OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Free agent center fielder Coco Crisp agreed to a two-year contract to return to the Athletics, filling one key void in the Oakland outfield heading into the 2012 season.

A person with knowledge of the negotiations on Tuesday confirmed Crisp would return to the A’s, a deal worth $14 million first reported by ESPN. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t made a formal announcement and details were still being finalized. The contract also includes a club option for 2014.

Crisp, who generated inquiries to varying levels from about half of the major league clubs this winter, had hoped to continue playing on the West Coast. The A’s already lost left fielder and slugger Josh Willingham and right fielder David DeJesus in free agency earlier this offseason, then outfielder Ryan Sweeney was traded to the Boston Red Sox last week along with All-Star closer Andrew Bailey.

Earlier Tuesday, the A’s announced they had traded outfielder Jai Miller to the Baltimore Orioles for cash considerations. Miller was designated for assignment by Oakland on Dec. 23 after the A’s received four players in a trade with Washington that sent starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez to the Nationals.

The 32-year-old Crisp has batted .269 with 16 home runs, 92 RBIs, nine triples and 81 stolen bases in his two seasons with Oakland, which is in rebuilding mode in hopes of being able to relocate to San Jose, construct a new ballpark and become a big spender – though the San Francisco Giants hold the territorial rights to Santa Clara County. As is customary with the low-budget A’s, general manager Billy Beane has unloaded several star players in recent weeks, including starting pitchers Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill, Bailey and fellow reliever Craig Breslow.

Crisp is likely to have newly acquired Josh Reddick playing alongside him. Reddick came to the A’s in the trade with Boston last week.

The 24-year-old Reddick, who began last season at Triple-A Pawtucket before being promoted in late May, batted .280 with seven homers and 28 RBIs in 87 games for the Red Sox in 2011. He can play any outfield spot.

Crisp played his first four seasons with Cleveland three in Boston and one in Kansas City prior to joining the A’s. He appeared in only 75 games during an injury-plagued 2010 season, but made the most of his chances when he was healthy. The A’s exercised their $5.75 million option on Crisp for 2011, when he rebounded to play in 136 games and stole a career-high 49 bases and was caught stealing nine times.

The A’s went 74-88 last season but made strides after Bob Melvin came aboard as manager in June in place of Bob Geren. They haven’t posted a winning record or earned a playoff berth since being swept in the 2006 AL championship series by Detroit.

In 2010, Crisp went on the disabled list in April with a broken pinkie finger and was placed on the DL again in May with a strained ribcage muscle. Crisp broke the pinkie a second time on Sept. 18 and missed the remainder of the season.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The Boston Red Sox have acquired Oakland Athletics closer Andrew Bailey, according to a tweet from Buster Olney of ESPN.com. The club also acquired outfielder Ryan Sweeney from Oakland in the deal.

According to Olney, the Red Sox will send Josh Reddick to Oakland as part of the deal. The 24-year-old outfielder hit .280/.327/.457 with seven home runs and 28 RBI in 87 games for Boston last year. Other pieces include 20-year-old infielder Miles Head, and 19-year-old pitcher Raul  Alcantera.

Bailey, 27, has served as the Athletics closer over the past three seasons. In 2011 he posted a 3.24 ERA with 24 saves in 42 appearances. He boasts a career ERA of 2.07.

The Red Sox have been looking to fill a gap in their bullpen after losing longtime closer Jonathan Papelbon to the Philadelphia Phillies in free agency this winter. Earlier this offseason they also acquired Houston Astros closer Mark Melancon for infielder Jed Lowrie. Melancon recorded 20 saves in 2011 while posting a 2.78 ERA.

Last week the Athletics also traded their top starting pitcher, Gio Gonzalez, to the Washington Nationals.

Updated Dec 14, 2011 12:04 PM ET

The team announced the move Tuesday.

Braden made three starts last season before being sidelined by a shoulder injury. He was 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA before going on the disabled list April 18. He had surgery to a repair a torn capsule in his left shoulder May 17.

The 28-year-old Braden is 26-36 with a 4.16 ERA in 94 career appearances during five seasons with Oakland. He pitched a perfect game against Tampa Bay on May 9, 2010.

The A’s have five players who remain eligible for arbitration: pitchers Andrew Bailey, Joey Devine, Gio Gonzalez and Brandon McCarthy; and outfielder Ryan Sweeney.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Former Kentucky baseball first-team All-America outfielder Collin Cowgill has been traded by the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Oakland Athletics as part of a five-player deal, it was announced on Friday night.

Cowgill was included in a trade to the Athletics, along with Diamondbacks top prospect, right-hander Jarrod Parker and Triple-A right-hander Ryan Cook. The Athletics shipped big league lefty Trevor Cahill and lefty Craig Breslow to Arizona.

A native of Lexington, Ky., Cowgill had a dynamic season in 2011 for the Diamondbacks Triple-A affiliate, the Reno Aces. Cowgill was tabbed as the Pacific Coast League Rookie of the Year for Reno after turning in a historic season, also earning PCL post-season all-star honors and Baseball America Triple-A All-Star accolades.

In 98 games for the Aces, Cowgill hit .354 (140-for-395) with 13 homers, 70 RBI, 24 doubles, eight triples and 30 stolen bases. The leading vote getter for the PCL All-Star game, Cowgill received his first MLB call-up on July 27, playing in 36 games for the National League Western Division Champion Diamondbacks. Cowgill hit .239 (22-for-92) in sporadic playing time as the right-handed bat in the lineup against left-handed pitching, totaling three doubles, one homer and nine RBI, swiping four bags. Cowgill was tabbed by Baseball America in a voting of the circuit coaches as the best defensive outfielder, the best baserunner, the most exciting player and the best outfield arm in the PCL.

Cowgill, the 2004 Kentucky High School Mr. Baseball out of Henry Clay, appeared as a pinch hitter for the Diamondbacks in the MLB Division Series, lacing a two-RBI single in his lone playoff at bat. Following the season, Cowgill traveled to Venezuela to participate in the offseason Liga Venezuela Beisbol for the Bravos de Margarita.

The 5-foot-9, 185-pound slugger will join an Athletics team that doesn’t feature any big-name outfielders, including Jai Miller, Ryan Sweeney and Michael Taylor, with Cowgill the youngest of the group. Drafted by the Athletics and famed general manager Billy Beane in 2007, Cowgill elected to return to Kentucky for the 2008 season. While with the Diamondbacks, Cowgill played in a young, talent-laden outfield that included Justin Upton, Chris Young and Gerrardo Parra.

Cowgill completed a decorated career at Kentucky in 2008 as the fifth-round selection in the MLB Draft by the Diamondbacks. A first-team All-America outfielder in 2008, Cowgill finished his UK career batting .306 (171-for-558) in 165 games, totaling 166 runs, 35 doubles, 37 homers, 140 RBI and 32 stolen bases. Cowgill’s leadership and intense approach to the game help power UK from a late-place finish in the Southeastern Conference in 2005 to the first league championship in program history in 2006. During that historic season, Cowgill hit .296 with 16 homers and 61 RBI. After sitting out 2007 due to a hamate injury, Cowgill batted .361 with 19 homers, 60 RBI and 23 stolen bases in 2008, leading UK to a school-record 44 wins.

CHICAGO — Outfielder David DeJesus and the Chicago Cubs agreed to a $10 million, two-year contract.

The deal announced Wednesday includes a 2014 club option.

A.284 hitter in nine years with Kansas City and Oakland, DeJesus batted just .240 in his lone season with the Athletics.

Even so, he gives the Cubs versatility in the outfield and a reliable glove.

He brought a 241-game errorless streak into the 2011 season, the longest active streak among big league outfielders at the time. He made four errors in 250chances with Oakland, a .984 fielding percentage.

DeJesus began his career as a center fielder but has primarily played the corner outfield spots the past three seasons.

The A’s announced Friday that Young had signed a one-year deal to rejoin the club that originally drafted him in the fourth round in 1981.

Melvin won’t have to worry one bit about Young getting up to speed with the staff. The A’s figured the timing was right to reach out to Young with the uncertainty of Boston’s field staff after manager Terry Francona was let go last month.

“It’s great for a number of reasons,” Melvin said in a phone interview Friday. “One, his history with the organization and he is one of the more respected pitching coaches in the game. We knew it would be difficult to get him but we thought it was a good time to ask. We’re thrilled to get him. His familiarity with the organization and the pitchers was a comfort for me.”

The 51-year-old Young, who pitched 10 of his 11 big league seasons for the A’s, left Oakland last year for a stint in Boston after spending 23 years in the A’s organization. He guided the 2010 group that had an AL-best 3.56 ERA and a league-leading 17 shutouts while holding opponents to a .245 batting average.

During Young’s tenure from 2004-2010, A’s pitchers led the American League with a 4.03 ERA and held opponents to an AL-low .257 average while allowing the fewest home runs (1,062) in the league. Young spent four years as a minor league coach in the organization before becoming pitching coach.

Melvin and Young spent a short time as teammates during the 1992 season with Kansas City. They have golfed together, too.

“This move provides Bob with not only an experienced pitching coach on his staff but also someone who has a lot of experience specifically with the organization and with the pitchers on this team,” A’s assistant general manager David Forst said. “On a personal level, Curt has always been well-liked by everyone in Oakland, and it’ll be nice to have him back on our side this season.”

Also Friday, the A’s said they named Mike Henriques strength and conditioning coach for 2012.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

By ANDREW KEH

AP Photo/Gail Burton, File

FILE – In this June 7, 2011, file photo, former Oakland Athletics manager Bob Geren looks on during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Baltimore. On Friday, Oct. 14, 2011, the announcement was made that Geren has been hired by the New York Mets as bench coach, four months after he was fired as manager of the Athletics. Geren replaced Chip Hale, who became Oakland’s bench coach last week.

Bob Geren has been hired by the New York Mets as bench coach, four months after he was fired as manager of the Oakland Athletics.
Geren replaces Chip Hale, who became Oakland’s bench coach last week.
In four-plus seasons with the A’s, Geren was 334-376, including 27-36 this year before he was fired on June 9. He was Ken Macha’s bench coach with Oakland in 2006.
Geren’s hiring was announced Friday.