Morris stays in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS -- Matt Morris will return to the St. Louis Cardinals, agreeing Tuesday night to a $2.5 million, one-year contract that allows him to earn an additional $4.5 million in performance bonuses.

The NL champions also re-signed two other players, reaching one-year deals with right-hander Cal Eldred ($600,000) and outfielder John Mabry ($725,000).

The Cardinals offered salary arbitration to free-agent shortstop Edgar Renteria and catcher Mike Matheny, but did not make offers to right-hander Woody Williams, left-handed reliever Steve Kline and outfielder Ray Lankford, who was considering retirement.

And the Cardinals lost second baseman Tony Womack, who signed a two-year deal with the New York Yankees.

Though he went 15-10 last season, Morris finished with a 4.72 ERA and gave up 35 homers. His velocity, once in the mid-90s, was off considerably. Last month he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, which bothered him throughout the season.

In seven seasons, the 30-year-old right-hander is 87-52 with a 3.53 ERA. He won 22 games for St. Louis in 2001. Morris earned $12.5 million in 2004, in the last year of a three-year contract.

Eldred, 37, has gone 11-6 in two seasons with the Cardinals, working 114 games in relief.

Mabry batted .296 with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs in 87 games this year. The 13 homers matched his career high from 1996.

Renteria is a .289 hitter and two-time Gold Glove winner who, at 29, is still relatively young. But some believe he could command $10 million or more per season -- and that might be too much for the Cardinals.

Noteworthy

• A total of 41 players were offered arbitration by the midnight deadline, up from 25 last year. Carlos Beltran and Roger Clemens (Houston), Adrian Beltre (Los Angeles) and Carl Pavano (Florida) were among those given arbitration offers; they have until Dec. 19 to accept and can re-sign with their former teams through Jan. 8. Among those not offered arbitration were third baseman Troy Glaus, the 2002 World Series MVP (Anaheim); first baseman Carlos Delgado (Toronto); outfielder Steve Finley (Los Angeles); outfielder Magglio Ordonez (Chicago White Sox) and pitchers Eric Milton and Kevin Millwood (Philadelphia).
• In addition to Womack, the Yankees were working on a deal with Jaret Wright, 28, who went 15-8 with a 3.28 ERA with the Atlanta Braves this year, but lost both his starts in the playoffs.