Rangers Sign Right-Handed Pitcher

The Texas Rangers are the kings of capitalizing on low-risk, high-reward type guys. They've hit on several of them in recent years since Jon Daniels has taken over as the team's general manager.

On Tuesday, they got another player that falls into that category as they signed right-handed pitcher Kyle McClellan, who has seen major-league time as both a reliever and a starter for the St. Louis Cardinals.

McClellan had elbow and shoulder surgery over the summer and missed the remainder of the 2012 season but is expected to be ready to go when spring training begins next month. He's proven to be a versatile pitcher, another type of player the Rangers like to take fliers on, as he's both started and come out of the bullpen for the Cardinals. The Rangers signed him to a minor-league deal with an invite to major-league spring training, where he is expected to throw out of the bullpen and potentially give the Rangers another arm where they need any fortification they can get right now.

Given his past time as a starter, McClellan could also factor into the competition the club expects to have internally for the fifth starter/spot starter role that was vacated when Scott Feldman left to join the Chicago Cubs. He could join the likes of Robbie Ross and Martin Perez as guys who will internally fill that No. 5 starter role before Colby Lewis is hopefully ready to re-join the club sometime early in the summer after rehabbing from his own arm surgery.

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