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Orioles sign Chris Johnson to minor-league deal

The third baseman may see time in Triple-A, where his dad is the manager.

Philadelphia Phillies v Miami Marlins Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images

The Orioles have reached a minor-league deal with infielder Chris Johnson, according to a team announcement.

Johnson, 32, spent last season with the Marlins, hitting just .222/.281/.329 with five homers in 113 games while seeing time at first base, third base and left field. His market was weakened by the lack of teams looking for third base help this winter, though Miami retained some interest if an injury occurred during spring training.

Baltimore is obviously set at the corners with Manny Machado and Chris Davis, and has some solid backup options in Trey Mancini, Ryan Flaherty and Christian Walker. That depth makes it likely that Johnson heads to Triple-A Norfolk, where his father, Ron, is the manager.

Johnson owns a career .275/.313/.404 line with 63 homers and 339 RBI in eight major-league seasons with Houston (2009-12), Atlanta (2012-15), Cleveland (2015) and Miami (2016). Last year was the final season of the ill-fated three-year, $23.5 million extension Johnson signed with the Braves in May 2014.