BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Belcher Signs Minor Deal With Reds

Tim Belcher, who made $3.4 million last year with Detroit and led the American League in losses with 15, agreed to a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds. . . . The Atlanta Braves plan to put left fielder Ryan Klesko on the disabled list today because of ligament damage in his left thumb. The Braves also signed left-hander Steve Avery to a one-year, $4-million contract. The deal is midway between the $4.3 million he sought and the $3.7 million Atlanta offered in arbitration.

Locked-out major league umpires would have been temporarily hired by the Toronto Blue Jays to work games at the SkyDome if the lockout had continued past May 9, AL umpire Jim McKean said. . . . Baseball salary arbitration will have a new twist when hearings begin May 12. Three cases will have three-man panels instead of one arbitrator.