Boone inks two-year deal with Tribe

[clevfan]

CLEVELAND -- Free agent Aaron Boone turned down opportunities to play elsewhere and agreed Saturday to a two-year contract with the Indians.
The deal includes an option for 2006.

Boone's signing had been expected. Boone, who's coming off knee surgery, was in town Friday for a physical examination, and Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said he was awaiting results of those tests. Boone passed them all.

In signing Boone, the Indians have expanded their options at shortstop, second and third. Boone, once he's ready to play, will likely move in as the starter at third base and Casey Blake will take over to first base.

With his experience, Boone should provide leadership in the Indians' clubhouse.

"That's probably the one thing that's needed in this clubhouse is guys who've been through some things," said one Indians player, who didn't want his name used.

Besides leadership, the 31-year-old Boone adds a potent right-handed bat to the lineup, and general manager Mark Shapiro had called adding one a key ingredient in building the team's long-term success.

But Boone won't be in the Indians' lineup immediately. He's still trying to rebound from serious injury to his left knee, an injury he sustained playing in a pickup basketball game during the offseason.

The injury cost Boone his job with the Yankees. After last season, they signed Boone, a lifetime .270 hitter, to a one-year contract for $5.8 million. But terms of that agreement prevented Boone from playing basketball.

After he injured the knee, the deal was voided. The Yankees paid Boone a reported $917,553 as termination pay.

To make room for Boone on the 40-man roster, the Indians released pitcher Jeff D'Amico, an offseason pickup who began the '04 season in the starting rotation. The veteran right-hander had been on the disabled list with a bad back.

D'Amico made several rehabs starts in the minors, but he wasn't able to get his fastball back into the high 80s.