Alou Reportedly Will Join Father in San Francisco

Moises Alou is being reunited with his father after reaching a preliminary agreement on a two-year contract with Felipe Alou’s San Francisco Giants worth about $13.25 million, a person involved in the negotiations told Associated Press on Wednesday.

The deal, which includes a second year at the player’s option, is pending until Alou passes a physical, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity. An escalating clause could raise the value to about $13.75 million.

The addition of Alou gives the Giants another big bat to team with Barry Bonds in the middle of the lineup. Alou hit a career-high 39 homers for the Chicago Cubs last season and drove in 106 runs.

Other than Bonds, the Giants didn’t have a player hit more than 22 homers or drive in more than 90 runs last season.

San Francisco finished 91-71 last season, two games behind Los Angeles in the National League West and one behind Houston in the wild-card race.

This would mark the second time Felipe Alou has managed his son in the majors, having done it from 1992 to ’96 in Montreal.

Moises Alou, 38, is a career .300 batter, with 278 homers and 1,092 RBIs, and is a four-time All-Star.

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The Boston Red Sox bolstered their pitching rotation with two new starters Wednesday, reaching a preliminary agreement with Wade Miller and finalizing their deal with Matt Clement.

Miller, a former Houston Astro who already has passed a physical, agreed to a $1.5-million, one-year contract that allows him to earn an additional $3 million in bonuses based on innings and roster time.

Miller was 7-7 with a 3.35 earned-run average in 15 starts last season before going on the disabled list June 29 with a season-ending rotator cuff injury. In his first two full seasons with the Astros in 2001 and 2002, Miller was 31-12.

Clement heard all about curses while playing for the Chicago Cubs, who have the longest title drought in baseball. So when he saw the Red Sox win the World Series, it made him think about playing in Boston.

“Being able to overcome something like that, that’s something I want to be a part of: People who are all about that,” he said after finishing up a $25.5-million, three-year deal with the World Series champions.

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The Chicago White Sox found their fifth starter. Right-hander Orlando Hernandez agreed to an $8-million, two-year deal with the White Sox, bolstering what had already been one of the American League’s stronger rotations.

Hernandez has a 61-40 career record with a 3.96 ERA, 704 strikeouts and one save in six seasons, all with the New York Yankees. His postseason record is even more impressive: 9-3 with a 2.65 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 17 games.

But Hernandez has been slowed by a shoulder injury the last two years. He sat out the 2003 season after having surgery that May to repair a partially torn rotator cuff. He won his first eight decisions after rejoining the Yankees at midseason last year but lost his final two and missed the AL division series because of a tired shoulder.

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Center fielder Dave Roberts agreed to a $1.35-million, one-year contract with the San Diego Padres, a deal that allows him to earn an additional $100,000 in performance bonuses.

Roberts was acquired in a trade with the Boston Red Sox. He had been eligible for salary arbitration.

The Padres also agreed to a $575,000, one-year deal with free-agent outfielder Mark Sweeney, who is back for his third tour with San Diego.

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The minimum salary for major league baseball players will rise to $316,000 from $300,000 next year.

The amount of the increase was based on the Consumer Price Index and was agreed to by the commissioner’s office and the players’ association.

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Former Toronto and Cleveland first baseman and designated hitter Josh Phelps agreed to a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, contingent on a physical.... Carl Pavano signed a $39.95-million, four-year contract to join the Yankees.... Houston Astro officials and Carlos Beltran met in Houston’s latest effort to retain the All-Star center fielder who led the team within one win of its first World Series. “This is a continuation of what we all knew from the beginning was going to be a long process,” Astro General Manager Tim Purpura said.