The Yankees avoided arbitration with pitchers Chad Gaudin and Boone Logan, agreeing to a one-year contract with each.
Gaudin made 11 appearances with the Yankees last season and went 2-0 with a 3.43 ERA.
Logan, a lefty reliever, was acquired from the Braves last month as part of the trade that brought Javier Vazquez to the Yankees.
* Former Yankee Jerry Hairston Jr. agreed to a one-year free-agent deal worth $2,125,000 with the Padres, two days after San Diego reacquired Hairston’s younger brother, Scott, in a trade with Oakland.
Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla agreed to a one-year, $7.8 million contract as players and teams scrambled to settle on terms before the scheduled exchange of figures in arbitration cases today.
Diamondbacks right-handed relievers Aaron Heilman ($2.15 million) and Chad Qualls ($4.185 million), Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson ($3.1 million), Brewers outfielder Jody Gerut ($2 million) and Blue Jays pitcher Shaun Marcum ($850,000) also settled on one-year contracts.
The Pirates finalized a $1.35 million, one-year contract with free-agent reliever Brendan Donnelly.
* Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols said he supports Mark McGwire, both for acknowledging his use of steroids and in his new role as the team’s hitting coach.
“I told him I’m proud of him for admitting what he used,” Pujols said. “Everybody makes mistakes.”
* Jose Offerman was banned for life by the Dominican winter league for throwing a punch at an umpire during an argument on the baseball field.
VIDEO: EX-MET OFFERMAN SWINGS AT UMPIRE
The former All-Star, manager of the Licey Tigers, appeared to hit first base umpire Daniel Reyburn in the face or neck with a fist during Saturday’s playoff game against the Cibao Giants. Reyburn fell to the ground.