The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Major League Baseball will begin penalizing players for steroid use next season after learning that more than 5 percent of this year's tests came back positive.

Suspicions of steroid use had run high recently as bulked-up sluggers set all sorts of home run records. Stars such as Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa denied taking the drugs.

But on Thursday, the results came back and proved what many in baseball assumed: Some players were taking more than vitamins.

"Hopefully, this will, over time, allow us to completely eradicate the use of performance enhancement substances in baseball," commissioner Bud Selig said.

MLB said of 1,438 anonymous tests this season, between 5 and 7 percent were positive.

Under baseball's labor contract that took effect on Sept. 30, 2002, testing with penalties begins after any season in which more than 5 percent of survey tests are positive.

And from now on, players will be identified.

Starting next year, a first positive test for steroid use would result in treatment and a second in a 15-day suspension or fine of up to $10,000. The length of penalties would increase to a one-year suspension or fine of up to $100,000 for a fifth positive test. The suspensions would be without pay.

NL CY YOUNG AWARD: Eric Gagne was almost as perfect in NL Cy Young Award voting as he was on the mound.

The Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher who converted all 55 of his save chances this year received 28-of-32 first-place votes and 146 points to win the honor.

It was just the ninth time a reliever won a Cy Young, the first in the NL since San Diego's Mark Davis in 1989.

GM MEETINGS: The Questec tracking system that rankled many players and umpires last season got a strong voice of support from major league officials.

"This system is absolutely critical to the accountability of umpires to the rulebook's strike zone, and our ability to continue to reshape the strike zone," said Sandy Alderson, MLB's executive vice president for baseball operations.

Also, Arizona ace Curt Schilling confirmed to The Associated Press that he had agreed to the Diamondbacks' request that he speak to the New York Yankees about a possible trade.

Schilling will earn $12 million, plus $2 million in relatively reachable incentives, in the final year of his contract next season and has a no-trade clause.

YANKEES: Mel Stottlemyre is coming back to the New York Yankees next season, and so is Darryl Strawberry.

Stottlemyre told the team Thursday that he decided to stay on as pitching coach for the ninth season.

Strawberry, an eight-time All-Star who has battled drug addiction, prison and cancer, was hired as a player development

instructor.

He will work with the major league team during spring training and with minor leaguers the rest of the year.