MLB notebook: Motte, Cardinals agree to $12 million, 2-year deal
BY Associated Press
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
1/23/13 at 4:38 AM
Reliever Jason Motte and the St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a $12 million, two-year contract, avoiding salary arbitration.
The 30-year-old right-hander had a career-high 42 saves in 49 chances last year, when he was 4-5 with a 2.75 ERA. He made $2 million.
Motte is 17-13 with a 2.87 ERA and 54 saves since his major league debut in 2008. He will be eligible for free agency after the 2014 season.
St. Louis announced the deal on Tuesday.
Two Cardinals remain in arbitration: third baseman David Freese and left-hander Marc Rzepczynski. If they fail to reach agreements, hearings would be held next month in Phoenix before three-arbitrator panels.
Phillies sign OF Delmon Young: In just a few months, Delmon Young went from MVP of the American League championship series to a guy hoping for an opportunity.
Young got that chance Tuesday, signing a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies for $750,000.
The 27-year-old outfielder batted .267 with 27 doubles, 18 homers and 74 RBIs for Detroit last season. He hit .313 with three homers and a team-high nine RBIs during 13 playoff games and was MVP against of the ALCS against the New York Yankees. The Tigers were swept by San Francisco in the World Series.
Young made $6.75 million last year, but off-field issues cost him a lucrative, multiyear deal. He was suspended without pay for seven days by Major League Baseball after an incident outside a New York City hotel last spring. Young later pleaded guilty to aggravated harassment for shouting an anti-Semitic slur and tackling a man to the ground.
Mariners to induct Griffey into team Hall of Fame: Ken Griffey Jr. is going into the Hall of Fame.
Not the one in Cooperstown. For now, it'll just be the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame.
"It means a lot. It's something that you dream about, the organization you get drafted by and the celebration of your career," Griffey said. "It means a whole lot that they would think that highly of me and what I have done to put my name up there with the rest of the guys."
The Mariners announced Tuesday that Griffey will become the seventh member inducted by the team. His ceremony will take place on Aug. 10 before the Mariners host the Milwaukee Brewers.
Red Sox officially sign Napoli for 1 year: The Boston Red Sox are confident Mike Napoli can be their regular first baseman despite a hip condition that led to him signing a one-year contract instead of the original three-year agreement that had been reached.
"This has been caught very early," Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said Tuesday. "There's, from all the information we have, a very good prognosis and no reason to think that Mike won't be a huge part of our 2013 team."
The contract Napoli signed on Tuesday is for $5 million with possible bonuses that could take its value to $13 million.
