With Indians pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training today, the club announced the signing of Bruce Chen after news filtered out Monday night that he had agreed to terms.
Chen has signed a minor-league deal with a non-roster invite. Should the left-hander make the major-league roster, he would earn $1 million with another $1 million possible via incentives.
The odds of Chen, who will turn 38 on June 19, making the roster are slim, but it does add another veteran to the mix of those fighting for what is expected to be the final spot in the rotation. The Indians now have 22 non-roster invitees, including 10 pitchers.
Chen has pitched for 10 teams in the majors in his 16-year career but has spent the past six with Kansas City. He was 2-4 last season with a 7.45 ERA in 13 games with seven being starts before being designated for assignment in August and released in September. Chen's career record is 82-80 with a 4.58 ERA in 398 games with 225 being starts.
