Marlins sign free agent Jon Rauch to one-year contract

MIAMI – The Miami Marlins today announced the signing of free-agent right-handed pitcher Jon Rauch to a one-year contract. The announcement was made by Marlins President of Baseball Operations Larry Beinfest.

Rauch, 34, is a 10-year Major League veteran who has spent parts of six seasons in the National League East. He is coming off a 2012 campaign in which he went 3-7 with a 3.59 ERA (57.2 IP/23 ER) in 73 appearances for the New York Mets, with four saves and 42 strikeouts to 12 walks.

The 6-foot, 11-inch Rauch has posted an ERA below 3.61 in three of his last four seasons, appearing in 260 games over that span. That includes a 3.12 (57.2/20) mark for Minnesota in 2010, when he went 3-1 and converted a career-high 21 saves.

For his career, Rauch is 42-38, 3.80 in 541 games (11 starts) with the Chicago White Sox (2002, 2004), Montreal/Washington (2004-08), Arizona (2008-09), Minnesota (2009-10), Toronto (2011) and the Mets (2012); he also has 62 saves in 93 chances. Since becoming a full-time reliever in 2006, Rauch leads the Majors in appearances (507) and relief wins (34).

To make room for Rauch on the 40-man roster, the Marlins designated OF Bryan Petersen for assignment.