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.

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On Tuesday, the Baltimore Orioles acquired outfielder Jai Miller from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for cash considerations.

Miller played well for AAA Sacramento as he played in 110 games and hit .276 with 32 home runs and 88 runs batted in. He also hit 24 doubles and stole 16 bases.

Dan Duquette, Baltimore’s VP of Baseball Operations, stated that Miller will compete for a spot on the major league roster come spring time. With Adam Jones set in center and Nick Markakis set in right, it looks like Miller will be competing against Nolan Reimold for left field.

Miller, who will turn 27 in mid January, has spent the last four seasons in AAA compiling a .271 average with 85 home runs and 253 RBI. Miller’s major league experience has been limited, but did hit .250 in 12 at bats last year with Oakland while hitting one home run. While with the Kansas City Royals in 2010, Miller hit .236 with one home run in 55 at bats.

One cause of concern has been his alarmingly high strike out rate. While he did hit those 32 home runs at AAA Sacramento in 2011, he also struck out 179 times in 410 at bats. While getting experience with the Royals in 2010, he struck out 23 times in those 55 major league at bats.

Miller was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the fourth round of the 2003 draft. During his time with the Marlins, he only saw one at bat in the pros, an at bat in which he struck out.

While he does have great speed and base running ability, Baltimore does not need another strike out prone hitter. With Mark Reynolds and Chris Davis already on their team, I can’t see Miller making the roster as a starter, but picking up a player with good speed and some power for cash considerations was not a bad move by Duquette.

Reimold deserves to get his fair shake as the starter in left this year. Last season while in Baltimore, Reimold hit .247 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI in 267 at bats. He also stole seven bases for the O’s.

Currently, I cover the Orioles for the Baltimore Guide along with being addicted to the entire Major Leagues as well as the NFL.

REFS:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/reimono01.shtml

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/milleja04.shtml

Orioles Press Release

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BALTIMORE- The Orioles on Tuesday announced that they have acquired OF JAI MILLER from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for cash considerations and have also traded INF BRANDON SNYDER to the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash considerations.

Miller, 26, batted .276/.368/.588 with 32 home runs, 88 RBI and 16 stolen bases without being caught in 110 games for Triple-A Sacramento in 2011. He also appeared in seven games for the A’s, going 3-for-12 with a home run.

Miller has batted .271/.351/.516 with 85 home runs and 253 RBI in 423 games at the Triple-A level in the last four seasons. His major league time also includes 20 games with the Kansas City Royals in 2010, when he batted .236/.300/.345. He made his major league debut in 2008 with the Marlins.

“Jai Miller has the power, speed, base stealing skills and good athletic ability to be an asset in our outfield as he competes for a spot on our ballclub this spring,” said Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations DAN DUQUETTE.

Snyder, 25, batted .261/.312/.406 in 114 games with Triple-A Norfolk in 2011. He also appeared in six games for the Orioles, going 3-for-13.

The Orioles 40-man roster remains full with these moves.

Featuring the likes of Brett Anderson, Dallas Braden, Kurt Suzuki, Jemile Weeks, and Ryan Sweeney, the Oakland Athletics will play 11 home games and 13 away games during the 2012 Cactus League Spring Training.

Note: All game times for Mountain Standard Time. Schedule is tentative. (SS) represents split squad game. All games are part of Cactus League Spring Training and home games are played at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, the Spring Training home of the Oakland Athletics.

Oakland Athletics 2012 Spring Training Schedule

Friday, Mar. 2: vs. Seattle Mariners, 12:05 p.m.

Saturday, 3: at Seattle Mariners, 12:05 p.m.

Sunday, 4: at Chicago Cubs, 12:05 p.m.

Monday, 5: vs. Los Angeles Angels (SS), 12:05 p.m.

Monday, 5: at Chicago Cubs (SS), 12:05 p.m.

Tuesday, 6: at Milwaukee Brewers, 12:05 p.m.

Wednesday, 7: vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 12:05 p.m.

Thursday, 8: at Los Angeles Dodgers, 12:05 p.m.

Friday, 9: at Colorado Rockies, 12:10 p.m.

Saturday, 10: vs. Cincinnati Reds, 12:05 p.m.

Sunday, 11: vs. Kansas City Royals, 1:05 p.m.

Monday, 12: at Chicago White Sox, 1:05 p.m.

Tuesday, 13: vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 1:05 p.m.

Thursday, 15: at Texas Rangers, 1:05 p.m.

Friday, 16: vs. Seattle Mariners, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday, 17: vs. Chicago Cubs (SS), 1:05 p.m.

Saturday, 17: at San Francisco Giants (SS), 1:05 p.m.

Sunday, 18: at Arizona Diamondbacks (SS), 1:10 p.m.

Monday, 19: vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, 1:05 p.m.

Tuesday, 20: vs. Chicago Cubs (SS), 1:05 p.m.

Wednesday, 21: at Kansas City Royals, 1:05 p.m.

Monday, Apr. 2: at San Francisco Giants (at AT&T Park), 8:15 p.m.

Tuesday, 3: vs. San Francisco Giants (at Oakland Coliseum), 8:05 p.m.

Wednesday, 4: at San Francisco Giants (at AT&T Park), 1:45 p.m.

Sources:

Oakland Athletics Spring Training Tentative Schedule, texasrangers.com

Oakland Athletics Spring Training Ballpark, texasrangers.com

More from this contributor:

Chicago Cubs 2012 Spring Training Schedule

Texas Rangers 2012 Spring Training Schedule

San Francisco Giants 2012 Spring Training Schedule

New Orleans Hornets 2011-12 Regular Season TV Schedule

San Antonio Spurs 2011-12 Regular Season TV Schedule

Follow this contributor on Twitter @_austinchang.

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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.

(Reuters) – List of American League Cy Young Award winners following the naming of Detroit Tigers starter Justin Verlander as the 2011 winner.

2011 – Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

2010 – Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners

2009 – Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals

2008 – Cliff Lee, Cleveland Indians

2007 – CC Sabathia, Cleveland Indians

2006 – Johan Santana, Minnesota Twins

2005 – Bartolo Colon, Los Angeles Angels

2004 – Johan Santana, Minnesota Twins

2003 – Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays

2002 – Barry Zito, Oakland Athletics

2001 – Roger Clemens, New York Yankees

2000 – Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox

1999 – Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox

1998 – Roger Clemens, Toronto Blue Jays

1997 – Roger Clemens, Toronto Blue Jays

1996 – Pat Hentgen, Toronto Blue Jays

1995 – Randy Johnson, Seattle Mariners

1994 – David Cone, Kansas City Royals

1993 – Jack McDowell, Chicago White Sox

1992 – Dennis Eckersley, Oakland Athletics

1991 – Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox

1990 – Bob Welch, Oakland Athletics

1989 – Bret Saberhagen, Kansas City Royals

1988 – Frank Viola, Minnesota Twins

1987 – Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox

1986 – Roger Clemens, Boston Red Sox

1985 – Bret Saberhagen, Kansas City Royals

1984 – Willie Hernandez, Detroit Tigers

1983 – LaMarr Hoyt, Chicago White Sox

1982 – Pete Vuckovich, Milwaukee Brewers

1981 – Rollie Fingers, Milwaukee Brewers

1980 – Steve Stone, Baltimore Orioles

1979 – Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles

1978 – Ron Guidry, New York Yankees

1977 – Sparky Lyle, New York Yankees

1976 – Jim Palmer, Baltimore Orioles

1975 – Jim Palmer, Baltimore Orioles

1974 – Catfish Hunter, Oakland Athletics

1973 – Jim Palmer, Baltimore Orioles

1972 – Gaylord Perry, Cleveland Indians

1971 – Vida Blue, Oakland Athletics

1970 – Jim Perry, Minnesota Twins

1969 – Mike Cuellar, Baltimore Orioles

Denny McLain, Detroit Tigers

1968 – Denny McLain, Detroit Tigers

1967 – Jim Lonborg, Boston Red Sox

One award for both National and American Leagues

1966 – Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL)

1965 – Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL)

1964 – Dean Chance, Los Angeles Angels (AL)

1963 – Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL)

1962 – Don Drysdale, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL)

1961 – Whitey Ford, New York Yankees (AL)

1960 – Vernon Law, Pittsburgh Pirates (NL)

1959 – Early Wynn, Chicago White Sox (AL)

1958 – Bob Turley, New York Yankees (AL)

1957 – Warren Spahn, Milwaukee Braves (NL)

1956 – Don Newcombe, Brooklyn Dodgers (NL)

(Compiled by Frank Pingue; Editing by Julian Linden)