NEW YORK – Ivan Rodriguez’s agent made a counteroffer Friday to the Detroit Tigers, who already have offered the 10-time All-Star catcher a deal worth $40 million over four years.

“We communicated today and continued to talk,” agent Scott Boras said, without going into details on his proposal.

Rodriguez, the top free agent still unsigned, was at the White House on Friday along with the Florida Marlins to celebrate their World Series victory over the New York Yankees.

He did not speak with reporters.

Detroit, which lost an American League-record 119 games last season, is looking to spark its rebuilding efforts.

“We’re still in that limbo stage,” Tigers manager Alan Trammell said Friday. “But it’s a great topic because it’s building interest for our ballclub. Certainly, we have an interest, but we’ll see what happens.”

It is not clear which other teams Boras is talking with about Rodriguez.

Another free agent signed Friday, with left-hander Shawn Estes agreeing to a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies.

Estes, 30, would get a $600,000, one-year contract if he is added to the 40-man roster and the chance to earn $250,000 more in performance bonuses based on innings.

He must pass a physical before the deal can be finalized.

After winning 19 games for San Francisco in 1997 and 15 games in 2000, Estes has gone 22-31 the past three seasons. He was 8-11 with a 5.73 ERA for the Chicago Cubs last year.

Also, the Houston Astros were negotiating with right-hander Dave Veres.

Kansas City left-hander Darrell May, who had filed for salary arbitration, agreed to a $4.95 million, two-year contract. May, 31, was 10-8 with one shutout and a career-best 3.77 ERA last year, leading the team in victories. He will make $1.75 million this season and $3.2 million in 2005.

Rose at Foxwoods for book signing

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. – A few weeks after admitting he bet on baseball, Pete Rose is going to an eastern Connecticut casino to sign his new book and dine with high-rollers.

The career hits leader, who agreed in 1989 to a lifetime ban from baseball following an investigation of his gambling, is to appear at Foxwoods Resort Casino on Saturday for an invitation-only signing of his book, “My Prison Without Bars,” the Day of New London and the Norwich Bulletin reported.

Foxwoods spokesman Bruce MacDonald said Rose has made several paid appearances at Foxwoods and that as many as 300 gamblers have been invited.

“We’re getting a strong response,” MacDonald said. “Our players are interested in what Pete has to say. I think he’ll get a good reception.”

When asked about Rose’s presence at the casino – given his gambling history – MacDonald said he didn’t think about it.

“We’ve had a history with him and thought this was an interesting thing to do,” he said.

Rose admitted in his book, which was released earlier this month, that he bet on baseball games involving the Cincinnati Reds while managing the team in the late 1980s. He applied for reinstatement in 1997, but commissioner Bud Selig hasn’t ruled.

In an interview with The Associated Press earlier this month, Rose said he hadn’t been to a casino since the October fight between Evander Holyfield and James Toney. Rose said he went to the fight at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas because he is a friend of Toney’s.

“That was the only time that I’ve been to a casino that I wasn’t getting paid,” Rose said. “I’m not going to fly from New York to Las Vegas or Atlantic City as enjoyment. When I go to Atlantic City, when I go to Las Vegas, it’s for corporate appearances.”

AP-ES-01-23-04 0029EST