PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates signed infielder Nick Franklin to a Minor League contract on Wednesday, adding another versatile defender to their Spring Training roster.
Franklin, 27, will report to big league camp with the Bucs after spending most of last season on the disabled list. The switch-hitting utility man played only one game for the Brewers and 26 games in their Minor League system in 2018. Franklin will compete for a roster spot this spring, likely as a backup or utility infielder.
The Pirates have Josh Bell at first base, Adam Frazier at second, Jung Ho Kang competing with Colin Moran at third, and Erik González likely to share time with Kevin Newman at shortstop. They also have young, Major League-ready backup options around the infield in Kevin Kramer, Pablo Reyes and José Osuna.
Several of the Pirates' top prospects are expected to start the season in the Triple-A Indianapolis infield and could be called up at some point next year: Ke'Bryan Hayes at third base, Cole Tucker at shortstop, Stephen Alemais at second and Will Craig at first.
But Franklin offers versatility, experience and perhaps untapped potential. The Mariners selected him in the first round of the 2009 Draft, 27th overall, and watched him climb up the prospect rankings. He made his Major League debut for Seattle in '13. On July 31, 2014, the Mariners traded him to the Rays as part of the three-team deal that sent David Price to the Tigers.
The Rays designated Franklin for assignment in April 2017, when he was first picked up by the Brewers. But Milwaukee sent him to the Angels later that season, only for the Angels to outright him off their roster. Last February, the Brewers signed Franklin to a Minor League contract and assigned him to Double-A Biloxi to start the season.
Franklin hit well in Double-A, batting .288 with an .835 OPS in 20 games, and the Brewers called him up in early May. In his first game with Milwaukee, Franklin injured his right quad while running to first base on May 8. He played in six games as part of a Minor League rehab assignment in August, but the Brewers removed him from their 40-man roster on Sept. 1.

Franklin is a career .214/.285/.359 hitter with 24 home runs in 301 Major League games. He has made 143 appearances at second base, 37 in left field, 30 at shortstop, 19 at first base, 11 in right field and one at third base.
Koehler signs Minors pact
The Pirates also agreed to terms with right-hander Tom Koehler on a Minor League contract. Koehler, 32, will report to Minor League Spring Training. He is expected to spend most of this season rehabbing after undergoing shoulder surgery last July, but the Pirates can bring him back next season if he returns to full health.
Koehler can earn the prorated portion of $850,000 in the Majors this season with $250,000 available in incentives, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported. The deal includes a club option for 2020 that is worth $1.25 million with an additional $1.25 million in incentives.
Koehler spent most of his career as a starter with the Marlins, but he pitched well out of the Blue Jays bullpen in late 2017. The Dodgers then signed him as a free agent with the intent to make him a full-time reliever, but Koehler's shoulder injury kept him off the mound all of last season.
Overall, Koehler is 36-55 with a 4.39 ERA in 161 career appearances.