Former Phillies reliever Tom Gordon appears to be close to a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks that would officially seal his departure from the world champs.
Gordon's tenure in Philadelphia came to an end in October, when the Phillies declined to exercise their option on him after three injury-plagued seasons. The righthander missed the final 3 months of the regular season and the entire postseason with elbow problems, but opted against surgery that would have required rehabilitation akin to the Tommy John procedure. Gordon, 41, appeared in 137 games for the Phillies from 2006 to '08, earning 42 saves, and expects to be ready to pitch by the first or second week of spring training. He contacted the club during the offseason and expressed an interest in returning, but the Phillies informed him they were moving on.
It isn't clear whether Gordon is looking for a major league deal.
"We've had a number of conversations and we're getting close," Gordon's agent, Rick Thurman, told the Arizona Republic .
Ruiz changes mindCatcher Carlos Ruiz has reconsidered his decision to pull out of the World Baseball Classic and will now compete for Panama. Ruiz played in the original WBC in 2006. *
- David Murphy
