Mariners Lure Rhodes Away From Orioles

Free-agent reliever Arthur Rhodes agreed Tuesday to a $13-million, four-year contract with the Seattle Mariners, giving the team a much-needed left-hander in their bullpen.

And in a surprise, the Mariners said they weren’t going to offer a contract to Russ Davis, their starting third baseman the last four seasons.

Rhodes, 30, spent nine seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, the former team of Pat Gillick, the Mariners’ new general manager.

Rhodes said he decided to leave Baltimore because the Orioles refused to offer him a fourth year on his contract.

“I wanted four years in Baltimore, but they didn’t want to do it,” said Rhodes, who also spoke with the Dodgers. “So I had to do what I had to do. I’m not going to worry about the Orioles.”

Rhodes was 3-4 with a 5.43 earned-run average and three saves in 43 games for the Orioles last season. Left-handed hitters batted .206 against him.

Rhodes gave up one run in his last seven appearances before his season ended Aug. 22 because of a finger injury.

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Second baseman Mike Lansing of the Colorado Rockies was struck across the head with a shotgun during a mugging in West Palm Beach, Fla., in which he and his wife were robbed of an estimated $40,000 in property and cash. Police said Lansing and his wife, Kathleen, were robbed of cash and jewelry, including two $17,000 watches, early Sunday. . . . Mike Myers, acquired by the Rockies from the Milwaukee Brewers last month for Curtis Leskanic, agreed to a $3-million, three-year contract. . . . The Orioles kept up the overhaul of their bullpen by agreeing to a $4-million, two-year contract with left-hander Buddy Groom. . . . Outfielder Danny Bautista avoided salary arbitration with the Florida Marlins when he agreed to a $500,000, one-year contract, a $175,000 raise. . . . Pitcher Jimmy Haynes, acquired this month in a four-team trade, agreed to a $900,000, one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Infielder Tripp Cromer, who batted .192 in 33 games with the Dodgers last season, agreed to a minor league contract with the Houston Astros. . . . The Boston Red Sox refused to offer a contract to Butch Huskey, who became expendable when the Red Sox traded for Carl Everett last week. . . . In a procedural move, the Cincinnati Reds made a free agent of Deion Sanders, who long ago gave up baseball for the NFL.