Riske, Brewers expected to close on 3-year deal

The Milwaukee Brewers are expected to finalize the signing of reliever David Riske to a three-year deal Wednesday.

Riske

Riske, 31, will have a chance to close for the Brewers next season, after having a strong year for the Kansas City Royals, for whom he compiled a 2.45 ERA. Riske will get $13 million over three years, with a $4.75 million option for 2011. With the incentives package and option, the deal could net as much as $20 million.

Riske could help the Brewers fill in the hole created by the departure of relievers Francisco Cordero and Scott Linebrink.

Riske, 31, pitched in six seasons for the Cleveland Indians before going to Boston in the deal for Coco Crisp and splitting the 2006 season with the Red Sox and Chicago White Sox. Riske rebounded strongly in 2007, allowing just 27 walks and striking out 52 in 69 2/3 innings while working in middle relief for the Royals.

The Royals had been offered Riske a two-year deal for about $6 million at the start of this offseason, but the market price for middle relievers has climbed upward again, driven in part by the four-year, $19 million deal signed by Linebrink with the White Sox.

Buster Olney is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Source: ESPN.com