Roundup

Orioles sign Sherrill to one-year, $2.75M deal

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The Orioles avoided salary arbitration with George Sherrill, signing the All-Star reliever last night to a $2.75 million deal for the 2009 season. Sherrill, who saved 31 games last season, tripled his salary from 2008. Sherrill had asked for $3.4 million, and the Orioles had offered $2.2 million. "We leave on Sunday [for spring training]. It's good to be able to fly down and have it behind us," Sherrill said. The arbitration hearing had been scheduled for Feb. 19. The signing means the Orioles won't have any hearings again this season. They haven't gone to arbitration since beating Rodrigo Lopez before the 2006 season. The Orioles have gone to arbitration nine times since 1994 and are 8-1 in those cases. Sherrill, 31, finished seventh in the American League last year in saves and set career highs with 53 1/3 innings pitched and 58 strikeouts. His season highlight came in his first All-Star Game, when he pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings to help the American League secure a 15-inning win at Yankee Stadium. However, Sherrill had only one save after July 27 and spent nearly a month on the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation. He said this offseason that his shoulder is fine and he hopes to return to the closer's role for the 2009 season. Chris Ray, the team's closer in 2007 who missed all of last season after having ligament-reconstruction surgery, is also expected to be ready to go, but Sherrill enters spring training as the clear favorite to be the main option as closer. JEFF ZREBIEC

Dodgers:: Left-hander Randy Wolf and the team agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract. Wolf was a combined 12-12 with a 4.30 ERA last year with the Padres and Astros. Wolf was 9-6 with a 4.73 ERA for the Dodgers in 2007.

Red Sox: : The team made official what had been agreed to a week earlier: Jason Varitek, Boston's catcher and captain, is returning for a 13th season. The contract includes a $5 million salary this year and a player option of $3 million and a team option of $5 million for 2010.

Et cetera: : Nationals right-hander Shawn Hill became the first major league player to go to a salary arbitration hearing this year, asking a panel in Phoenix to award him $775,000 rather than the team's $500,000 offer. ... Right-handed reliever Tom Gordon agreed to a one-year, $500,000 contract with the Diamondbacks. He can make an additional $2.5 million in bonuses. ... Left-handed reliever Pedro Feliciano and the Mets agreed to a one-year contract worth $1,612,500. ... Right-hander Jason Jennings and the Rangers agreed to a minor league contract that could lead to a major league deal potentially worth up to $2.25 million. ... Kevin Seitzer, who was an All-Star third baseman with the Royals, is returning to the team as hitting coach.