SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Padres' rotation just got a lot livelier. "Boomer" is coming home.

David Wells, the hefty, free-spirited lefty, spurned the New York Yankees and agreed to a one-year contract with his hometown Padres on Wednesday.

The 40-year-old Wells is expected to lead the Padres' rotation in the club's first year in its new $458 million downtown ballpark.

After determining they couldn't afford to sign free agent Greg Maddux, the Padres felt Wells would be the next-best choice to tutor their young staff. Plus, he wanted to join the Padres, general manager Kevin Towers said.

"We're ecstatic to have this guy," said Towers, who's watched the Padres endure five straight losing seasons in the NL West since being swept by Wells and the Yankees in the 1998 World Series.

"We think this division is up for grabs, and having that No. 1- type starter in Wells gives us a chance to compete in the division," Towers said.

Wells will make $1.25 million in base pay, with incentives that could make the deal worth $7 million if he is healthy and pitches all season.

Wells had a family commitment and wasn't available for comment, the Padres said.

Towers said he's not worried about Wells' hard-partying reputation, or his battles with weight and injuries. He had arthroscopic back surgery in early December and should be ready to pitch by March 1.

"This guy's a competitor," Towers said. "We all know he's a little bit different. There's nothing wrong with that. It's all about putting up results, and he's put up results in the past.

"This guy's coming back home, and the last thing he wants to do is embarrass himself and his family where he grew up."

The deal was another blow to the Yankees, who lost left-hander Andy Pettitte to the Houston Astros and Roger Clemens to retirement. With Jeff Weaver's trade to Los Angeles and Wells' departure, the Yankees head into next season without four pitchers who made 120 of the team's 163 starts last season.

New York's rebuilt rotation includes Mike Mussina, ex-Dodger Kevin Brown, Javier Vazquez and Jose Contreras. Jon Lieber, coming off reconstructive elbow surgery, becomes the likely fifth starter. All are right-handers who will be pitching at Yankee Stadium, a ballpark where left-handed hitters often thrive.

Last spring, the Yankees fined Wells $100,000 after he wrote a book that criticized teammates, made claims of rampant drug use in baseball and contended he pitched a perfect game "half drunk."