McGwire, Cardinals Agree to $30 Million Deal

J U P I T E R, Fla., March 1 -- Big Mac is getting some big bucks.

Still, it's nowhere near what he would command on the free-agentmarket.

Mark McGwire and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed today to atwo-year extension worth about $30 million.

"I was telling my son the other day that I was going to signthis deal … basically averaging $15 million a year and people aregoing to talk about how I'm going to be underpaid," McGwire said.

"That's pretty ridiculous. It's a lot of money. I hate talkingabout it. I'm not out here trying to set precedents. I'm just doingwhat I think is right."

The new deal runs through 2003, the season McGwire could beapproaching Hank Aaron's home-run record of 755.

"I had no desire to play anywhere other than St. Louis,"McGwire said. "In my mind, there is no better place to be if youare a baseball player."

Seventh on Career Home-Run List

McGwire, 37, missed most of the second half of last season witha knee injury and had surgery during the offseason, but has beenhealthy this wpring.

McGwire and the Cardinals were talking about an extension thatwould pay him $14 million in 2002 and $16 million the followingyear, according to two baseball officials familiar with thenegotiations who spoke on the condition they not be identified.

"We could not be more pleased," Cardinals chairman Bill DeWittJr. said. "From day one, it has been a real'pleasure working withMark. He offers a great perspective when it comes to contractnegotiations, and he takes a real interest in securing a deal thathe believes to be fair not only for himself, but also for theteam."

McGwire negotiated the extension himself with the Cardinals anddid not go through his agent, Bob Cohen.

"I don't think it took anything but 25 minutes to do thedeal," McGwire said. "It's that simple. A guy in my position,what do you need to do? You just talk about it. He knows what I cando; everybody knows what I can do. We thought this was fair andthat's what it came down to.