Angels sign Soto shortly after Iannetta leaves for Mariners

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Freeagent catcher Geovany Soto and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a one-year contract. The team announced the move Tuesday night, one day after losing catcher Chris Iannetta to the Seattle Mariners in free agency. Soto has played for four teams in 11 major league seasons. The former Chicago Cubs backstop spent last season on the other side of town with the White Sox, batting .219 with nine homers and 21 RBIs in 78 games. A solid defender, Soto also has played for Texas and Oakland. He was the NL Rookie of the Year and an All-Star in 2008 with the Cubs. Soto will team with Carlos Perez behind the plate for the Angels. Perez shared the job last season with Iannetta, whose offensive production plummeted in his fourth season with the Angels.