Radke, Twins Close to Deal for $36 Million

Brad Radke’s agent says the pitcher and the Minnesota Twins are close to a contract agreement that would make the right-hander the highest-paid player in franchise history.

The four-year contract extension would be worth $36 million. Ron Simon, Radke’s agent, told the Star Tribune on Saturday that minor details still needed to be resolved.

“Yes, we are making progress,” Simon said. “There’s a chance that we could agree to a deal Monday, but there’s a chance that we couldn’t too.”

The deal would put Radke under contract through 2004 and its annual average of $9 million would be more than Kirby Puckett’s highest salary of $7 million from 1996, possibly signaling the end of the cost-slashing that reduced the club’s payroll to a major league-low $16.5 million this year.

Radke is eligible for free agency at the end of this season. He already is the highest-paid Twin with a $3.5 million salary.

Radke is 5-9 this season with a 4.07 ERA.

The key to the agreement is team CEO Chris Clouser’s ability to work around the opt-out clause demanded by Simon. The clause would have given Radke a deadline soon after next season to demand a trade.

That clause had been called a stumbling block by both sides and led to the breakdown in negotiations in February.

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Boston put Darren Lewis on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained left hamstring, making him the third Red Sox outfielder on the DL. The Red Sox called up pitcher Paxton Crawford from triple-A Pawtucket to start Saturday’s game against the Chicago White Sox. . . . Right-handed reliever Donne Wall was activated from the 15-day disabled list, joining fellow setup man Steve Montgomery on the San Diego Padres’ active roster for the first time this season. To make room for Wall, right-handed reliever Carlos Almanzar was optioned to triple-A Las Vegas. . . . Right-hander Jeff D’Amico was activated from the 15-day disabled list by the Milwaukee Brewers, hours before he was scheduled to start against the Chicago Cubs. Milwaukee also sent outfielder Lyle Mouton and infielder Santiago Perez to triple-A Indianapolis and purchased the contract of outfielder Chris Jones from Indianapolis.

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Second baseman Chuck Knoblauch was scratched from the New York Yankees’ lineup against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays because of a left ear infection.

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Whitey Herzog, the winningest manager in Kansas City Royals history, and former batting champion Willie Wilson were inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame.