Former Orioles pitcher Sidney Ponson has walked out of a jail cell and into the arms of a contender.
The St. Louis Cardinals have reached agreement on a one-year contract with Ponson and intend to plug him into their rotation. Ponson is guaranteed a $1 million base salary and could receive another $1.5 million in potential incentives.
"We know he has tremendous baseball talent, and we feel he's at a point in his life and career where it's a mutual benefit for both Sidney and the Cardinals," general manager Walt Jocketty said.
The Orioles released Ponson on Sept. 1, less than a month after his second arrest on a charge of drunken driving in 2005. He went on the disabled list Aug. 9 with a strained calf and never again pitched for the club that brought him to the majors in 1998.
The team is attempting to void the remainder of his contract, which would have paid him $10 million. The players association filed a grievance on Ponson's behalf, and the matter is scheduled to go before an arbitrator in March.
If Ponson wins the grievance, the Orioles will be responsible for the remainder of his contract, minus what he receives from the Cardinals.
Jocketty and St. Louis manager Tony La Russa met last month with Ponson, 29, and his agent, Barry Praver, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. They had planned to be in the area to meet with another free-agent pitcher, A.J. Burnett, who eventually signed with the Toronto Blue Jays.
"We all felt very comfortable with Sidney and where he's at in his life right now," Jocketty said. "I think Sidney would be the first to admit that he's had some problems in the past. We feel very confident that he's working hard to get his life back in order, and we provide an avenue for him to work and play in that will help him with that process and give him full support."
Ponson entered a 30-day alcohol treatment program in California on the same day that the Orioles released him, and he continues to speak each week with a therapist in Fort Lauderdale.
"After my last problem, I sought help for myself. I didn't wait for anyone to push it on me. I decided it on my own," Ponson said from Aruba during a conference call with reporters. "I talked to my mom, and she wanted me to do it. It was the hardest thing to do, look my mom in the face and see how much I hurt her. Since I got in trouble last time, I haven't had one drop of alcohol.
