Carmona has 4-year deal

AROUND THE HORN
Tribe-Carmona: 4-year deal
FREE PRESS NEWS SERVICES • April 11, 2008

CLEVELAND -- Indians right-hander Fausto Carmona agreed Thursday to a $15-million, four-year contract that potentially can earn him $48 million.

Carmona's signing gives the Indians protection in case they can't keep reigning American League Cy Young Award winner C.C. Sabathia, who is eligible for free agency following this season. The left-hander rejected a preliminary offer from the club, and during spring training he suspended negotiations until after the season.

There's no guarantee Sabathia will be back, and if he's not, Carmona will take over the No. 1 role.

Assistant general manager Chris Antonetti said the signing has no bearing on its ability to sign Sabathia.

"They are not interrelated," Antonetti said, "and it certainly wouldn't hurt to have two 19-game winners."

Carmona went 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA in 32 starts and emerged as one of the AL's top pitchers in 2007, one season after he went 1-10 and had a disastrous tryout as the Tribe's closer.

Carmona, 1-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two starts in 2008, gets a $750,000 signing bonus and guaranteed salaries of $500,000 in 2008, $2.75 million in 2009, $4.9 million in 2010 and $6.1 million in 2011. The club has options for $7 million in 2012, $9 million in 2013 and $14 million in 2014. The first option could escalate by $1 million and the price on the others by $2 million each.