following too closely and was subsequently arrested by Maryland Transportation Authority Police for the traffic violation and DWI; he was later released. Released by the Orioles Just prior to the second drunk driving incident, Baltimore attempted to trade Ponson to the San Diego Padres for first baseman Phil Nevin at the 2005 trade deadline, but the deal fell through when Nevin invoked his no-trade clause. Nevin eventually was traded to Texas. On September 1, 2005, the Orioles released Ponson and voided his contract, saying that his infractions with the law went against a morals clause in Major League Baseball contracts. A week later, on September 8, the Major League Baseball Players Association filed a grievance on Ponson's behalf. The Orioles settled the grievance in 2009, with the Orioles reportedly agreeing to pay the remaining $10.1 million. St. Louis Cardinals On December 21, 2005, Ponson signed a one-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals calling for a $1 million salary with the ability to earn an additional $1.5 million in incentives. Although his season started promisingly, Ponson struggled with stamina and rarely went more than five innings in his starts. On July 7, , the Cardinals designated Ponson for assignment, ending his stint with the team. New York Yankees On July 14, 2006, Ponson signed with the New York Yankees. The Yankees won his first game, lost the second game, and he was subsequently sent to the bullpen when the Yankees acquired Cory Lidle from the Philadelphia Phillies. Reportedly, Brian Cashman asked Ponson if he would be amenable to being placed in the pen before going ahead with the trade (which also involved acquiring Bobby Abreu). If Ponson had refused, he would have been released and the trade that sent Shawn Chacón to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Craig Wilson would have fallen through. After a poor pitching performance on August 18, 2006, the Yankees released Ponson, making him a free agent. Minnesota Twins In January , Ponson signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins. On March 31, 2007, his contract was purchased by the Twins and he was added to their 25-man roster as the fifth starter. He got off to a relatively slow start, having only a couple of quality starts while his ERA hovered around 7. On May 13, the Twins designated him for assignment, and he was later released. Texas Rangers On March 9,