Bruce Chen and Cleveland Indians Agree To Deal

The Cleveland Indians have agreed to a deal with Pitcher Bruce Chen on a minor league deal.  Jon Heyman stated in his tweet that the deal is for one million with bonuses of one million as well based on performance.

Chen, who is a long time veteran has spent the past six seasons in the American League Central with the Kansas City Royals.  During that tenure, Chen has had his statistics decrease yearly but last year only pitched 48 1/3 innings.

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However, he is a reliable player and solid pick up who’s overall body of work shows that he has pitched in different roles with a history of steady work. For the price he agreed to, Chen is worth the look during spring training and provides another solid option for depth but has the skills to make a positive impact.

I would imagine if all works out well in Spring Training, he would be a versatile option for the coaching staff, mainly working out of the bullpen if he makes the team. I do not see why he will not make the team, but the pitching depth of the team is very good so initially he may need to wait.  As injuries and performance issues arise, Chen could also be a nice fill in coming up from AAA Columbus as needed.