Brewers sign Neal Cotts to one-year, $3 million contract

The Brewers have agreed to sign lefty Neal Cotts to a one-year, $3 million contract, as first reported by Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. As Rosenthal reported, Cotts has already passed his physical with the team, so his multiple hip surgeries over the years will not have an impact on the deal.

Cotts, 34, found success with the Rangers over the last two seasons, posting a 2.84 ERA in 131 games since being signed by the team during spring training in 2012. The southpaw will join Will Smith as the only lefties in a Brewers' bullpen that is expected to keep adding before spring training, with trade candidate Jonathan Papelbon and free-agent Francisco Rodriguez among the options that the team is considering.

In parts of nine major-league seasons with the White Sox (2003-2006), Cubs (2007-2009) and Rangers (2013-2014), Cotts is the owner of a lifetime 20-24 record and 4.05 ERA in 415 appearances (5 starts). His best season came in 2013 with Texas, when he posted a 1.11 ERA in 57 innings out of the Rangers' bullpen.