PHILADELPHIA -- Tom Gordon is back to closing -- again.
The veteran reliever is going from setting up for Mariano Rivera to replacing Billy Wagner after agreeing to an $18 million, three-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The 38-year-old right-hander hasn't finished games regularly in four years, but the Phillies are convinced he can fill the void created by Wagner's departure earlier in the week.
"I'm confident Tom will do an excellent job," Phillies general manager Pat Gillick said Friday.
Gordon gets $4.5 million next year, $7 million in 2007 and $5.5 million in 2008. Philadelphia has a 2009 option $4.5 million with a $1 million buyout.
Gordon has done it all during 17 seasons with six teams. He began his career in Kansas City in 1988 and won 17 games as a starter the following year.
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| After being the setup man for the Yankees last year, Tom Gordon is set to become the Phillies closer. (Getty Images) |
"From our scouting, he has absolutely no problem," Gillick said. "We don't see any decline in his talent."
Gordon also was negotiating with the Yankees and Cleveland Indians before agreeing to the deal with the Phillies. Gordon's agreement is pending a physical, and he is likely to take one Saturday.
Gordon had 46 saves and a 2.72 ERA in his best season, 1998 with the Red Sox. He had 12 saves in 66 games with the Chicago White Sox in 2003.
"The market dictated you had to go further than you wanted to go," Gillick said. "This guy is in great shape. He's in tremendous condition."
The Phillies needed a closer after Wagner left this week to accept a $43 million, four-year contract from the New York Mets. They had been interested in free-agent relievers Trevor Hoffman and Kyle Farnsworth, but decided to go with Gordon after Gillick met with him Thursday.
Philadelphia lost Wagner partly because it didn't want to offer a four-year contract to a 34-year-old reliever. Instead, the Phillies wound up giving a three-year deal to an older pitcher who doesn't have Wagner's pedigree.
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