Free agent Jay Payton agreed to a $9.5 million, two-year contract Monday with the Baltimore Orioles, who have spent much of the offseason searching for a right-handed hitting outfielder.
Payton batted .296 with 10 homers and 59 RBI in 142 games with Oakland this year. He is expected to play mostly in left field, but he’s capable of manning center and right.
Payton has a lifetime .284 batting average and has hit 105 homers in seven seasons. His 78 runs, 45 extra-base hits and 233 total bases this year were all the second-highest single-season totals of his career.
This season he started 51 games in left field, 44 games in center and 41 in right.
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