Brewers ink Duke to Minors deal with spring invite

The Brewers added potential depth to their bullpen Wednesday by agreeing to a Minor League deal with veteran left-hander Zach Duke and inviting him to Spring Training.

Duke, who turns 31 in April, has spent nine years in the Majors, all in the National League. He is 50-76 with a 4.57 ERA in 215 games (169 starts) for the Pirates, D-backs, Nationals and Reds.

Duke worked primarily as a starter with the Pirates before shifting to the bullpen after leaving Pittsburgh in 2010. He was 1-2 with a 6.03 ERA in 26 games, including one start, last season for the Nationals and Reds.

Duke will compete for a spot in a Brewers bullpen that offers opportunity. At the moment, the club has only two active left-handed pitchers on the 40-man roster: Tom Gorzelanny and Will Smith. Gorzelanny is ticketed for one of team's bullpen openings, but Smith will be evaluated first as a starter.

Thanks for all the messages. I am thankful and excited for another baseball season and another new adventure.

- Zach Duke (@zach_duke) January 15, 2014