Matt Belisle agrees to $3.5M deal with Cardinals

ST. LOUIS (AP) The St. Louis Cardinals added more bullpen help Tuesday, agreeing to a $3.5 million, one-year contract with free agent Matt Belisle.

The 34-year-old right-hander has made 70 or more relief appearances in four of the last five seasons and led the NL with 80 in 2012.

Belisle was 4-7 with a 4.87 ERA in 66 games for Colorado last season and has a 48-54 career record with a 4.41 ERA in 524 games. He joins Jordan Walden, a right-hander acquired by St. Louis from Atlanta last month.

Belisle could earn $500,000 in performance bonuses: $150,000 each for 50 and 60 games, and $200,000 for 70.

St. Louis declined to offer Daniel Descalso a 2015 contract, making the infielder a free agent Wednesday. He hit .243 with 10 homers and 111 RBIs in five seasons, helping the Cardinals win the 2011 World Series.

Descalso made $1.29 million this year. He became expendable when the Cardinals signed infielder Dean Anna and acquired Ty Kelly from Seattle.

St. Louis also hired Chris Correa as director of scouting and promoted Luis Morales to assistant director of international scouting. The 34-year-old Correa joined the franchise in 2009 and had been director of baseball development.