Rangers sign RHP Kyle McClellan to Minor League contract

The Texas Rangers announced today that the club has signed right-handed pitcher Kyle McClellan to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training.

McClellan, 28, has spent his entire professional career in the St. Louis organization, going 19-23 with a 3.69 ERA (155 ER/378.0 IP) in 261 games/17 starts from 2008-12.  He has pitched primarily in relief, including a 0-1 record with a 5.30 ERA (11 ER/18.2 IP) over 16 relief appearances in 2012.  He was on the disabled list from May 18 through the end of the season last year, and had surgery on his right elbow and shoulder on July 10.  He was placed on unconditional release waivers by St. Louis on November 13.  McClellan is already throwing and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.

A St. Louis native, McClellan made at least 60 appearances each year from 2008-10.  He made 17 starts for the Cardinals in 2011, the only starts of his major league career, going 6-6 with a 4.21 ERA (49 ER/104.2 IP) in those outings.  He was originally selected by St. Louis in the 25th round of the 2002 June draft.  McClellan made postseason appearances for the Cardinals in the 2009 Division Series and 2011 Championship Series, but was not on the club’s World Series roster in 2011.

With the addition of McClellan, the Rangers now have 57 players on the club’s spring training roster: a full 40-man roster and 17 non-roster invites.

RANGERS SIGN TWO TO MINORS CONTRACTS: The Rangers have signed LHP Ryan Feierabend and RHP Kevin Pucetas to minor league contracts, and both will be in minor league camp this spring. 

Feierabend (pronounced FEAR-bin), 27, had 25 games/19 starts with Seattle from 2006-08, his only big league action.  He had 8 starts for Louisville (AAA) in the Reds system last year, this after being released by Philadelphia in March, and also made 18 starts for York in the independent Atlantic League.  He was 9-5 with a 2.71 ERA (34 ER/113.0 IP) for York, ranking third in the Atlantic League in ERA.  He also made 6 starts for Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League, going 0-1 with a 3.26 ERA (11 ER/30.1 IP) in 6 starts with 4 walks and 19 strikeouts.  He was originally selected by the Mariners in the third round of the 2003 June draft.

Pucetas, 28, combined to go 8-6 with a 3.70 ERA (43 ER/104.2 IP) in 29 games/13 starts for Harrisburg (AA) and Syracuse (AAA) in the Washington system in 2012.  He was originally selected by San Francisco in the 17th round of the 2006 June draft and also pitched for Omaha (AAA) in the Kansas City organization in 2011.  Pucetas is still seeking his big league debut.