Brewers, Suppan ink $42 mil deal

Suppan passed a physical Friday, finalizing the agreement that had been reached Christmas Eve. Suppan?s deal, the largest in Brewers? history, gives him a $1 million signing bonus and salaries of $6 million in 2007, $8 million in 2008 and $12.5 million each in 2009 and 2010. Milwaukee has a $12.75 million option for 2011 with a $2 million buyout.

?I don?t think my preparation should change because I?m making a lot of money,? he said in a conference call Friday. ?Will there be any extra pressure? There could be, but there also could not be. I?ve never made this kind of money before, so I?ve just got to keep my focus.?

Suppan, who earned for $4 million pitching for St. Louis last season, also gets a full no-trade provision in the first two years and the right to block trades to eight teams annually after that. He also receives a suite for games at Miller Park and will donate $100,000 annually to Brewers Charities Inc.

He said the timing of Barry Zito?s $126 million, seven-year deal with San Francisco didn?t make a difference in his negotiations.

?What Barry Zito was doing never had any effect on me,? he said. ?I was looking for the right team for me. I wasn?t strategizing and waiting for him to sign, and I found the best team for me here in Milwaukee.?