressed it very well," manager Jerry Manuel said, laughing. "I mean, they say the word on the street is good. It's good. That's just the word on the street. We've got to get it written down."  Rodriguez and Kinzer arrived in Las Vegas last weekend and dined Sunday night with general manager Omar Minaya, chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon and other team officials at a steakhouse.  In a slow free-agent market, Rodriguez was the first of the top-tier free agents to reach an agreement. Pitchers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, first baseman Mark Teixeira and outfielder Manny Ramirez are among the high-profile players still searching for deals.  The Cleveland Indians were in serious discussions with free agent closer Kerry Wood, Indians general manager Mark Shapiro confirmed. The St. Louis Cardinals acknowledged talks with free agent closer Brian Fuentes.  You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference.
Record-setting closer Francisco Rodriguez and the New York Mets still have to work out a written agreement and the pitcher must pass a physical, but the two sides reached a preliminary agreement Tuesday on a $37 million, three-year contract.