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The Reds have signed left-hander Paul Maholm to a minor-league contract, as first reported by CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman. The deal includes an invitation to major-league spring training.
Maholm, 32, spent last season with the Dodgers, posting a 1-5 record and 4.84 ERA in 30 appearances (eight starts) after signing with the team last February. He will likely compete for a back-end rotation spot behind options like Dylan Axelrod, Anthony DeSclafini and David Holmberg, who are all in the mix behind Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey, Mike Leake and Tony Cingrani in the Reds' rotation. Maholm could also serve as a swingman out of the team's bullpen, if they opt to go in another direction in the rotation.
In ten major-league seasons with the Pirates (2005-2011), Cubs (2012), Braves (2012-2013) and Dodgers (2014), Maholm owns a lifetime 77-100 record and 4.30 ERA in 273 appearances (250 starts). His best year came in 2011 with Pittsburgh, when he posted a 3.66 ERA in 26 starts.