Rodriguez Is Next Target for Marlins

With Mike Lowell and Luis Castillo re-signed, the Florida Marlins turned their attention to Ivan Rodriguez.

Lowell agreed Tuesday to a $32-million, four-year contract with the Marlins, who also confirmed their $16-million, three-year deal with Castillo.

Pushing ahead with the team’s off-season business, General Manager Larry Beinfest said Florida had made a multiyear offer to Rodriguez, the 10-time All-Star catcher who was a key to the Marlins’ World Series title.

Florida has until Sunday to sign Rodriguez, whose previous contract prohibits the Marlins from offering salary arbitration.

Lowell, who would have been eligible for free agency after next season, led the Marlins with 32 home runs and 105 runs batted in last season.

The third baseman sat out virtually all of September because of a broken hand.

Castillo, who had filed for free agency, agreed to return Monday night, spurning an offer from the New York Mets.

The second baseman hit a team-high .314 with six home runs, 21 steals and 39 RBIs last season.

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A dietary supplement firm says the Baltimore Orioles are liable in the death of pitcher Steve Bechler and wants the team to pay any damages stemming from a suit filed by the player’s widow.

Nutraquest Inc. of Wall Township, N.J., formerly known as Cytodyne Technologies Inc., asked the U.S. District Court in Miami for permission to file suit against the Orioles.

Bechler, 23, collapsed because of heatstroke in February at the team’s spring training site in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. His body temperature rose to more than 108 degrees, and he died the next day.

A bottle of Xenadrine RFA-1 -- a dietary supplement sold by Cytodyne -- was found in Bechler’s locker.

The medical examiner said toxicology tests confirmed “significant amounts” of an over-the-counter supplement containing ephedra contributed to Bechler’s heatstroke.

His widow, Kiley, filed a $600-million wrongful-death lawsuit against the supplement company.

“Nobody connected with the Orioles did anything that contributed to the death of Steve Bechler,” Oriole general counsel Russell Smouse said. “ ... We will fully resist this absolutely baseless claim.”

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Ticket prices will mostly remain the same at Dodger Stadium next season.

Despite the team’s pending sale, more than 32,000 seats available to season customers won’t increase in price, Executive Vice President of Business Operations Kris Rone said.

Of the remaining seats, about 7,000 will be increased by $2 and more than 15,000 will be raised by $1.

The most expensive season tickets are $45 per game for premium field seats. The least expensive are $6 for pavilion and top deck seats.

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Right-hander Dustin Hermanson decided to remain with the San Francisco Giants, agreeing to an $800,000, one-year contract.... Gary Sheffield met with Yankee owner George Steinbrenner for a second day Tuesday, and all signs pointed toward the outfielder signing with New York. Sheffield played for Atlanta the last two seasons.