Sports briefs 1/17/06

Baseball

• Dontrelle Willis avoided salary arbitration, agreeing to a $4.35 million, one-year contract with the Florida Marlins on Monday.

Willis went 22-10 with a 2.63 ERA last season and finished second to St. Louis' Chris Carpenter in NL Cy Young Award balloting. He gets a large raise from the $378,500 he made in 2005. He would also earn a $50,000 bonus if he starts 35 games in 2006.

The 24-year-old left-hander led the major leagues in wins last year. He is 46-27 with a 3.27 ERA in 93 career starts.

* The Houston Astros and slick-fielding shortstop Adam Everett avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $1.9 million, one-year contract Monday. Everett hit .248 with a career-best 11 home runs and 54 RBIs last season. He started all 14 games during Houston's postseason run to the World Series. Three Astros players remain eligible for arbitration: third baseman Morgan Ensberg, closer Brad Lidge and reliever Dan Wheeler.

Basketball

• Steve Francis was reinstated by the Orlando Magic on Monday, three days after he was suspended for "conduct detrimental to the team."

Francis, who missed two games, met with team officials on Monday.

"We now consider the matter closed and look forward to Steve's return to practice tomorrow," assistant general manager Otis Smith said in a statement.

Citing anonymous sources, two newspapers reported Francis was suspended for refusing to re-enter the fourth quarter of a blowout loss last week.

The guard is averaging 16.6 points and 5.4 assists per game this season for the Magic. He's expected to play Wednesday when Orlando hosts Washington.

Football

• Seahawks starting right tackle Sean Locklear was being held without bail Monday in the King County Jail for investigation of domestic violence assault, police and the team said. Locklear was booked early Sunday, hours after playing in the team's 20-10 playoff win over the Washington Redskins.

Seattle police were investigating an unrelated incident about 1 a.m. Sunday when three people told them a man was assaulting a woman on a nearby sidewalk. Police said the two involved were Locklear and a woman identified as his girlfriend. Her name was redacted from the police report.

-- From wire reports