Catcher Buck signs 3-year Marlins deal

MIAMI, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- The Florida Marlins have signed free-agent catcher John Buck to a three-year contract, the team's Web site reported Tuesday.

The 30-year-old catcher has spent seven years in the major leagues, six of them with the Kansas City Royals and last year with the Toronto Blue Jays, for whom he hit .281 with 20 homers and 66 RBI in 118 games.

Buck, however, also sported the worst strikeout-to-walk ratio in major league baseball at 111-to-16. Nevertheless, he landed a spot on the American League All-Star team for the first time in his career.

Buck has thrown out 28 percent of the baserunners attempting to steal and boasts a .243 career average with 90 homers in 702 games.

The deal comes on the same day the Marlins traded away their all-time home run leader, second baseman Dan Uggla, to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for infielder Omar Infante and pitcher Mike Dunn.