LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Miguel Olivo is returning to the Mariners, hoping to provide a bit of stability to Seattle’s unsettled catcher situation.
Olivo, who hit a career-best .269 with 14 homers and 58 RBIs with the Rockies last season, on Thursday reached a preliminary agreement on a contract worth $7 million over two seasons, according to . The deal is subject to Olivo passing a physical.
Olivo, who spent parts of the 2004 and 2005 seasons in Seattle, is likely to contend for a starting spot. Young catchers Adam Moore and Rob Johnson never developed as the Mariners had hoped last season, with neither hitting above .200.
Yankees up ante for Lee.
Immediately after the Red Sox landed outfielder Carl Crawford, the Yankees boosted their whopping offer to left- hander Cliff Lee, proposing a seven-year contract that could exceed $161 million. That’s up from a six-year proposal worth nearly $140 million.
Meanwhile, the Rangers dispatched CEO Chuck Greenberg and assistant GM Thad Levine to Arkansas to meet with Lee. The Rangers were to give the Lee camp their final pitch and were seeking an answer as to what it would take for the pitcher to return to the Rangers, with whom he spent the final three months of the 2010 regular season and then went to the first World Series in franchise history.
Orioles get Hardy, Harris.
The Orioles acquired shortstop J.J. Hardy, infielder Brendan Harris and $500,000 from the Twins in exchange for minor-league right-handers Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson.
The Orioles also reached a preliminary agreement with pitcher Koji Uehara on a one- year contract for $3 million.
Footnotes.
Free-agent pitcher Vicente Padilla finalized a $2 million, one-year deal to return to the Dodgers.
Also, former Dodgers star Steve Garvey said he has assembled an investment group to buy his old team if owner Frank McCourt is forced to sell the franchise as part of his divorce dispute.
• Outfielder Melky Cabrera and the Royals agreed on a $1.25 million, one-year deal.
• The Pirates acquired pitcher Cesar Valdez from Arizona as the player to be named in the Zach Duke trade.
• The Mets finalized a $2.5 million, two-year contract with right-hander D.J. Carrasco and a $1.3 million, one-year deal with catcher Ronny Paulino.
Denver Post wire services
