Indians Sign Two Lefty Pitchers to Minor League Deals

CLEVELAND – The Indians today announced the club has signed free agent two lefty pitchers Tom Gorzelanny and Joe Thatcher to Minor League contracts with non-roster invitations to Major League spring training camp.

Gorzelanny, 33, owns a career Major League record of 49-52 with a 4.34 ERA in 307 games/121 starts throughout his 11-year career (880.2IP, 886H, 425ER, 710SO) with five clubs since debuting with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2005. He spent most of the 2015 season with the Detroit Tigers, limiting lefties to a .222 (16-72) average against, after signing a one-year deal with the Tigers last January. For his career, left-handed batters have hit .230 (191-830, .662 OPS) off him. He was Pittsburgh’s second round pick in the 2003 draft out of the University of Kansas and also spent multiple Major League seasons with Chicago-NL, Washington and Milwaukee.

Thatcher, 34, owns a career Major League mark of 11-16 with a 3.38 ERA in 405 relief appearances since debuting with the San Diego Padres in 2007. He spent most of the 2015 season with the Houston Astros, compiling a mark of 1-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 43 games (22.2IP, 23H, 8R/ER, 12BB, 26K). For his nine-year Major League career he has limited left-handed batters to a.232 (114-492, .645 OPS) average against. The Kokomo, IN native and Indiana State alum was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers out of the Frontier League in 2005 and debuted with the Padres two years later.