Roundup: Nationals sign P-turned-1B Owings

Micah Owings has a lifetime ERA of 4.86 and a career .283 batting average.

/USA Today Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) The Washington Nationals have agreed to terms with pitcher-turned-first baseman Micah Owings for a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training.

The 30-year-old Owings is a career .283 hitter with nine home runs and 35 RBIs in 219 plate appearances.

He went 32-33 as a pitcher over six seasons with Arizona, Cincinnati and San Diego.

Reds avoid arbitration with Leake

CINCINNATI (AP) -- The Reds have agreed to a one-year deal, $3.06 million deal with right-hander Mike Leake, avoiding salary arbitration with their fifth starter.

The deal on Wednesday leaves three Reds still facing arbitration: starters Mat Latos and Homer Bailey and outfielder Shin-Soo Choo.

Leake made $507,500 last season, when he went 8-9 with a 4.58 earned run average in 30 starts, a career high. He asked for $3.5 million in arbitration, and the club offered $2,650,000. He will compete with left-hander Aroldis Chapman for a spot in the rotation. He will make an additional $25,000 if he reaches 180 innings pitched.

The Reds have their three most expensive arbitration cases still pending. Choo is seeking $8 million, Bailey $5.8 million and Latos $4.7 million. The Reds have settled with outfielder Chris Heisey and reliever Alfredo Simon.

Rays finalize deals with two

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Reliever Kyle Farnsworth and second baseman-outfielder Kelly Johnson have finalized one-year contracts with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The team announced Tuesday that Farnsworth agreed to a base salary of $1.25 million for this season. The 36-year-old right-hander missed much of last season with an elbow strain sustained during spring training and wound up going 1-6 with a 4.00 ERA in 34 appearances for the Rays.

Farnsworth can earn $1.35 million in performance bonuses based on games: $50,000 for 30, $150,000 apiece for 35 and 40, $200,000 each for 45 and 50, and $300,000 apiece for 55 and 60. He also can make $350,000 for games finished: $50,000 for 35, $100,000 for 40 and $150,000 for 45.

The 30-year-old Johnson batted .225 with 16 homers and 55 RBI for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2012. He agreed to a $2.45 million, one-year deal that includes performance bonuses of $50,000 each for 550 and 600 plate appearances.

To clear room on the 40-man roster, infielders Reid Brignac and Elliot Johnson were designated for assignment.