At the winter meetings in Nashville earlier this month, the Indians said they were interested in bringing in additional left-handed relief options to add to their bullpen mix. That came to fruition on Monday when they signed Tom Gorzelanny and Joe Thatcher to minor-league contracts with nonroster invitations to spring training.
Gorzelanny, 33, has a 4.34 ERA in his career, which spans 11 seasons and five teams. He spent most of 2015 with the Detroit Tigers, struggling to a 5.95 ERA in 39⅓ innings pitched, though he did hold opposing left-handed hitters to a .222 average.
Thatcher, 34, has a career 3.38 ERA in 405 relief appearances, most of them coming with the San Diego Padres. Last season, he went 1-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 22⅔ innings pitched with the Houston Astros. In his career, he has limited left-handed hitters to a .232 average.
The signings of Gorzelanny and Thatcher add two veteran left-handed options in the bullpen to join two lefties currently on the 40-man roster, Kyle Crockett and Giovanni Soto. The Indians have expressed confidence in Crockett and Soto, though both are only 24 years old and have combined to throw 51 innings at the major-league level.
The Indians were also interested in retaining Nick Hagadone, still rehabbing from elbow surgery, with a similar deal after he was designated for assignment this winter, but he accepted an offer from the Milwaukee Brewers.
The candidates to make up the Indians’ 2016 bullpen now include Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Jeff Manship, Zach McAllister, Kyle Crockett, Giovanni Soto, Austin Adams, recent acquisitions Kirby Yates and Dan Otero, nonroster invitee Joba Chamberlain, Gorzelanny and Thatcher, among others.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ