Cardinals re-sign Williams to $14.9 million, two-year deal

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Woody Williams became the first of the 157 major league free agents to re-sign with his team, agreeing Monday to a $14.9 million, two-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Williams gets $6 million in 2003 and $8 million in 2004, and the Cardinals have an $8 million option for 2005 with a $900,000 buyout. He made $6.25 million in 2002, the final season of an $11.25 million, two-year deal.

"The Cardinals organization, the city, the fans have been great for me," Williams said. "It just boiled down to that it was hard to leave a place where I've had great success."

The 36-year-old right-hander and Matt Morris have formed a strong top of the rotation since Williams arrived from San Diego in an August 2001 trade that sent outfielder Ray Lankford to the Padres.

Williams, 58-62 in his major league career prior to the trade, has gone 16-5 with a 2.42 ERA for St. Louis and helped the Cardinals to consecutive postseason appearances.

Williams was 7-1 with a 2.28 ERA after arriving in St. Louis in 2001 and beat Randy Johnson during the first round of the playoffs, won by Arizona 3-2.

He was 9-4 with a 2.53 ERA this year but missed three stretches of the season because of a strained muscle in his left side. He was 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA in September, but reinjured himself near the end of the season and pitched only once in the playoffs, losing Game 2 of the NL championship series against San Francisco.

"Getting him re-signed was our priority and the first step in putting together our pitching staff for 2003," general manager Walt Jocketty said. "We feel that we have two very good pitchers at the top of our rotation with Matt Morris and Woody Williams."

Jason Simontacchi, who won 11 games as a 28-year-old rookie, is also expected to be part of the rotation.

Andy Benes, midseason acquisitions Chuck Finley and Jamey Wright are all free agents. Former phenom Rick Ankiel missed virtually all of last season with tendinitis in his left elbow, and he's still trying to overcome wildness that began during the 2000 playoffs.

Right-hander Garrett Stephenson, sidelined most of the past two seasons with elbow and hamstring injuries, is eligible for salary arbitration.

The Cardinals have shown little interest in pursuing free-agent pitchers and are trying to keep the payroll at about the same level as last season, when it was $76.2 million.

St. Louis used 14 starting pitchers last season due to injuries and the death of Darryl Kile in June.

"This year had a big impact on me as well as my teammates," Williams said. "It drew us closer together. It's a tight-knit group and a group with one goal, to win a championship."

Only two other major league free agents have signed. Left-hander Jesse Orosco left Los Angeles for an $800,000, one-year contract with San Diego and third baseman David Bell, part of the San Francisco team that came within a victory of a World Series title, agreed Sunday to a $17 million, four-year contract with Philadelphia.