Mariners Relieve Themselves Of Charlton

The Seattle Mariners have declined to exercise their option for relief pitcher Norm Charlton for next season, leaving the veteran left-hander a free agent.

The Mariners could have exercised Charlton’s club option for $2.9 million for the 1998 season. Friday, they announced they had decided on a $125,000 buyout instead.

Charlton has pitched all or part of four seasons with the Mariners, compiling an 11-19 record with 66 saves - second only to Mike Schooler’s team-record 98 saves. In 1997, he compiled a 3-8 record with a career-high 71 games. Despite an inflated 7.26 earned run average, Charlton had 14 saves to lead the team for the second consecutive season.

Mariners second-baseman Joey Cora announced he has filed for free agency.

The Mariners wanted the former Spokane Indians infielder back, but Cora said he couldn’t wait any longer with the free-agent filing deadline coming up Monday.

Devils Rays pick Rothschild

The expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays reached across the Everglades to snare their first manager, plucking pitching coach Larry Rothschild away from the National League champion Florida Marlins.

While the Arizona Diamondbacks, the other expansion team that starts play next season, hired Buck Showalter as their manager nearly two years ago, Rothschild has less than two weeks to prepare for baseball’s expansion draft on Nov. 18.

The Devils Rays, who will play in the A.L. East, selected Rothschild, who has never managed, from among a group of finalists that included Baltimore hitting coach Rick Down, Cleveland scout Ted Simmons, Montreal bench coach Larry Parrish and Marlins bench coach Jerry Manuel.

Leyland will stay

Jim Leyland will be back next year as manager of the Florida Marlins when they defend their World Series title.

“I will stay in Florida and manage the Florida Marlins in 1998,” Leyland said. “I want to give Don Smiley and his group the benefit of the doubt and make this thing work.” Smiley, the team president, has reached an agreement to buy the team.

Molitor withdraws

Paul Molitor will not become baseball’s next player-manager.

Molitor, who interviewed for the vacant Toronto Blue Jays managing job last week, has taken himself out of consideration.

Blue Jays general manager Gord Ash said he will be giving former Baltimore Orioles manager Davey Johnson an initial interview in Phoenix on Wednesday.

Tim Johnson, a former Blue Jays infielder, appears to be the leader. The former Spokane Indians shortstop has been a bench coach with two major league teams, a scout and a minor league manager.

Notes

The Yankees ended the unhappy stay of left-hander Kenny Rogers by trading him to the Athletics along with $5 million in a deal that eventually will bring third baseman Scott Brosius to New York… . General manager Gerry Hunsicker and manager Larry Dierker, who led the Houston Astros to the N.L. Central title, received contract extensions through the 1999 season… . The Indians exercised their $3.35 million option on right-hander Charles Nagy.