The Oakland Athletics are close to signing free agent Orlando Cabrera to a $4 million, one-year contract, likely ending former AL Rookie of the Year Bobby Crosby's disappointing tenure as the team's starting shortstop.

The Athletics said there would not be an announcement yesterday. The deal is contingent on the 34-year-old Cabrera passing a physical.

Cabrera, a two-time Gold Glove winner, hit .281 with eight home runs and 57 RBIs in 161 games with the Chicago White Sox last season.

He's also played for the Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels over a 12-year career.

Crosby, the 2004 AL Rookie of the Year, came to camp as the A's incumbent shortstop, but it was widely known the A's were looking elsewhere.

Crosby, who has a lifetime batting average of .239 and has missed considerable time to injury, spent six weeks during the offseason working with former major leaguer Mark McGwire.

"I want to get better," Crosby said recently. "I know I haven't played as well as I can. I'm changing my approach, my stance. For the most part I think there's always something I can improve upon."

A's manager Bob Geren told the media earlier in the spring that Crosby "is going to be in the lineup and he's going to play."

WORLD CLASSIC

PADRES' BELL, PIRATES' GRABOW ON U.S. TEAM

San Diego's Heath Bell, who's taking over for departed closer Trevor Hoffman, was added to the United States' roster for the World Baseball Classic yesterday.

"It's going to be really cool to have USA on the front of my jersey," Bell said.

The right-hander got the word shortly before the Padres played the Milwaukee Brewers. He said he checked with manager Bud Black and pitching coach Darren Balsley to make sure it was OK with them before he accepted the assignment.

"Bud said, 'Have fun. You know how important you are to the Padres,' and Bals just said, 'Hey, be smart.' "

"For this to just come out of the blue, out of left field, is awesome," said Bell, who planned to take a redeye flight last night to join Team USA in Florida.

Pittsburgh reliever John Grabow was also added to Team USA's roster. Grabow was invited Sunday, but held off making a decision until he discussed it with his family and Pirates management.

"I wanted to make sure myself that I'm ready to flip the switch and get after it in meaningful games," Grabow said. "I know my limits, and I think I'm ready."

Bell said he'll replace Minnesota's Joe Nathan; Grabow is replacing the Los Angeles Angels' Brian Fuentes for at least the first round of the tournament.

ELSEWHERE

Mariners: Now that Ken Griffey Jr.'s swollen knee has calmed down, he is ready to play in his first game for Seattle in a decade. The 39-year-old slugger hit for about 10 minutes against two Class A pitchers in a simulated game yesterday at Peoria, Ariz. Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu then confirmed Griffey will make his spring debut, as planned, at designated hitter tomorrow night against Australia's national team.

Dodgers: Los Angeles infielder Ivan DeJesus Jr., 21, broke his right leg sliding into home plate during an early morning "B" game against the Milwaukee Brewers. DeJesus, the organization's 2008 minor league player of the year, was taken off the field on a cart and X-rays revealed a broken lower tibia. Dodgers manager Joe Torre said the son of former major league shortstop and ex-Dodger Ivan DeJesus is probably done for the season.

Obituary: Tom Sturdivant, who pitched the New York Yankees to victory in Game 4 of the 1956 World Series the day before Don Larsen's famed perfect game, has died. He was 78. Sturdivant, who died in Oklahoma City, threw a complete game in a 6-2 win against the Brooklyn Dodgers on Oct. 7, 1956, to even the best-of-seven series at 2-2 and set the stage for the only perfect game in World Series history.

Tigers: Tigers manager Jim Leyland said starting pitcher Jeremy Bonderman, who was sent back to Detroit due to medical concerns about his pitching shoulder, was fine and will be back on the mound before the team goes north in about five weeks. Bonderman had shoulder stiffness and Leyland said the right-hander was sent back to his regular physician in Detroit only as a precautionary measure.

Nationals: Washington president Stan Kasten will be running the Nationals after the resignation of general manager Jim Bowden. Kasten said it would be "later this week" before any replacement — interim or otherwise — would be picked to be the GM.