BASEBALL : Yankees Get Key for $17 Million

The New York Yankees finally got a free agent Thursday night when left-hander Jimmy Key agreed to a four-year deal for $17 million.

Key, 31, was 13-13 with a 3.53 earned-run average for the World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays last season. In nine years with the Blue Jays, Key was 116-81.

The Yankees came to the winter meetings in Louisville, Ky., hoping to sign Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux and David Cone. But General Manager Gene Michael was frustrated each time.

Michael was able to trade for Angel pitcher Jim Abbott at the meetings, giving the Yankees a rotation of Abbott, Key, Melido Perez, Sam Militello and Sterling Hitchcock or Bob Wickman.

The Blue Jays originally wanted to keep Key but withdrew their offer at the meetings. Texas was also interested in Key, but the Yankees were considered the front-runners since last week.

Key’s best season for Toronto came in 1987, when he was 17-8 and led the American League with a 2.76 ERA.

The New York Mets signed free-agent left-hander Frank Tanana to a one-year contract worth for $1.5 million. Tanana, 39, was 13-11 with a 4.39 ERA for the Detroit Tigers last season. He started his career with the Angels in 1973 and has a lifetime record of 233-219. . . . The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Alejandro Pena, a former Dodger, to a one-year contract worth $1.35 million. Pena was 1-6 for the Atlanta Braves with 15 saves and a 4.07 ERA last season. . . . Tom Bolton, a 30-year-old left-hander who was a combined 4-5 for the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds last season, agreed to a $400,000, one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers.

Barry Bonds, the newest San Francisco Giant, nipped a budding controversy by saying he would wear No. 25, the number worn by his father, Bobby Bonds, instead of Willie Mays’ No. 24, which has been retired. . . . Gordon (Babe) Phelps, 84, a two-time All-Star catcher who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1935-41, has died.