Newsmakers
Finalized The Seattle Mariners finalized their one-year contract with outfielder Jason Bay on Saturday, returning the one-time slugger to familiar territory in the hopes of revitalizing his career. The Mariners and Bay reached agreement on a one-year deal earlier in the week at the baseball winter meetings. Bay was a college star at Gonzaga and lives in the Seattle area during the offseason. His career has floundered the past three seasons with the New York Mets. Bay hit just 26 homers and played in only 288 games in his three years in New York due to injuries. He was a three-time All-Star in previous stops with Pittsburgh and Boston.
• The Arizona Diamondbacks and infielder Eric Chavez finalized a $3 million, one-year contract. The 35-year-old hit .281 with 16 homers in 278 at-bats last season for the Yankees.
Traded The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired seven-time All-Star infielder Michael Young from the Texas Rangers for two relief pitchers. Young agreed to waive his no-trade clause on Saturday. The Phillies are sending right-hander Josh Lindblom and minor league righty Lisalverto Bonilla to the Rangers to get Young, who fills a void at third base. Young hasn’t play third base regularly since 2010.
Signed Free agent outfielder Ryan Ludwick is returning to the Cincinnati Reds for a two-year contract worth $15 million. The 34-year-old Ludwick hit .275 with 26 home runs and 80 RBIs while helping Cincinnati win the N.L. Central. He hit three homers and batted .333 in the Reds’ five-game loss to San Francisco in the N.L. Division Series.
Announced New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez says he will have surgery on his injured left hip in mid-January. The Yankees announced earlier this month that Rodriguez needs surgery to correct a torn labrum and other problems with his left hip. He could miss up to six months.
Released A tired but grateful Danny Berger says it is a “miracle” he will be back watching his Utah State teammates play only days after collapsing on the court and being revived by an assistant trainer. Berger was released from a Salt Lake City area hospital and back in Logan, Utah, flanked by the trainer credited with saving his life and a father who thought the worst upon receiving word of Tuesday’s life-threatening incident while driving in the middle of the Nevada desert.
• Utah State and BYU have rescheduled their postponed basketball game for Tuesday, Feb. 19, at BYU’s Marriott Center. The game, originally scheduled for Wednesday night, was postponed Tuesday after Utah State player Danny Berger collapsed during practice and fell into cardiac arrest.