Knoblauch joins KC as free agent

Chuck Knoblauch, a member of three straight New York Yankees World Series championship teams, found a new baseball home on Tuesday, signing as a free agent with the Kansas City Royals.

Knoblauch's free-agent teammate, Tino Martinez, also left Tuesday, becoming a member of the St. Louis Cardinals on a day of numerous signings and trades.

Meanwhile, the Yankees finalized a two-year deal with left-hander Sterling Hitchcock, who was reacquired from San Diego last July and was a combined 6-5 with a 5.63 earned run average.

Reliever John Rocker was traded by Cleveland to Texas for minor league pitcher Dave Elder. The Indians acquired Rocker from Atlanta last June, but he was a major disappointment for Cleveland.

Knoblauch, a career .293 hitter who batted .250 last season, became a baseball enigma when he found himself unable to make the throw from second base to first. Despite therapy during the off-season, he was unable to overcome the problem which forced the Yankees to move him to designated hitter and then to left field.

Knoblauch signed a one-year contract with the Royals.

Both Martinez and Knoblauch were regulars on Yankees teams that won the World Series in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and were two outs away from a fourth straight championship before losing to Arizona last month.

Hitchcock, 4-4 with the Yankees after coming back from the Padres, gets a guaranteed $12 million. The deal could be worth $20 million if he pitches a third year with New York.

Colorado acquired second baseman Pokey Reese from Cincinnati in a four-player trade that sent left-handed reliever Gabe White to Cincinnati.

The Reds also received pitching prospect Luke Hudson and sent left-handed reliever Dennys Reyes to the Rockies.

Also, outfielder Danny Bautista, who hit .583 with seven RBIs in the World Series, re-signed with the Arizona. In another move, the team hired former Milwaukee Brewers all-star Robin Yount as a coach, filling a vacancy created when Chris Speier retired after the World Series.

Bautista, who turned down a $7 million, three-year contract offer last month, signed for three years at about $8 million.