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• NEW YORK -- Reliever Rafael Soriano opted out of the final year of a three-year, $35 million contract with the New York Yankees on Wednesday and will likely seek a long-term deal in free agency. Erik Lorig Jersey . The move was expected after the right-hander had 42 saves and a 2.26 ERA while filling in for closer Mariano Rivera this season after baseballs saves leader tore a knee ligament in early May. "Im not surprised because (agent) Scott Boras told me he was confident he could get him 15 times four (years), $60 million. If thats the case, it would be a good deal for Soriano," Yankees president Randy Levine told The Associated Press. "I hope thats whats real in the marketplace." Soriano was set to make $14 million next season. Instead, New York will pay him a $1.5 million buyout. The Yankees can make him a qualifying offer of $13.3 million before Fridays deadline, and if Soriano signs with another team, they will get draft compensation. Soriano, who will be 33 in December, signed his hefty contract with New York before the 2011 season after notching a career-high 45 saves with Tampa Bay. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner overruled general manager Brian Cashman in making the deal. Cashman was opposed to giving closer money to a setup man. The one-time All-Star had an injury-plagued first season with New York and he ended up getting the bulk of his work in the seventh inning, falling behind youngster David Robertson in the bullpen. But when Rivera went down, and Robertson struggled as the replacement stopper before going on the disabled list, Soriano slipped comfortably into the role. Sorianos possible departure further complicates the Yankees bullpen for 2013. Rivera, who will turn 43 in November, vowed right after his injury to return next year, but recently said he isnt sure whether he will play again. In other Yankees news, infielder Casey McGehee opted for free agency rather than accepting a minor league assignment. McGehee hit .151 (8 for 53) in 22 games with the Yankees after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 31. Rule 5 Draft pick Brad Meyers, a right-handed pitcher, was returned to the Washington Nationals. Meyers missed the entire season because of a labrum strain. Mike Williams Jersey . -- The Peterborough Lakers scored seven unanswered goals in the second period Friday to defeat the Langley Thunder 9-5 in Game 5 of the Mann Cup. Tom Crabtree Jersey . -- The Sacramento Kings have signed point guard Aaron Brooks. http://www.buccaneersofficialteamstore.com/autographed-josh-freeman-jersey-bg-86.html . -- Nicolas Batum scored 27 points and rookie Damian Lillard had 21 as the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Utah Jazz 120-114 on Monday night. Andre Neblett Jersey . Anti-doping officials want the disgraced cyclist to admit his guilt under oath before considering whether to lift a lifetime ban clouding his future as a competitive athlete. Dan Orlovsky Jersey . That means Tim Duncan has been a winner in every home game hes ever played against Golden State, and he wasnt about to let that change Friday night.VALKENBURG, Netherlands -- Olympic champion Marianne Vos of the Netherlands crowned a golden year with a dominant victory Saturday in the road race at the cycling world championships. Vos added her second world title to the Olympic gold she won in a downpour in London, victory in the cyclo-cross World Championship in January and her overall win in the womens Giro dItalia after coming back from breaking her collar bone in May. Vos powered away from a leading group of five riders on the final climb up the Cauberg to cross the line in front of thousands of cheering fans while waving a Dutch flag. "In the last lap I thought, well this is the moment I can be world champion," Vos said. "I only thought about going for an attack on the Cauberg," she added. "Of course it hurts, but it is only 1.5 kilometres to the finish so I just kept on pushing." Montreals Joelle Numainville was 13th, four minutes and 37 seconds behind Vos. Winnipegs Leah Kirchmann was 21st, 4:49 off the lead. Karol-Ann Canuel of Amos, Que., was 30th, also 4:49 behind Vos. Veronique Labonte (5:39) of La Guadeloupe, Que., finished 67th. The victory brought to an end a heart-breaking string of five world championship silver medals for Vos, who won her first world title in 2006 in Salzburg, Austria. "After five years getting silver its a great feeling to get it again," Vos said. Rachel Neylan of Australia was second, and Elisa Longo Borghini of Italy finished third. Neylan was riding in her first world championships and said she was initially undder instructions to support top Australian rider Tiffany Cromwell. Gabe Carimi Jersey. "I just did my job until it was time to focus on the result for myself," she said. Cromwell eventually finished 31st. The race involved eight circuits of a 16.1-kilometre course around the hilly landscape of the southern Dutch province of Limburg including two short, sharp climbs -- the 900-meter Bemelerberg and the famous Cauberg, a 1,200-metre hill with an average gradient of 5.8 per cent shortly before the finish line. After avoiding an early crash that slowed several riders, Vos never looked in trouble and completed the 129-kilometre race in 3:14:29. Vos twice humbled the field on the Cauberg. She made her first important move at the end of the sixth circuit, sprinting clear from the main pack on the way up the hill to join teammate Anna van der Breggen in the leading group. "It helps when youve done the Cauberg 100,000 times before," she said of racing on a circuit she knows like the back of her hand. She then underscored that she was in a class apart this season by attacking again on the steepest section of the final climb. She left her main challengers standing and gave herself time to savour victory even as she crossed the line -- and to begin enjoying her other victories this season, including the Olympic gold she has yet to really celebrate. "The last weeks I focused only on this," she said. "I didnt think about the Olympic gold or other wins. I just wanted to have this. Now I can start to look back." ' ' '

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