Baseball: Pirates sign RHP Octavio Dotel to be their closer

PITTSBURGH - Octavio Dotel has agreed to a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the only club that was offering him the chance to be a closer.

The deal was completed Thursday and it includes an option for 2011.

The 36-year-old Dotel hasn't been a closer since 2007, when he had 11 saves for Kansas City. He had one save the past two seasons as a setup man for the Chicago White Sox, going 3-3 with a 3.32 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 62 1-3 innings last year.

Dotel has 83 saves since breaking into the majors with the New York Mets at age 25 in 1999. He saved a combined 36 games for Houston and Oakland in 2004.

The Pirates chose not to re-sign closer Matt Capps, who signed with Washington. Capps had 27 saves but a 5.80 ERA last season.

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