Seattle, WA – The Seattle Mariners have agreed to one-year contracts with first baseman Kendrys Morales and shortstop Brendan Ryan, avoiding salary arbitration.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Morales, acquired from the Angels last month in exchange for pitcher Jason Vargas, is a career .281 hitter with 79 homers in six big league seasons -- all with the Angels. He batted .273 with 26 doubles, 22 home runs and 73 RBI in 134 games last season.
Following a career-best season in 2009 in which he recorded 43 doubles, 34 home runs and 108 RBI, Morales was limited to 51 games in 2010 and missed the entire 2011 season because of a severe leg injury. The 29-year-old Cuban native suffered a fractured lower left leg following his walk-off grand slam on May 29, 2010 vs. Seattle.
Ryan has started 254 of the Mariners' 324 games the past two seasons and is considered a strong defensive shortstop. He batted just .194 in 141 games last season and is a career .244 hitter in 679 games with St. Louis and Seattle.
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