The Twins filled their vacant roster spot on Wednesday by adding another left-handed pitcher to their spring competition, claiming 25-year-old Brooks Raley off waivers from the Chicago Cubs.
The Texas A&M alum, a sixth-round pick by the Cubs in 2009, has spent a month in the majors in each of the last two seasons, with mixed results. In five starts in August 2012, Raley was hit hard, going 1-2 with an 8.14 ERA in 24 1/3 innings. But he returned to Chicago as a bullpen arm last September, and showed improvement, posting a 5.14 ERA in 14 innings.
Raley, who supplements a 90-mph fastball with a good curveball, will be given a chance to compete for a long-relief job in the Twins' bullpen, but he's likely to start 2014 with Class AAA Rochester, potentially in the Red Wings' rotation. Raley, who owns a career 3.92 ERA in the minors, and 4.15 at Triple-A, helps the Twins address their lack of left-handed depth, with only Scott Diamond in the mix as a starter, and Brian Duensing and Caleb Thielbar projected for the bullpen. Raley assumes the roster spot that opened when Andrew Albers signed with a team in South Korea earlier this month.
Pitchers and catchers report to camp in Fort Myers, Fla., on Sunday, with the first workout scheduled for Monday.
