Crisp agrees to deal with A's

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A person with knowledge of the negotiations says free agent centre fielder Coco Crisp has agreed to a two-year deal to return to the Oakland Athletics.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hadn't made a formal announcement. ESPN was first to report Tuesday that Crisp, who had hoped to keep playing on the West Coast, would stay put with the A's.

The 32-year-old Crisp has batted .269 with 16 home runs, 92 RBIs, nine triples and 81 stolen bases in his two seasons with Oakland, which is in rebuilding mode in hopes of being able to relocate to San Jose and build a new ballpark. General manager Billy Beane has unloaded several star players in recent weeks, including starting pitchers Gio Gonzalez and Trevor Cahill.