ST. LOUIS, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- The St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday agreed to terms with free agent catcher Joe Girardi on a one-year contract.
The defending National League Central champions also re-signed catcher-outfielder Eli Marrero to a two-year deal and righthander Garrett Stephenson to a one-year pact. Both had been eligible for arbitration.
Financial terms for all three players were not disclosed.
Girardi, 38, will become Mike Matheny's backup. The 13-year veteran spent the previous three seasons with the rival Chicago Cubs, hitting .226 with one home run and 13 RBI in 90 games this past year.
In 1,261 major league games, Girardi has hit .267 with 36 homers an 421 RBI. He was a key member of the New York Yankees' World Series-winning teams in 1996, 1998 and 1999 and was an All-Star in 2000.
Marrero, 29, enjoyed a breakout year in 2002, hitting .262 while setting career highs with 18 home runs and 66 RBI. He also stole 14 bases while playing 106 games in the outfield and 44 behind the plate.
Stephenson, 30, continued his recovery from elbow surgery, then missed three months of the season due to back and hamstring injuries. He went 2-5 with a 5.40 ERA in 12 games and is 32-26 with a 4.53 ERA for his career, winning 16 games in 2000.
