Indians Sign Ss Fernandez

Tony Fernandez, who missed the 1996 season with a broken right elbow, signed a one-year contract with the Cleveland Indians.

Terms were not disclosed.

Fernandez, who holds the major league record for career fielding percentage by a shortstop at .980, will compete for the second-base job with prospects Damian Jackson and Enrique Wilson.

Fernandez, 34, broke his elbow diving for a ball in spring training and did not play a single game for the New York Yankees last season.

The switch-hitter has a .282 career average with the Yankees, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds. His best year was 1989 with Toronto, when he hit .257 with 11 homers, 64 RBIs and 22 stolen bases. He made only six errors in 140 games for a .992 fielding percentage.

In his last full season, he hit .245 in 108 games in 1995 with five homers and 45 RBIs.