Sele leaves sunny SoCal to play for Emerald City

Aaron Sele and the Seattle Mariners agreed Wednesday to a minor league contract that allows him to earn as much as $1.1 million, bringing the right-hander back to the Pacific Northwest.

The 34-year-old Sele, who spent the last three seasons with Anaheim, was 32-15 in 68 games with Seattle during the 2000 and 2001 seasons. He would get a $700,000, one-year contract if he is added to the major league roster and would be able to earn another $400,000 in performance bonuses.

Sele, an All-Star in 1998 and 2000, went 9-5 with a 5.05 earned-run average last season with Anaheim.

Seattle also agreed to a minor league contract with infielder Ricky Gutierrez. If Gutierrez is added to the major league roster, he would get a $600,000, one-year contract that would allow him to earn an additional $300,000 in performance bonuses.

Let’s make a deal

Players and owners struck an Internet deal they hope will expand baseball’s presence on the Web.

Major League Baseball and its players’ association announced a $50 million, five-year deal that gives management’s Internet company the players’ rights for the development of online games and wireless products.

As part of the deal between the union and Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the union’s Web site will be hosted by MLB.com and relaunched as MLBPlayers.com.

Typically, sites such as ESPN and Yahoo license rights to use players’ names and uniform numbers from the union.

Clearing the bases

Carlos Delgado is to meet today in Puerto Rico with the New York Mets and on Friday with the Texas Rangers. Both teams are trying to sign him. … Brian Jordan returned from Texas to Atlanta, where he starred for the Braves and the NFL’s Falcons. The outfielder, who will be 38 by opening day, got a $600,000, one-year contract from Atlanta. … Former New York Yankees player Esteban Loaiza agreed to a $2.9 million, one-year contract with the Washington Nationals, who also gave an $800,000, one-year deal to reliever Antonio Osuna. … Milwaukee agreed to an $800,000, one-year contract with free-agent reliever Ricky Bottalico and settled its arbitration case with Brooks Kieschnick in a $550,000 deal that contains bonuses for pitching and hitting. … Texas agreed to a $1.1 million contract with right-hander Carlos Almanzar, leaving 37 players in arbitration among the 89 who filed last Friday. … Pitcher Tony Saunders, who retired in 2000 after breaking his left arm for the second time, agreed to a minor league contract with Baltimore. In 1999, he broke the humerus bone in his left arm while throwing a pitch in a game at Tampa Bay. … Catchers Raul Casanova and Chris Widger, infielders Pablo Ozuna and Jorge Toca and outfielder Tony Alvarez agreed to minor league contracts with the Chicago White Sox. … Also agreeing to minor league contracts were pitcher Jose Jimenez (Arizona), infielder Jose Offerman (Philadelphia), third baseman Dean Palmer (Detroit), and infielder Shane Halter and outfielder Marty Cordova (Tampa Bay).