Red Sox Sign Cordova

January 19, 2000 / 4:56 PM EST / CBS/AP

The Boston Red Sox on Wednesday agreed to terms with free agent outfielder Marty Cordova, who was the AL's Rookie of the Year in 1995 before becoming too pricey for the small-market Minnesota Twins.

The 30-year-old Cordova was signed to a minor-league contract with an agreed-to salary if he makes the team in spring training. The Red Sox are at their 40-man limit and will have to clear room for him before he can be added to the major-league roster.

Other terms were not immediately available.

The Twins could have kept Cordova for $4 million, but they let him become a free agent instead. He said he had offers from other teams, but he chose Boston because they have the best chance of winning.

"Ever since I was in Minneapolis, I was looking forward to getting to a team that had a legitimate chance to win the World Series. This is a big change from Minneapolis, where I was losing a lot of games," he said. "I want to be a part of a winning team."

Cordova brings depth in the outfield and at designated hitter to a team that has lost Reggie Jefferson, Butch Hukey and Damon Buford. Carl Everett, who was acquired last month in a trade from Houston, is expected to play center field.

"We needed more depth in our outfield," general manger Dan Duquette said. "Marty's been around the American League. He's experienced. And he's going into the prime of his career."

Cordova hit .277 with 24 homers, 84 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 1995 to be named AL rookie of the year. He followed that up with a .309 average, 16 homers and 111 RBIs in 1996 and appeared headed for stardom.

But a foot injury plagued him during 1997 (.246, 15, 51) and '98 (.253, 10, 69). He began the 1999 season with a sore throwing shoulder and hit .285 with 14 homers and 70 RBIs in 124 games as an outfielder and designated hitter.

But the small-market Twins decided to let him walk rather than pay him $4 million contract for 2000. He chose to become a free agent rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake City.

"I told my agent from the get-go that I didn't want to talk to any teams that didn't have a chance to make the playoffs," he said. "I had a few offers with other teams, but Boston's the best offer with the team that had a chance to win."