Orioles sign Uehara, agree to terms with Ray

BALTIMORE (Reuters) - The Baltimore Orioles moved to shore up their shaky pitching on Tuesday by signing eight-times Japanese All-Star Koji Uehara to a two-year contract.

Uehara, 33, has spent the past 10 seasons with the Japanese Central League's Yomiuri Giants, posting a 112-62 record with a 3.01 ERA. Financial terms of the deal were not announced.

In 1999 and 2002, the right-hander won the Sawamura Award, Japan's equivalent of Major League Baseball's Cy Young Award given to the best pitcher.

The Orioles also said they had agreed to terms with right-hander Chris Ray on a one-year contract, thereby avoiding arbitration.

Uehara, the first Japanese-born player signed by the Orioles, struck out 1,376 batters and walked only 206 in 276 career games for the Giants.

He also has a career average of eight strikeouts per nine innings pitched, which would rank seventh among qualifying active MLB pitchers, the Orioles said.

Uehara had a 2-0 record and a 1.59 ERA for the champion Japanese team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and also represented Japan in the past two Olympics.

Ray, 27, missed the 2008 season after ligament reconstruction surgery on his right elbow.

In 2006, Ray saved a team-high 33 games for the Orioles and had 16 saves in 2007 before sustaining his season-ending elbow injury. He is 10-13 with 49 saves and a 3.20 ERA in 145 major league games for the Orioles.

Baltimore finished in last place in the American League East last season with a 68-93 record. The franchise's 5.13 ERA ranked 13th in the 14-team American League.

(Reporting by Steve Ginsburg; Editing by John Mehaffey)