Colon, Hernandez Part of a Three-Team Trade

Bartolo Colon was traded Wednesday, but not to the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees.

Instead, Colon went to the Chicago White Sox in a three-team deal that included the Yankees and provided New York with the fringe benefit of keeping Colon away from the Red Sox.

In the three-way swap, the Yankees sent pitcher Orlando Hernandez and $2 million to Chicago for reliever Antonio Osuna and minor league pitcher Delvis Lantigua. Then the White Sox packaged Hernandez with pitcher Rocky Biddle, outfielder Jeff Liefer and cash to Montreal for Colon and minor league infielder Jorge Nunez.

The Expos will be responsible for $300,000 of Hernandez’s salary next season, with the White Sox using the $2 million from the Yankees and their own money to make up the difference. Hernandez is expected to earn between $4 million and $5 million.

The architect of the deal was White Sox General Manager Ken Williams, who pursued Montreal General Manager Omar Minaya once it became clear that the Expos would be trading Colon or pitcher Javier Vazquez to reduce payroll.

“Early on, I was probably the most aggressive guy,” Williams said. “As soon as the end of the season hit, I was trying to launch a pre-emptive strike in that direction. You kind of selectively pick and choose your spots. You don’t want to go away and allow this thing to develop.”

The Yankees and Red Sox were believed to be in the best position to get Colon. But when the Yankees added Cuban free agent Jose Contreras and re-signed Roger Clemens, it created a logjam of eight starting pitchers.

Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman was looking to ease that glut and reduce payroll while also trying to shore up a bullpen that lost free agents Mike Stanton to the New York Mets and Ramiro Mendoza to Boston.

Colon had a 20-8 record and a 2.93 earned-run average with Cleveland and Montreal last season. He will earn $8.25 million in 2003. Osuna, a reliever, was 8-2 in 59 games with a 3.86 ERA last season.

Hernandez was 8-5 with a 3.64 ERA last season but spent considerable time on the disabled list.

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Alex Cora and the Dodgers avoided salary arbitration by agreeing on a $1.15-million, one-year contract.

Cora batted .291 last season. He is expected to compete for the starting jobs at shortstop and second base this spring.

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Right-hander Kerry Wood and the Chicago Cubs avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $6.19-million, one-year deal.

Wood was 12-11 with a 3.66 ERA last season.

His 217 strikeouts were third-best in the National League and gave him 200 strikeouts in three of his first four seasons.

Wood became the first Cub with consecutive 200-strikeout seasons since Ferguson Jenkins from 1967 to 1971.

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Former Dodger and Angel right-hander Ismael Valdes signed a $2.5-million, one-year contract with Texas.... Catcher Michael Barrett agreed to a $2.6-million, one-year contract with the Expos.... Left-hander Mark Guthrie and the Cubs agreed on a $1.9-million, one-year contract.... Outfielder Juan Encarnacion and Florida agreed on a $3.45-million, one-year contract.... Shortstop Chris Woodward signed a $775,000, one-year contract with Toronto.... Free-agent outfielder-infielder John Mabry agreed to terms with Seattle on an $850,000, one-year contract.... Infielder Tyler Houston, who played part of last season with the Dodgers, agreed to a $1-million, one-year contract with Philadelphia.... Texas shortstop Alex Rodriguez, who led the majors with 57 home runs, batted .300 and drove in 142 runs, was selected the first winner of the Ted Williams Award as the top hitter in 2002. The award will be given annually by the Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers Assn. of America.... St. Louis County has agreed to lend the city $45 million to help build a ballpark to replace Busch Stadium, home of the Cardinals.... The Red Sox are seeking approval from the Boston Redevelopment Authority to add three rows of seats atop the 37-foot-high Green Monster in left field at 34,000-seat Fenway Park, the smallest in the majors.

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Team owners appeared set to approve Commissioner Bud Selig’s plan to give the league that wins the All-Star game home-field advantage in the World Series.

The proposal is due to be voted on today, and owners praised the idea as they arrived at Scottsdale, Ariz., for a two-day meeting.

Selig developed the proposal after last year’s All-Star game at Milwaukee ended in a 7-7, 11-inning tie when both teams ran out of pitchers.

Currently, home-field advantage alternates between the leagues.