Mariners Decide To Pick Up Option On Cora

The Seattle Mariners have picked up the $600,000 option year on second baseman Joey Cora, keeping him with the A.L. West champions through the next season.

Cora, 30, hit a career-high .297 this year, more than 30 points higher than his average going into the season, his first with the Mariners.

He had the game-winning hit in three of the games won by the Mariners in their final at-bat.

Cora was a first-round draft choice of San Diego in 1985, played for the Padres in 1987, 1989 and 1990 and was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1991. He left the White Sox to sign with the Mariners as a free agent last April.

The Mariners, who had until Nov. 15 to make the decision, would have had to pay a $75,000 buyout to let Cora go.