Monday, January 28, 2013

Durbin returns, Betancourt signs minor league deal

January 28, 2013


Chad Durbin will have a second run pitching out of the Phillies' bullpen.

The right-handed reliever has agreed to terms on a one year-deal with the Phillies, with a club option for 2014 according to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.


Durbin, 35, pitched three seasons in Philadelphia, his first being the 2008 World Series clinching season.

Durbin appeared in 71 games during the 2008 regular season, finishing with a 4-1 record with a 2.87 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. He appeared in six games in the postseason, only pitching in 3 and 1/3 innings with a 2.70 ERA and a 3.00 WHIP, en route to the Phillies' World Series Title.

Across his three year tenure in Philadelphia, Durbin pitched 225 and 1/3 innings across 194 regular season games, earning an 11-7 record.

Durbin signed with the Cleveland Indians in 2011, going 2-2 in 68 and 1/3 innings pitched through 56 appearances. He had a 5.53 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP.

In 2012, Durbin signed for the Braves where he went 4-1 in 61.0 innings over over 76 games. He put up solid numbers for the Phillies' NL East rival, posting a 3.10 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP.

Durbin will most likely serve as a middle-inning reliever, with Mike Adams and Jonathan Papelbon serving as the setup man and closer respectively.


The Phillies also signed infielder Yuniesky Betancourt to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training according to Zolecki.

Betancourt, who will turn 31 on Thursday, has played eight seasons in the Majors with Seattle, Milwaukee and Kansas City. In 1019 career regular season games, Betancourt has a .266 batting average with 67 home-runs and 411 RBI's.

Playing for Kansas City in 2012, Betancourt batted a low .228 with jut seven home-runs and 36 RBI's in 57 games.

Zolecki reports that Betancourt was signed to add infield depth in event that one of the starters between Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Michael Young  go down with injury.

(Durbin image from BaseballNewsSource.com)
(Betancourt image from SportsPressNW.com)


No comments:

Post a Comment