CINCINNATI -- The Reds signed left-handed pitcher Jonathan Sanchez to a Minor League contract on Friday with an invitation to Spring Training as a non-roster player.
Sanchez, 33, is a veteran of eight Major League seasons, but he has not appeared in a big league game since 2013 with the Pirates. He spent '06-11 with the Giants and split the '12 season between the Royals and Rockies. Lifetime, Sanchez has a 39-58 record and 4.70 ERA in 194 games, including 137 starts. In 2009, he threw a no-hitter for San Francisco against the Padres.
"We'll give him an opportunity to see if he can start. If not, he could be a bullpen guy," Reds president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty said Saturday before a Reds Caravan stop in Hamilton, Ohio.
Sanchez has pitched the last two years in his native Puerto Rico, including winter ball this year for Reds Minor League manager Pat Kelly at Mayaguez. In 11 games this winter, including eight starts, he had a 2.72 ERA with 25 hits, 20 walks and 32 strikeouts over 36 1/3 innings.
"Pat called me a couple of months ago and gave me a great report on him. We did some work on it and finally got it done last night," Jocketty said.