SURPRISE, Ariz.--Kevin Appier said yesterday he won't accept a minor league assignment with the Kansas City Royals and will retire unless another team picks him up.

Appier, the Royals' all-time strikeout leader, pitched five shutout innings Monday in a Royals' minor league game.

"I did really good results wise, but it wasn't impressive," Appier said. "It's not high enough potential to warrant going to the minors and the uncertainty. It's [retiring] not official yet, but quite probable."

The 37-year-old right-hander has a career record of 169-137 with a 3.74 earned run average in 15 seasons. He said he'd wait a few days to see if another team is interested, but would not play for Triple-A Omaha.

"I could pitch in the big leagues with this stuff, but it's not worth it to go down and hope somebody would want me," Appier said.

Appier, a 1987 first-round draft pick of the Royals, spent most of his career with the team. He was traded to Oakland in 1999 and also pitched with the New York Mets and Anaheim Angels.

He went 18-8 with an AL-leading 2.56 ERA in 1994. He was selected to the 1995 AL All-Star team, pitched in the 2000 playoffs with the Athletics and was a member of the 2002 World Series champion Angels.

Yankees send Prinz to Anaheim

TAMPA, Fla.--The New York Yankees acquired minor league catcher Wil Nieves from the Los Angeles Angels for right-hander Bret Prinz.

Nieves hit. 297 with 10 homers and 53 RBIs in 108 games last season for Triple-A Salt Lake.

Prinz went 1-0 with a 5.08 ERA in 26 games with New York last season. He also made 29 appearance, going 3-1, for Columbus.

VIERA, Fla.--The New York Mets acquired infielder Benji Gil from the Seattle Mariners for cash.

Out of the majors since 2003, Gil will report to the Mets' minor league camp. He hit .304 (7-for-23) with one homer and three RBIs this spring for Seattle.

Gil, 32, has a career .237 average over eight seasons with the Angels and Rangers. He was a part-time player on the Angels' 2002 World Series championship team, going 8-for-12 during the postseason.

Brewers release Kieschnick

PHOENIX--The Milwaukee Brewers released right-handed reliever Brooks Kieschnick after he cleared waivers, parting with a fan favorite who made the successful transition from outfielder to pitcher two years ago.

In two seasons, Kieschnick went 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 74 relief appearances for Milwaukee and hit .286 with eight homers and 19 RBIs in 133 at-bats.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--Former Arizona third baseman Matt Williams announced he is becoming a partner in the Diamondbacks and will invest $3 million in the club over the next 10 years.

Williams, who joined the expansion Diamondbacks in 1998, will own one-half of 1 percent of the team, paying $300,000 a year via a deferred investment that allows him to pay 10 percent each year. The commissioner's office approved Williams as a partner last week, a formality in the process.