OUT FOR THE YEAR: Orioles pitcher Kris Benson has a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder and will almost certainly miss the 2007 season. A recent MRI exam revealed a partial tear, Benson’s agent, Gregg Clifton said yesterday. The injury will require surgery, but the procedure has not yet been scheduled. “We’d like to get it done as soon as possible so we can start the recovery process,” Clifton said. After coming to Baltimore in a January 2006 trade with the New York Mets, Benson went 11-12 with a 4.82 ERA in 30 starts. This season he was supposed to provide experience in a young starting rotation that includes Erik Bedard, Daniel Cabrera and Adam Loewen. “We’re disappointed,” Orioles executive vice president Mike Flanagan said. “We’ll look at the free-agent market and the trade market, but getting another starter from inside the organization is still a possibility.” Flanagan did not concede losing Benson for the season, saying only that he expects the right-hander to be sidelined “at least a couple of months. We won’t have him on Opening Day, that’s for sure.” Rotator cuff tears usually require between 8 to 12 months of rehabilitation for pitchers. Benson is due $7.5 million this year, the final guaranteed season of a $22.5-million, three-year contract. The Orioles hold a $7.5-million option for 2008 with a $500,000 buyout.

MINOR-LEAGUE DEAL: Infielder Eduardo Perez agreed yesterday to a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox and was invited to the team’s spring training camp. The 37-year-old Perez is a career .247 hitter with 79 home runs and 294 RBI in 754 games over 13 major-league seasons. He’s played with the Angeles, Reds, Cardinals, Devil Rays, Indians and Mariners. Perez, the son of Hall of Fame first baseman Tony Perez, split last season between Cleveland and Seattle. He batted .253 with 9 homers and 33 RBI in 80 games.

ISRAEL LEAGUE PILOTS: Former major leaguers Ken Holtzman, Ron Blomberg and Art Shamsky were hired yesterday as managers for the first season of the Israel Baseball League. Six teams will play in the league, which opens June 24. Each club will play 45 games over eight weeks, with no games Friday nights or Saturday afternoons because of the Sabbath. Former Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette is the league’s director of baseball operations and Daniel Kurtzer, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, is its commissioner. The league plans to announce cities later this month, spokesman Marty Appel said.

JAYS SIGN WALKER: Pitcher Pete Walker agreed yesterday to a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and was invited to spring training. The 37-year-old right-hander had two stints on the disabled list last year, going 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 23 games before rotator cuff surgery. He didn’t pitch after July 7.

ROCKIES CONTRACT: Right-handed pitcher Matt Herges agreed to a minor league contract yesterday with the Colorado Rockies, who invited him to their spring training camp. If added to the 40-man roster, Herges would get $600,000, a one-year contract and the chance to earn $150,000 in performance bonuses.