http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/5131638 Yankees agree to $17M deal with FarnsworthStory Tools: Print Email Associated PressPosted: 19 hours ago NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Yankees agreed Friday to a $17 million, three-year contract with reliever Kyle Farnsworth, moving quickly to replace Tom Gordon as the primary setup man for Mariano Rivera.The hard-throwing righty, who will be 30 in April, split last season between the Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves, who acquired him at the July 31 trade deadline. He combined to go 1-1 with a 2.19 ERA in 72 games, striking out 87 in 70 innings and walking 27.Farnsworth allowed only five home runs during the regular season, but had a meltdown in Game 4 of the playoffs, when Atlanta wasted a 6-1 lead. He gave up an eighth-inning grand slam to Lance Berkman and a tying homer to Brad Ausmus with two outs in the ninth, and Houston went on to win in 18 innings and earn a spot in the NL championship series.Gordon, who spent the last two seasons as Rivera's main setup man in New York, reached a preliminary agreement late Thursday night with the Philadelphia Phillies on an $18 million, three-year contract.New York had wanted to sign both Gordon and Farnsworth but would not offer more than a two-year deal to Gordon, a 38-year-old right-hander.Prices for relievers have escalated this offseason, with B.J. Ryan getting a $47 million, five-year contract from Toronto and Billy Wagner accepting a $43 million, four-year offer from the New York Mets.
