NEW YORK -- Free-agent catcher Brian McCann and the New York Yankees are about to complete a five-year deal worth around $85 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal wasnt finalized. The contract is expected to include a vesting option worth $15 million. The deals completion is pending a physical. In an already brisk off-season throughout the majors, the McCann move would be the first major addition for the Yankees since they missed the playoffs for only the second time in 19 years. They finished fourth in the AL East this year. The Yankees made finding a catcher a priority, and McCann was the best available. The seven-time All-Star played all nine of his big league seasons with the Atlanta Braves, hitting at least 20 homers for a sixth straight season before choosing to test the market after the World Series. The 29-year-old McCann returned from off-season shoulder surgery in April and hit .256 with 57 RBIs in 356 at-bats for the NL East champions. The Braves will receive a compensatory pick between the first and second round of the June draft because McCann turned down their $14.1 million qualifying offer. The Yankees relied heavily on career backup Chris Stewart last year after Francisco Cervelli was injured, then suspended 50 games. They had let Gold Glove catcher Russell Martin leave as a free agent in a cost-cutting move before the 2013 season. McCann bats left-handed, always a bonus for power hitters at Yankee Stadium with the short right field fence. He is a career .277 hitter with 176 home runs and 661 RBIs. The Yankees still have their own free-agent business to deal with. Star second baseman Robinson Cano is on the market and seeking a contract worth up to $300 million, and the Yankees have said they wont go that high. New York hopes to get under the 2014 tax threshold of $189 million for 2014. Not including McCanns deal, New Yorks luxury tax payroll so far is $97.1 million for seven signed players next year. Several teams have been busy since the season ended. The Detroit Tigers sent first baseman Prince Fielder to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Ian Kinsler in a swap of All-Stars with rich contracts, and the St. Louis Cardinals traded former World Series MVP David Freese to the Los Angeles Angels. Philadelphia recently re-signed Carlos Ruiz, taking another top free-agent catcher off the market. Carlos Sanchez Moreno Jersey . With the win, the Marlies complete a three-game series sweep of the Admirals and move on to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs. T.J. Brennan added an empty netter with less than 25 seconds remaining for his second of the playoffs. Camilo Vargas Colombia Jersey . Napoli beat high-flying Hellas Verona 3-0 to keep up the pressure on the top two while AC Milan had another disappointing night as four goals from teenage forward Domenico Berardi saw relegation-threatened Sassuolo come back from two goals down to win 4-3. http://www.nationalcolombiafootball.com/wilmar-barrios-colombia-jersey/ . Walcott is available for Saturdays home match against Southampton as Arsenal looks to extend its two-point lead at the top of the Premier League. The Gunners are currently the second highest scorers in the league but Wenger insists Walcott will add something extra to his team. Mateus Uribe Colombia Jersey . After falling 5-0 on home ice in a game that could have tied them for second in the wild card standings, Washington head coach Adam Oates had some strong words for Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin. Luis Muriel Jersey . - Benched Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman said he has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and voluntarily entered the NFL substance abuse program more than a year ago after mistakenly taking a medication to treat the condition.MONTREAL -- Montreal Canadiens fans experienced a mixture of pride and dejection on Thursday night after watching their heroes get eliminated from the NHL playoffs. The Habs, the only Canadian team to make this years post-season, saw their Stanley Cup dreams extinguished as the New York Rangers eked out a 1-0 victory in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference final. Although the game was played in New York, the Bell Centre in Montreal was packed once again as the decisive matchup was broadcast on giant screens for a sold-out crowd. Fans emerging from the arena after the game were obviously disappointed but there was no trouble downtown. Helmeted, riot-equipped police stood watch along Ste-Catherine Street but even many of them didnt stay around too long. It was in sharp contrast to the final game of Montreals previous series, against the Boston Bruins, when police lined the street to protect businesses from rowdy fans. On Thursday night, although there was the occasional vocal outburst from unhappy or frustrated fans, Montrealers appeared to accept the defeat as they quietly headed home. Emilie Quilliams, 18, said her disappointment at the playoff exit was tempered by seeing the Canadiens reach the semifinals. "Im still proud of them," she said. "For them to come to the second-to-last round of the playoffs, its something that we havent seen in quite a while, so I was really happy for them.&qquot; Many fans were already looking ahead to next season, particularly after a gritty playoff performance that included goaltender Dustin Tokarski filling in admirably for starter Carey Price, who was injured early in the Rangers series.dddddddddddd Joe Kutlu, 40, heaped praise galore on Tokarski and urged the Canadiens to sign him up. "They bring up a goalie who is a legend right now and hes going to be known and Im guessing a lot of players are really going to admire him for years to come," Kutlu said. Jean-Francois Belisle echoed the sentiments of many fans as he looked at the season with a sense of accomplishment. "Im proud of the Canadiens season, Im not angry," he said. "Obviously, it would have been great to go further but it was a good match, a good series and good playoffs." The Canadiens were a pleasant playoff surprise for their faithful, sweeping the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round and then defeating the Bruins, the leagues top team, in seven in the next round. The Habs were the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup when they defeated the Los Angeles Kings in 1993. The Rangers, who last won the trophy in 1994, will play either the Kings or the Chicago Blackhawks in the final. Thursday nights game was the third time this post-season that Habs fans had been able to attend the Bell Centre to see their team play on the road. ' ' '
