Varitek’s Signing Brings Future Into Play Mariners Drop Exhibition To Giants, Then Assign Prized Catcher To Aa

The Seattle Mariners gained a catcher and lost a game.

They’ll take the catcher.

Despite Seattle’s 7-3 exhibition loss to the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, the focus was on the future following Wednesday’s signing of former Georgia Tech star catcher Jason Varitek - the team’s firstround pick in the June draft - to a one-year contract.

The deal is believed to be worth $650,000 to $700,000.

Varitek, the 14th player chosen in the draft, will be assigned to the Mariners’ Class AA farm club in Wilmington, N.C.

“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to finally have Jason Varitek join the Mariners’ organization,” general manager Woody Woodward said.

Varitek, who turned 23 on April 11, won the Golden Spikes award last year as the nation’s top collegiate player. He was also named Baseball America’s College Player of the Year for 1994 after batting .426 with 17 home runs and 86 RBIs in 67 games with Georgia Tech.

A 6-2, 215-pound switch-hitter, Varitek had a four-year batting average of .384 at Georgia Tech, with 57 homers and 251 RBIs.

In Thursday’s loss to the Giants, Tom Lampkin brought down the Mariners by tripling to center field with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to break a 3-3 tie. All the runs came off loser Jim Converse, who lost his bid to become the No. 4 starting pitcher.

Bob Wells, a right-hander, will begin the regular season as the fourth starter behind Randy Johnson, Chris Bosio and Dave Fleming. Left-hander Tim Davis is the fifth starter.