Ex-Card Veres signs with Cubs

CHICAGO -- Reliever Dave Veres and the Chicago Cubs agreed Friday to a $2 million, one-year contract.

Veres, brought in to bolster a bullpen that has already added Rod Beck and Mike Remlinger, pitched the last three seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals.

"Everybody wants to go to spring training thinking they have a chance to win. And with the moves the Cubs made, they can't help but get better," Veres said.

The Cubs have had a busy offseason after hiring Dusty Baker as their new manager. They acquired Eric Karros, Mark Grudzielanek, Damian Miller and Paul Bako in trades, signed Remlinger, Beck, Troy O'Leary, Shawn Estes and infielder Ramon Martinez in the free-agent market and re-signed closer Antonio Alfonseca.

"It started with Dusty," general manager Jim Hendry said. "We wanted to hire the right manager and improve the depth of our position players. We certainly wanted to strengthen the bullpen, and we wanted to add a left-handed starter

"We've done a lot of things," Hendry added. "We've added a lot of quality people besides adding to the overall depth."

In nine major league seasons, Veres is 34-34 with 94 saves and a 3.38 ERA. He has appeared in at least 60 games seven times and has had an ERA of 3.70 or better seven times.

Those kind of numbers can only help the Cubs. The Chicago bullpen went 22-28 with a 4.92 ERA last year and converted less than 48 percent of its save opportunities.

Veres, 36, who had needed to pass a physical to finalize the deal, has made 574 relief appearances during his big league career with Houston (1994 to 1995), Montreal (1996 to 1997), Colorado (1998 to 1999) and St. Louis (2000 to 2002).

Like Remlinger, he's a versatile pitcher who can work the seventh, eighth or ninth innings. He's also tough on left-handers.

Veres, who has pitched well at Wrigley Field, with a 3.27 ERA in 22 career outings there, said he's ready for any roles Baker assigns.

"If Antonio is closing, it's no problem setting up. I'll do whatever it takes. If it means pitching the sixth or seventh inning, I'll do it. I'm here to win," Veres said. "I'm old enough and I've played long enough where personal stats don't mean a lot. I'd rather have a ring than 20 saves."

Last season, Veres went 5-8 with four saves and a 3.48 ERA in 82 2-3 innings. The Cardinals had hoped to re-sign him, but he filed for free agency after they declined his $5.25 million option.

Orioles sign Daal

The Baltimore Orioles signed left-hander Omar Daal to $7.5 million, two-year contract on Friday. Daal, the first full-time left-hander in Baltimore's starting rotation since Jimmy Key in 1998, is expected to vie with Sidney Ponson for the No. 2 spot behind Rodrigo Lopez.

Daal, 30, became a free agent after pitching as a starter and reliever with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year. He went 11-9 with a 3.90 ERA with the Dodgers in 2002.

Union looks for collusion

The baseball players' association has asked agents to keep detailed records of negotiations involving free agents, a possible prelude to another collusion case against owners.

Several agents have told the union their clients received similar offers from several different teams, three agents said this week on the condition they not be identified.

Union officials asked them to maintain the records of the bids, and the three agents said the union was contemplating a collusion grievance. Baseball's labor contract says teams may not act in concert with regard to free agents.

-- From wire reports