Justin Upton has lived with high expectations virtually since the day he picked up a baseball bat.

Now at 22, with two full major league seasons already behind him, he says he welcomes the challenge of living up to the $51.25 million, six-year contract he signed Wednesday with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the second-largest deal in franchise history.

The outfielder said he understands the responsibility that comes with this big a contract at such a young age. "I do kind of put that pressure on myself," he said. "I want to be great, that's the thing. If you want to be great, then you set your goals higher."

Upton earned his first All-Star berth last season, when he hit .300 with 26 homers and 86 RBIs.

His statistics are compared favorably with those of some of the game's greats at the same age. His OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of .836 compares with the early numbers of Al Kaline, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez.

"There's a lot to live up to," he said, "and I think I'm ready for that."

The fraternity of knuckleball pitchers is small, and Tim Wakefield is its active godfather. Eri Yoshida hopes to expand that roster and break the gender barrier at the same time. Yoshida, the petite 18-year-old who became the first female drafted by a Japanese professional team, made her pro debut March 26, 2009, at the Osaka Dome. She learned how to throw a knuckleball as a young girl by watching video of Wakefield.

Tuesday, Yoshida, wearing a gray Boston T-shirt with Wakefield's name and number on the back, met her idol and pitched with him. "I'm impressed," Wakefield said. "She was able to take the spin out of a lot of them and they had quite a lot of movement on them."

Chicago has agreed to terms with Cuban defector Juan Yasser Serrano, a right-handed pitcher. The 21-year-old Serrano must pass a physical exam before the deal becomes official. The Cubs hope the process will be finished well before the end of spring training. The 6-foot-1 Serrano, who defected last year, would start the season at Class A Daytona.

Manager Tony La Russa coveted Brad Penny for years. And the right-hander felt the same way about St. Louis. "I grew up a Cardinals fan," Penny said. "I always told my agent if I get a chance to play in St. Louis I'd love to." Penny, an Oklahoma native, signed with his favorite boyhood team for $7.5 million.

Tim Lincecum struggled in his spring debut, allowing three runs in one inning as the San Francisco Giants beat the Seattle Mariners, 8-7, in 10 innings. Lincecum was expected to throw two innings. He worked only the 29-pitch first, giving up two hits and three runs. ... Hanley Ramirez hit a three-run homer in his first at-bat of spring training as the Florida Marlins beat the University of Miami, 19-3. ... Tim Hudson pitched two sharp innings and rookie Jason Heyward doubled and scored as the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets, 9-5. Hudson missed most of the 2009 season after recovering from Tommy John surgery.

• INSIDE: Wednesday's spring training scores and the Pirates box score, Page D-6.

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