Dodgers sign Juan Uribe

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Dodgers today signed infielder Juan Uribe to a two-year contract.

"Juan was a major player in our success last season," said Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti. "His play at third base, leadership in the clubhouse and clutch hitting helped the club immensely."

The 34-year-old Uribe had his best year as a Dodger in 2013, batting .278 with 22 doubles, 12 home runs and 50 RBI in 132 games. He was Los Angeles' primary third baseman and committed just five errors in 900.1 innings at the position, good for a .983 fielding percentage. Uribe's fielding percentage ranked second among Major League third basemen, earning him recognition by Wilson as the Dodgers' Defensive Player of the Year. In the postseason, Uribe hit safely in six of the Dodgers' 10 games and drove in seven runs, including his series-clinching two-run home run in the eighth inning of Game 4 of the Division Series against Atlanta.

In 13 seasons with the Rockies (2001-03), White Sox (2004-08), Giants (2009-10) and Dodgers (2011-13), Uribe holds a career batting average of .253 with 1,308 hits, 274 doubles, 169 homers and 694 RBI. He has hit double-digit home runs in eight of his 13 Major League seasons, including four seasons with 20 or more homers.

Uribe has twice played for championship teams with the 2005 White Sox and 2010 Giants and has been at his best during postseason play throughout his career, hitting five homers and driving in 23 runs in 40 playoff games, including five RBI during the 2010 World Series. On two occasions, Uribe has clubbed a postseason series-clinching home run, blasting an eighth-inning solo shot in Game 6 of the 2010 NLCS against Philadelphia to send the Giants to the World Series and hitting a two-run, game-winning shot to give the Dodgers a come-from-behind victory in Game 4 of the 2013 NLDS against Atlanta.

The native of the Dominican Republic has excelled in the field during his career, posting a .977 combined fielding percentage in 1,479 games at shortstop (917 games), third base (382 games), second base (220 games), first base (four games) and outfield (one game). Since 2008, Uribe's .971 fielding percentage as a third baseman ranks third in the Majors (min. 300 games) behind only Placido Polanco (.985) and Scott Rolen (.972).

Uribe is the nephew of former Giants' shortstop Jose Uribe and was originally signed by the Colorado Rockies as a non-drafted free agent in 1997.