http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/baseball/.../p1.molina.jpg
Bengie Molina hit a career-best .295 with 15 homers and 69 RBIs last season.
TORONTO (AP) -- Gold Glove catcher Bengie Molina and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed Monday to a $5 million, one-year contract, the latest major move in the team's offseason overhaul.
Molina will receive a $1.5 million signing bonus and a $3 million salary this year under the agreement, and the deal contains a $7.5 million mutual option for 2007 with a $500,000 buyout.
The 31-year-old Molina spent his first eight years with the Los Angeles Angels and hit a career-best .295 last season with 15 homers and 69 RBIs. He won Gold Glove Awards in 2002 and 2003.
"We feel we got a very good player here," Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. "He's been part of a winning background and we want to be all about winning going forward. We think he'll help us do that."
With a bigger budget at his disposal, Ricciardi has been busy this offseason trying to improve a team that finished third in the AL East last year at 80-82.
He added a pair of expensive, free-agent pitchers in starter A.J. Burnett and closer B.J. Ryan, and traded for slugging third baseman Troy Glaus and first baseman Lyle Overbay.
Toronto also dealt away Gold Glove second baseman Orlando Hudson, key reliever Miguel Batista and starter David Bush.
"We had a productive offseason but it only turns into a successful offseason if we have a good season," Ricciardi said. "It's exciting, we'll see how it plays out. We haven't done anything but sign good players and trade for good players and it doesn't mean we're guaranteed anything."
The addition of Molina bumps 2005 starting catcher Gregg Zaun to a backup role.
The Mets spoke with Molina in November and offered an $18 million, three-year contract. New York then had the chance to acquire Paul Lo Duca from the Florida Marlins and withdrew the offer to Molina before negotiations really began.
"I've seen Bengie play and he's special back there," Burnett said before the deal was announced. "The first time I talked to J.P., he had all these ideas and then every time you read [the newspaper] you know what, that came through.
"He's building something in the right direction and I believe in it or I wouldn't be here."
