BASEBALL

Free-agent outfielder Marty Cordova and the Baltimore Orioles agreed to a $9.1-million, three-year contract, helping the team fill a void created by the release of Brady Anderson.

Cordova, 32, the 1995 AL rookie of the year, hit .301 with 20 homers and drove in 69 runs in 122 games for Cleveland last season.

*

After rediscovering his love for baseball with the Chicago Cubs, Delino DeShields decided to stick around a little longer.

DeShields and the Cubs agreed on a $1.25-million, one-year contract. He can earn another $1.35million in performance incentives tied to plate appearances and games started.

When DeShields, 32, was waived by the Baltimore Orioles on July 2, he considered retiring. But he signed with the Cubs as a free agent on July 7, and hit .276 with 16 RBIs and two home runs in 68 games.

*

Paul Molitor withdrew as a candidate to manage the Minnesota Twins because of uncertainty over whether the team will be eliminated next season.

“He feels the situation’s so unsettled that he’d rather not be involved with it right now,” said Ron Simon, Molitor’s agent.

Molitor, the Twins’ bench coach, was considered a top candidate to succeed Tom Kelly. His withdrawal makes third-base coach Ron Gardenhire the favorite.

*

An arbitrator began hearing testimony in a grievance by the players’ union to block baseball’s plan to eliminate two teams before next season.

The start of the hearing in Irving, Texas, coincided with the annual meeting of the union’s executive board.

*

Despite higher ticket prices, World Series shares declined for the third consecutive year.

A full share for the World Series-champion Arizona Diamondbacks was worth $279,260.41, the commissioner’s office said. That’s down from the winning shares for the New York Yankees of $294,783.41 last year, $307,808.70 for 1999 and $312,042.41 for 1998.