Cleveland Indians Sign Craig Stammen to Minor League Deal

Cleveland Indians Sign Ohio Native Craig Stammen to Minor League Deal with Invite to Major League Spring Training

The Cleveland Indians have announced they’ve signed right-handed reliever Craig Stammen to a minor league deal that includes an invite to Major League Spring Training.

Stammen, a Versailles, Ohio native and University of Dayton alum, has spent his entire professional career with the Washington Nationals.  He became a free agent this fall after he was non-tendered by the Nationals following an injury-shortened season.  Stammens appeared in just five games and threw just four innings due to a torn right flexor tendon that required season ending surgery.

Prior to his injury, Stammen was a solid piece in the Nationals bullpen the last few years. From 2012 to 2014 he threw at least 72 innings each season and made a total of 191 appearances as a reliever.  Originally a starter with the Nationals, he’s proven capable of going multiple innings when needed and sports a career 3.02 ERA and 3.17 FIP out of of the pen. Since converting to a reliever he’s also struck out over 22% of hitters he’s faced and has a 1.26 WHIP.

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Stammen will join fellow free agent reliever invited to spring training as non-roster players:  Joe Thatcher, Tom Gorzelanny, Joba Chamberlain, and Ross Detwiler. Each looks to join Anthony Swarzak and Scott Atchison as recent non-roster invitees to make the Tribe’s bullpen out of spring training.