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The Washington Nationals have signed relief pitcher Chad Durbin to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. Last year, Durbin landed a Major League contract with the Cleveland Indians in March but struggled for most of the season.
Durbin, 33, has had mixed results in the bullpen over the past four years. After moving to relief pitching full-time in 2008, he posted a 2.87 ERA in 87 innings for the Philadelphia Phillies while proving to be one of their best options in the bullpen. Over the next two seasons in Philly, he wouldn't fare nearly as well, posting a 4.10 ERA over 138 innings.
And in 2011, things kind of fell apart, with home run issues causing his ERA to balloon to 5.53 over 68 innings of work with Cleveland. He's a veteran guy that's had success before with little decline in velocity, though, so interest in having him rebound is understandable.