Gagne reaches preliminary agreement with Rangers

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) _ The Texas Rangers and reliever Eric Gagne have reached preliminary agreement on a one-year deal worth about $6-million. <br/><br/>The Associated Press reports the agreement would

Wednesday, December 13th 2006, 6:20 am

By: News On 6

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) _ The Texas Rangers and reliever Eric Gagne have reached preliminary agreement on a one-year deal worth about $6-million.

The Associated Press reports the agreement would allow Gagne to earn about $5-million more in performance bonuses.

The 2003 NL Cy Young Award winner who played at Seminole State College in Seminole, Oklahoma, must pass a physical before the contract can be finalized.

Injuries limited Gagne to 14 games and eight saves in 2005 and two outings with one save this year.

He had surgery in April to remove a nerve from his pitching elbow _ the same arm that required elbow-ligament replacement surgery in 1997.

He then had season-ending surgery in July to repair a herniated disc in his lower back.