On Tuesday the Indians signed pitcher Vinnie Chulk to a minor league contract. The right hander was originally a 12^th round draft pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2000.

The reliever made his major league debut on September 8, 2003 as an end of the season call up to the Jays. He has spent parts of the past six seasons in the majors with the Jays and the Giants, compiling a record of 7-14 in 244 games. His career ERA stands at a respectable 4.36 in a total of 264.3 innings.

Even though the Indians have bolstered their bullpen this off season with the signing of closer Kerry Wood, having Chulk in the minors is not a bad idea. He will receive an invite to major league spring training and a real shot at making it with the Indians to start the season. If he doesn’t make it then, he could very well be the first reliever called on to jump up from AAA Columbus when a pitcher goes down with an injury.

During his career, Chulk has recorded 185 strikeouts, 98 walks and has allowed 265 hits. With spring training just two weeks away, Chulk figures to be one of the last players to have a slot with the team this spring.

He is coming off of a season where he appeared in 27 games and compiled an 0-3 record with an ERA of 4.38. If he can provide some sort of steady force out of the bullpen for a few months in the season, the Indians will be glad they acquired him.

Bill Jordan is a contributor to BaseballReflections.com. He can be reached by e-mail at BillJordaniv@yahoo.com .

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