PHOENIX SUNS LOOKING TO ADD SCORING BY TRADING FOR RICHARDSON

The Phoenix Suns have completed a deal with the Charlotte Bobcats to acquire high-scoring swingman Jason Richardson, according to NBA front-office sources.

Boris Diaw and defensive ace Raja Bell, two mainstays from the team that averaged 58 wins over the last four seasons under former Suns coach Mike D'Antoni.

The Suns will also receive a future second-round pick from the Bobcats and forward Jared Dudley while sending Sean Singletary to the Bobcats.

Senior writer Marc Stein covers the NBA for ESPN.com.

http://payneinsider.com/

CC SABATHIA INKS $140 MILLION WITH THE NEW YORK YANKEES

This season's biggest free agent, CC Sabathia, has picked the New York Yankees, the New York Post reported early Wednesday morning. The left-hander has agreed to a deal worth at least $140 million over six years, the Post said, the most lucrative contract for a pitcher in baseball history.

The newspaper did not name its sources, but did note that there are "minor" hurdles to finalize, notably that Sabathia must pass a physical.

The Yankees have long been in pursuit of the 2007 AL Cy Young winner in hopes of building a depleted pitching staff around Sabathia. There had been a delay in talks because Sabathia was reportedly interested in pitching on the West Coast, where he is from.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman flew to San Francisco to meet with Sabathia personally on Tuesday night, which is when Sabathia made his decision to pick the Yankees, the Post said.

The Yankees beat out other teams in the CC sweepstakes that reportedly included the Giants, Dodgers, Angels and Brewers, among others.

Sabathia was traded last season from Cleveland to Milwaukee where he helped the Brewers reach the playoffs for the first time in more than 20 years.

http://payneinsider.com/

PAYNEINSIDER.COM & THE JIMMY V FOUNDATION TEAM UP

PayneInsider.com will be donating 50% of all membership packages sold this week to the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. PayneInsider will also be taking donations for it's Free Picks they provide everyday and 100% of those donations will given as well.


http://payneinsider.com/

K-ROD LANDS IN THE BIG APPLE

The New York Mets agreed to a three-year deal with free-agent closer Francisco Rodriguez, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Rodriguez's deal, worth $37 million plus additional incentives, is pending a physical, which the New York Post reported will take place Wednesday.

"I feel good where we are today, compared to where we were yesterday," Mets GM Omar Minaya said Tuesday. "I'm going to stay positive. But total completion of the deal is when everything is signed, sealed and delivered, and [right now] we continue to have dialogue. That's the best I can tell you."

The deal is a one-year increase over the two years and $24 million the Mets are said to have initially offered the closer, who broke the major league single-season saves record last season with 62.

FoxSports.com previously had reported that the Mets had offered Rodriguez a third year.
The Mets, whose bullpen was a major culprit in the team's second straight September swoon, are in need of a front-line closer to replace the injured Billy Wagner, who likely will miss all of 2009 following elbow surgery.
Rodriguez's agent, Paul Kinzer, had hoped to get a five-year contract, possibly equaling the $15 million average salary Mariano Rivera is earning from the New York Yankees.

But with baseball executives worried about the national recession, Kinzer accepted a more modest deal.

With the agreement, the Mets are ceasing negotiations with Brian Fuentes and career saves leader Trevor Hoffman, two other free-agent closers, a source told The Associated Press. Rodriguez's contract will contain an option for 2012 that could become guaranteed based on his performance, a source told ESPNdeportes.com.

A three-time All-Star who turns 27 next month, Rodriguez was regarded as the top closer on the market. While some teams were worried about his violent pitching motion and drop in velocity last season, he developed an outstanding curveball to go along with his other pitches.

Rodriguez and Kinzer arrived in Las Vegas last weekend and dined Sunday night with Minaya, chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon and other team officials at a steakhouse.

In a slow free-agent market, Rodriguez was the first of the top-tier free agents to reach an agreement. Pitchers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, first baseman Mark Teixeira and outfielder Manny Ramirez are among the high-profile players still searching for deals.

The contract would pay Rodriguez about $3 million more than he was offered by the Los Angeles Angels in spring training and $6 million less than Wagner's deal with the Mets.

Information from ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick was used in this report.

http://payneinsider.com/

COLT McCOY COMING BACK TO FINISH BUSINESS

Texas Longhorns quarterback Colt McCoy will return for his senior season, the Austin American-Statesman reported Monday on its Web site.

"I'm not going anywhere," McCoy told the newspaper.

McCoy, who had previously said he would file paperwork to receive feedback from an NFL advisory committee about his draft prospects, is hungry for a national title after the Longhorns fell just short of a berth in the BCS Championship Game, the Statesman reported

"I'm coming back because we have a solid coaching staff," McCoy said. "And I'm coming back because I feel like I can develop the young receivers we have."

The Longhorns (11-1), who will face Ohio State in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 5, finished the regular season ranked third in the BCS standings behind Oklahoma and Florida.

McCoy, a redshirt junior, said Monday he had also decided against testing the waters for the draft or seeking an evaluation for his coaches at UT from the NFL.

McCoy set team records this season with 3,445 passing yards and 32 touchdowns. The Heisman Trophy contender also led the team in rushing with 576 yards.

McCoy had hinted before that he would stay for a fourth year at Texas.

"I've been blessed to be able to play here," McCoy told The Sporting News in October. "Not very many people get to [start] here for four years, so what an opportunity."

http://payneinsider.com/

#1 OKLAHOMA SOONERS VS. #2 FLORIDA GATORS

#1 Oklahoma and Sam Bradford will take on #2 Florida and Tim Tebow in the BCS FedEx Championship Game

BELOW IS A COMPLETE LIST OF THE 2008-2009 BOWL SCHEDULE:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3444571

http://payneinsider.com/

O J SIMPSON'S SENTENCING SPEECH