White Sox sign Matt Lindstrom

The White Sox have agreed to a one-year deal with reliever Matt Lindstrom with a club option for 2014, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Monetary details have yet to be disclosed and the deal is still pending a physical.

The 32 year old reliever split the 2012 season between the Baltimore Orioles and the Arizona Diamondbacks, throwing a total of 47 innings with a 2.68 ERA. Baltimore acquired Lindstrom during the 2012 off-season as a part of the trade with Colorado that netted them Jason Hammel for Jeremey Guthrie. The Orioles then sent the righty to Arizona on August 26, for starter Joe Saunders. In six seasons, Lindstrom has a 3.64 ERA over 326 innings pitched. He had been one of the harder throwing players in the game, with an average fastball velocity of 96.3 mph in his career and the ability to occasionally reach 100 mph, but recently he has seen his velocity decline, averaging 94.5 mph on his heater last year.

He will join a White Sox bullpen that ranked seventh in the American League in ERA last season, but could be more dominant next season as youngsters like closer Addison Reed and 2012 innings leader Nate Jones mature. Lindstrom helps give added the White Sox some extra depth and a little more experience in this relatively young bullpen.