Cabrera stays in Japan league, joins Orix for $2.2 million

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print

TOKYO -- Alex Cabrera, whose name appeared in the Mitchell report issued last month, agreed to a $2.2 million, one-year contract Wednesday with the Orix Buffaloes of Japan's Pacific League.

The deal is expected to be finalized in the next few days, and comes with the condition that Cabrera pass a doping test when he arrives in Japan in February.

American Terry Collins manages the Buffaloes.

Cabrera, who played for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2000, denied using steroids after his name appeared in the report published by former Sen. George Mitchell.

Since playing for the Diamondbacks, Cabrera has spent seven seasons in Japanese baseball -- all with the Seibu Lions. In 2002, he tied the Japanese single-season home run record of 55 homers.

He has a career .306 batting average with 273 homers and 686 RBIs in Japan. Last season, Cabrera hit .295 with 27 homers and 81 RBIs.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print
• Subscribe