MLB teams
Jerry Crasnick, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

Ichiro Suzuki, Marlins work on deal

MLB, Miami Marlins, New York Yankees

Free-agent outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is close to an agreement on a one-year contract with the Miami Marlins, a baseball source confirmed to ESPN.com Friday.

Although the two sides are still working through some final details before the deal becomes official, Suzuki is expected to earn a base salary of about $2 million in 2015.

The Marlins, who have one of baseball's most talented young outfields with Giancarlo Stanton in right field, Marcell Ozuna in center and Christian Yelich in left, plan to use Suzuki as their first outfielder off the bench.

Suzuki, 41, has 2,844 career hits over 14 seasons with the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees. He made the All-Star team and won a Gold Glove Award in each of his first 10 seasons in Seattle. With 4,122 professional hits between Japan and the U.S., Suzuki is 134 hits short of Pete Rose's record of 4,256.

Suzuki hit .284 with 15 stolen bases in 143 games with the Yankees last season. 

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