December 17, 200322 yr 12/17/2003 1:32 PM ET Spiezio signs with Mariners By Jim Street / MLB.com A free agent signing that has been on hold for several days became official Wednesday morning when the Mariners announced that they had finalized a deal with switch-hitter Scott Spiezio. Though terms were not released, it has been reported that Spiezio, 31, agreed to a three-year, $9 million contract last week during the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings in New Orleans. Spiezio could help boost the Mariners' power-deprived offense, give them another switch-hitter (they already have four) and improve their overall depth. When he is not at third base, Spiezio can play first base whenever John Olerud needs a breather. "The signing of Scott Spiezio provides us with another quality hitter," general manager Bill Bavasi said. "He is a great situational hitter and has an ability to come through in the clutch, which was evident during the 2002 playoffs." Spiezio, the son of former Major Leaguer Ed Spiezio, has a .261 career batting average with 91 home runs and 424 RBIs in 2,986 at-bats and performed his best the past two seasons. He helped the Angels to their magical World Series championship in 2002, batting .285 with 12 home runs and 85 RBIs, and hit a dramatic home run to spark the Angels' remarkable comeback in Game 6 of the World Series against the Giants. "Scott will be a real nice addition to our lineup," said Mariners manager Bob Melvin. "He's a switch hitter with some pop in his bat, has versatility around the infield, and has always played exceptional defense." Jim Street is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League baseball or its clubs.
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