Goodyear, AZ – The Cleveland Indians announced Tuesday that the team has re-signed veteran pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Matt Capps to minor league contracts.
Both players had been recently released by the club after failing to make the 25-man roster out of spring training, moves that enabled the Indians to avoid paying each a $100,000 bonus. Matsuzaka and Capps will instead begin the upcoming season pitching for Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate in Columbus.
Matsuzaka, an 18-game winner with the Boston Red Sox in 2008 whose career has been derailed by arm problems in recent years, was beaten out by fellow non- roster invitee Scott Kazmir for Cleveland's final spot in the starting rotation. The Japanese right-hander did register a 2.25 earned run average over eight innings in Cactus League play, however.
Capps has compiled 138 saves over eight major league seasons, including a high of 42 between Washington and Minnesota in 2010, but was limited to 30 appearances and 29 1/3 innings with the Twins last year due to an injured rotator cuff. The 29-year-old allowed two runs over six innings during the spring.
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