SURPRISE, Ariz. — Luke Hochevar, the overall No. 1 pick of the 2006 amateur draft, agreed Tuesday to a one-year contract with the Royals that will pay the former Fowler High School standout $1.76 million in the major leagues.
The deal includes a salary of $772,500 if Hochevar is in the minors, but he is out of options. He was coming off a $5.3 million, four-year contract that included a $3.5 million signing bonus. The $1.76 million salary represents the maximum 20 percent cut from his 2009 major-league salary ($1,325,000) plus $875,000, which represents a prorated share of the $3.5 million signing bonus in his previous deal.
Hochevar, 26, was 7-13 in 25 starts for Kansas City last year with an ERA of 6.55. The right- hander did have a few encouraging bright spots, including an 80-pitch, complete-game victory over Cincinnati.
Kansas City also agreed to a one-year contract with right-hander Carlos Rosa.
Upton, D-backs nearing deal
TUCSON — The Diamondbacks and all-star outfielder Justin Upton are closing in on a six-year contract expected to be worth just over $50 million. Upton, 22, made his first All-Star Game last season, when he hit .300 with 26 homers and 86 RBIs.
Footnotes.
Atlanta’s Tommy Hanson threw two scoreless innings, but the Mets spoiled manager Bobby Cox’s final spring training opener with a 4-2 victory over the Braves in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
• Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran talked to federal investigators last week about Canadian doctor Anthony Galea, who is accused of selling an unapproved drug, and said he recommended the physician to teammate Jose Reyes.
• A full share for the World Series champion Yankees was revised to $350,030 — down from $365,053 — by the commissioner’s office after an accounting error was discovered that caused three people to be left off the original distribution list.
• Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain had his bullpen session pushed back by at least one day because of flulike symptoms.
The Associated Press
