MLB

Peralta, Cardinals near deal

Scratch Jhonny Peralta off the Mets’ and Yankees’ wish lists.

The free-agent shortstop is close to signing a multi-year deal with the Cardinals, according to sources in an ESPN.com report.

Peralta, 31, is a two-time All-Star and .268 career hitter with 156 home runs in 11 seasons with the Indians and Tigers. He missed 50 games late last season due to his involvement in Major League Baseball’s Biogenesis scandal.

Peralta’s signing will be the second significant move this week for Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak, who acquired outfielder Peter Bourjos from the Angels on Friday in a four-player deal that sent third baseman David Freese to Los Angeles.

The Cardinals expect to start Peralta at shortstop next season in place of Pete Kozma. Matt Carpenter is expected to move from second base to third and rookie Kolten Wong will play second.

Peralta previously had been mentioned as a possibility to sign with both the Yankees and Mets.

Terms of the deal were not immediately available.

The Cardinals were intent on upgrading the shortstop position after Kozma hit .217 with a .548 OPS this season. But most of the speculation had focused on Texas shortstops Elvis Andrus and Jurickson Profar and free agent Stephen Drew as potential targets for St. Louis.

Although Peralta has limited range at shortstop, he’s sure-handed in the field and has a career defensive Wins Above Replacement of plus-4.6, according to baseball-reference.com. Peralta played some left field for Detroit in the postseason after returning from his suspension, and several clubs reportedly had expressed interest in him as an outfielder.

Since Peralta did not receive a qualifying offer from Detroit, the Cardinals will not have to surrender a draft pick in exchange for signing him.

Peralta had reportedly been seeking a four-year deal for more than $50 million. Terms of his deal with the Cardinals weren’t immediately available.

RANGERS: Texas and pitcher Colby Lewis agreed on a minor league contract Saturday and an invitation to major league spring training. Financial terms were not released.

The 34-year-old Lewis spent the entire 2013 season on the disabled list. He became a free agent at the end of the season.

Lewis had surgery in July 2012 to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right elbow.

INDIANS: Cleveland added depth to its bullpen, signing left-hander Mike Zagurski to a minor league contract with an invitation to training camp this spring.

Zagurski spent time with the Athletics, Pirates and Yankees last season. The 30-year-old went a combined 6-3 with a 3.04 ERA and two saves in 45 appearances — all at Triple-A. He struck out 83 in 53 1/3 innings, an impressive average of 14 strikeouts per nine innings.