Red Sox Sign Cuban Defector Morales

<br>FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) _ The Boston Red Sox agreed Wednesday to a minor league contract with Andy Morales, a Cuban defector who played for the New York Yankees' organization last year. <br><br>Morales

Wednesday, February 20th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) _ The Boston Red Sox agreed Wednesday to a minor league contract with Andy Morales, a Cuban defector who played for the New York Yankees' organization last year.

Morales is the subject of a players' association grievance over a $4.5 million, four-year contract he signed with the Yankees, who later said the third baseman was three years older than he claimed.

Morales left Cuba in July 2000 and said he was 26 when he signed with the Yankees last March 11.

He is best known for his three-run homer for Cuba's national team in a 12-6 exhibition win over Baltimore at Camden Yards in 1999.

Morales, who will work out in Boston's minor league camp, spent two weeks in spring training last year with the Yankees. He was sent to their Triple-A team in Columbus then went to Double-A Norwich, where he hit .231 with one homer and 14 RBIs in 48 games.

He was released by the Yankees on July 31 and signed Aug. 6 with the Sonoma County Crushers of the independent Western Baseball League.