Yankees, catcher Eli Whiteside avoid arbitration

The Yankees and catcher Eli Whiteside have agreed to a one-year contract for 2013, avoiding arbitration, the club announced Monday.

Whiteside, 33, played just 12 games for the Giants in 2012, hitting .091/.214/.182. The Giants designated him for assignment after the season, and the Yankees claimed him off waivers on Nov. 5. For his career, Whiteside is a .215/.273/.335 (67 OPS+) hitter and has thrown out 31 percent of attempted basestealers (against a league average of 27 percent). The most playing time that he has seen was 82 games with the Giants in 2011.

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the latest rumors from bloggers Chris Cwik, Jack Moore and R.J. White, follow @MLBRumorsCBS.