Duchscherer, a two-time All-Star, can make an additional $150,000 in incentives, getting $125,000 if he makes 23 starts and another $25,000 if he makes 32 starts. Oakland offered $3 million in arbitration and Duchscherer requested $4.6 million. He made $1.2 million last year.

Duchscherer will be a free agent after this season. There were no talks about a multi-year deal because of Duchscherer's injury troubles the past few seasons. He had minor hip surgery in September but said Saturday that he has recovered.

Duchscherer, 31, is the only member of the Oakland pitching staff with more than two years of big-league experience, but the A's are talking to 40-year-old reliever Russ Springer. There were reports that a one-year deal was nearly completed, but a team source said there is nothing imminent and little chance anything would be announced this weekend. Springer would need to pass a physical.

Springer has pitched 16 years in the big-leagues and has a lifetime ERA of 4.55, but he put up a 2.33 mark with St. Louis last season and a 2.18 the year before that.

Springer is a Type-A free agent, but he will not cost a draft pick because the Cardinals did not offer him arbitration.

Tigers grab Lyon: The Tigers and right-handed pitcher Brandon Lyon have agreed to a $4.25 million, one-year contract which contains $500,000 in performance bonuses.

Lyon will compete with Fernando Rodney for the closer's job left vacant by Todd Jones' retirement. Lyon saved 26 games in 31 chances with the Diamondbacks, but was replaced by Chad Qualls as their closer after posting an 8.46 ERA after the All-Star break.

The Tigers also agreed to a minor-league deal with right-handed reliever Scott Williamson, an All-Star in 1999 who had reconstructive elbow surgery in 2005 and was cut by the Giants in 2008 spring training.

Briefly: Phillies second baseman Chase Utley says his rehab from right hip surgery is on schedule and he expects to begin swinging a bat within three weeks. ... Reds shortstop Alex Gonzalez has been given the green light for spring training. Gonzalez missed all of last season with a compression fracture in his left knee.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This article appeared on page C - 7 of the San Francisco Chronicle