Everth Cabrera finalizes one-year, $2.4-million deal with Orioles

Former All-Star infielder Everth Cabrera and the Baltimore Orioles finalized their $2.4-million, one-year contract on Wednesday.

Baltimore agreed to a deal last week, which wasn’t finalized until Cabrera resolved a legal issue. He was charged with resisting arrest last September, and Dan Duquette, the Orioles’ executive vice president of baseball operations, said Cabrera received probation, will pay a fine and perform community service.

Cabrera can earn $600,000 in performance bonuses under the contract: $75,000 for 250 plate appearances and each additional 50 through 400 and then each additional 25 through 500.

He was an All-Star in 2013 when he played for the San Diego Padres. He was suspended for 50 games in August 2013 following Major League Baseball’s investigation of the Biogenesis of America clinic, and he admitted he took a banned substance.

Cabrera led the National League with 44 steals in 2012. The 28-year-old switch-hitter could compete for a utility job with Ryan Flaherty and non-roster infielder Jayson Nix.

New rule irks Ortiz

David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox has a deliberate routine at the plate.

He sounded prepared to pay for it.

“I might run out of money,” Ortiz said during a colorful rant in Fort Myers, Fla., about the new pace-of-play rule requiring hitters to keep at least one foot in the batter’s box in some instances.

Ortiz said he felt this provision, announced last week, unfairly targeted hitters. One of the more radical alterations discussed, a limit on the number of seconds between pitches, was not implemented.

“I’m not going to change my game,” Ortiz said. “I don’t care what they say.”

Major League Baseball can dock him, starting May 1, up to $500 per offense. Penalties were limited to warnings and fines, rather than allowing umpires to call strikes.

Another part of the initiative agreed to by MLB and the players’ association will be the installation of clocks in stadiums to limit the length of pitching changes and between-innings breaks. Managers, too, are no longer required to leave the dugout to request video reviews.

In his first remarks to reporters since arriving at spring training, Ortiz said he wasn’t aware of the batter’s box rule.

“So after the pitch, you’ve got to stay in the box, basically?” he said, incredulously.

Yes, with one foot, unless there has just been a foul ball, wild pitch or other specified reason.

“One foot?” Ortiz said.

Yes, to speed up the game.

Ortiz then used a profanity to describe his reaction to the rule.

Etc.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Homer Bailey doesn’t expect to be ready for the start of the season as he recovers from surgery in September to repair a tear in the flexor tendon by his right elbow. ... Atlanta Braves right fielder Nick Markakis doesn’t plan to be in the lineup when spring training games begin next week and said he’s not sure if he’ll be ready for opening day. Markakis had fusion surgery for a herniated disk in his neck on Dec. 17 and said he was cleared to increase his physical activity on Tuesday.