White Sox give Japan's Fukudome one-year deal

Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome has agreed to a one-year Major League Baseball contract worth $1 million for 2012 with the Chicago White Sox, the American League team announced on Tuesday. The deal will bring the 34-year-old left-handed hitter $500,000 for this year with a $500,000 buyout on a club option to re-sign Fukudome for $3.5 million in 2013. Fukudome will fight to crack the outfield starting lineup and has experience as a lead-off batter if manager Robin Ventura needs him for the role. "Kosuke adds to our outfield depth and gives Robin another left-handed bat to mix into the lineup," White Sox assistant general manager Rick Hahn said. "He can play centerfield and right and provides flexibility to our roster." Fukudome, who will wear jersey No. 1, is a career .260 batter with 42 home runs, 191 runs batted in, 262 runs scored and 299 walks over 572 major league games since his 2008 North American debut campaign after nine seasons with the Chunichi Dragons of Japan's Central League. Fukudome was the starting right-fielder for the National League in the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium as a member of the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs traded Fukudome to Cleveland last July and despite switching leagues, the Japanese veteran batted .262 with 27 doubles, eight homers, 35 runs batted in and 59 runs scored over 146 games in the 2011 campaign.