Mariners sign top draft choice Fields

[February 17, 2009]  PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) -- The Seattle Mariners have signed top draft choice Josh Fields, ending a long stalemate.

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik (Zur-EN'-sik) says the pitcher and the team agreed that the 23-year-old Fields needed to be on the field after eight months of stalled negotiations.

Seattle selected Fields with the 20th overall pick last June. Fields was considered the best closer in college baseball out of Georgia.

Seattle is without a closer after trading J.J. Putz to the New York Mets.

The Mariners and Fields' agent had reportedly been about $500,000 apart in negotiations, with Fields asking for a signing bonus of $2 million.

[Associated Press; By GREGG BELL]

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