Payton, Lo Duca agree to minor league deals
DENVER (AP)—Outfielder Jay Payton(notes) and catcher Paul Lo Duca(notes) have agreed to minor league contracts with the Colorado Rockies after not playing in the major leagues last season.
Colorado also finalized a $7.55 million, two-year contract with reliever Rafael Betancourt(notes), who had reached a preliminary agreement Tuesday. The setup man gets $3,775,000 a season.
This will be a return for Payton, who spent 2002 and ’03 with the Rockies. Payton, 37, also has played for San Diego, Boston, Oakland, Baltimore and the New York Mets. He hit .243 in 127 games for the Orioles in 2008.
Lo Duca, 38, has been with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida, New York Mets and Washington. He’s a four-time All-Star and a career .286 hitter.
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