Tigers, Patterson Reach $1.1M Deal

DETROIT (AP) â€” The Tigers agreed Thursday to a $1.1 million, one-year contract with right-handed reliever Danny Patterson, who had filed for arbitration earlier in the week. <br><br>Patterson, who earned

Thursday, January 18th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

DETROIT (AP) â€” The Tigers agreed Thursday to a $1.1 million, one-year contract with right-handed reliever Danny Patterson, who had filed for arbitration earlier in the week.

Patterson, who earned $565,000 last season, can earn an additional $100,000 in performance bonuses.

Detroit acquired Patterson, 30, in a nine-player trade with the Texas Rangers in 1998. He appeared in 38 games for Detroit last season, going 5-1 with a 3.97 ERA in 56 2-3 innings.

Detroit also invited six players to spring training, including former Atlanta Braves role player Randall Simon.

Simon and fellow infielders Kurt Bierek, Tom Evans and Ryan Jackson, pitcher Heath Murray and outfielder Jermaine Allensworth agreed to minor league contracts.

Simon, 25, hit .315 with five home runs and 30 RBIs in parts of three seasons with Atlanta. He spent last season between Triple-A Calgary in the Florida Marlins organization and Triple-A Columbus in the New York Yankees organization.

Evans, 26, hit .278 in 23 games with Texas last year. He was sidelined for the remainder of the year because of a partial tear of his right rotator cuff and a torn right labrum.