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Mariners sign RHP Chris Young to Major League deal

Former All-Star has made 159 starts over parts of nine Major League seasons

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jack Zduriencik announced today the club has signed free agent right-handed pitcher Chris Young to a Major League contract.

Young will be in uniform (#53) and on the field on Friday when the Mariners host the Colorado Rockies.

To make room on the Major League 40-man roster, Bobby LaFromboise has been designated for assignment. Seattle now has 10 days to trade, release or outright LaFromboise's contract to the minor leagues.

Young, 34, had spent this Spring Training with the Washington Nationals where he posted a 3.48 ERA (4 ER, 10.1 IP) with nine strikeouts in four games including two starts.

He spent the entire 2013 season in the Nationals minor league system, posting a record of 1-2 with a 6.81 ERA (28 ER, 37.0 IP) with 21 strikeouts in nine appearances, all starts with AAA Syracuse (7 GS), short-season Auburn (1 GS) and the Gulf Coast League Nationals (1 GS). He underwent a right shoulder thoracic outlet decompression procedure on June 11 which was performed by Dr. Robert Thompson.

The 6-foot-10 right-hander is the second-tallest player (tied) in Major League history and is the same height as Mariners great Randy Johnson.

Young is a veteran of nine Major League seasons with the Rangers (2004-2005), Padres (2006-2010) and Mets (2012) where he has combined to go 53-43 with a 3.79 ERA (375 ER, 890.2 IP) in 159 career starts and was an All-Star with San Diego in 2007. He began his professional career in 2000 in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization before being traded to the Montreal Expos before the 2003 season.

He earned a B.A. in politics from Princeton where he played baseball and two seasons of basketball and was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in both sports in 1999.

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