Carl Crawford's $8.25 million for 2009 was exercised Tuesday by the Tampa Bay Rays, who declined Rocco Baldelli's $6 million option and agreed to a $10.5 million, three-year deal with reliever Dan Wheeler.

Crawford, who is earning $5.25 million this year, is a two-time All-Star and four-time AL stolen base champion who is just the seventh player since 1900 to increase his batting average over five consecutive seasons.

The 26-year-old is one of 10 major leaguers who have hit .300 or better each of the past three years.

Seanez lands

with Phillies

Right-hander Rudy Seanez agreed to a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.

A person with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed that Seanez will be in uniform for today's game against Washington.

Seanez was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers last week after spending parts of three seasons with Los Angeles.

He signed a $550,000 one-year contract shortly before the start of spring training, and could have earned as much as $1.3 million in salary and bonuses had he stayed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Instead, he got $135,246 in termination pay.

Seanez adds depth to a bullpen that allowed seven runs in four innings in Monday's 11-6 loss to Washington. Tom Gordon, filling in as the closer while Brad Lidge is on the disabled list, gave up five runs while retiring just one batter after entering a tie game.

Cubs threaten to

block views

Nothing obstructed the view of Wrigley Field on Monday from a pair of rooftop clubs whose owner has refused to share 17 percent of his profits with the team.

But if Tom Gramatis hasn't paid up by the time the Cubs return home April 15, team officials said obstructions will be installed.

Cubs vice president Mike Lufrano said the team hopes it won't have to do that, but that it's unfair to other rooftop partners to let one rooftop get away without paying.

Gramatis could not be reached for comment.

Four years ago, the Cubs and the rooftop owners struck a deal after an acrimonious dispute that saw the team put up wind screens to obscure their views.

Rooftop owners agreed to pay the Cubs 17 percent of their gross revenues for the next 20 years.

Foreign-born

players decrease

The percentage of major league baseball players born outside the 50 states dropped slightly this year.

Of the 855 players on rosters at the start of the season, 239 were born outside the 50 states, the commissioner's office said Tuesday. The percentage dropped to 28.0 from 29.0 last year, when it was just off the record of 29.2 set in 2005.

Notable

Former AL Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon will start Pawtucket's season opener Thursday as he tries to make it up to the Boston Red Sox.

Mets starter Pedro Martinez left New York's game with the Florida Marlins after 57 pitches Tuesday with what the team said was a strained left hamstring.

Slowed by back spasms this spring, Josh Beckett pitched five innings in an intrasquad game in Fort Myers, Fla., and manager Terry Francona hopes to start his ace right-hander Sunday at Toronto.

 

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