Cardinals sign Jerome Williams to minor-league deal

The Cardinals have signed right-hander Jerome Williams to a minor-league deal, general manager John Mozeliak told reporters. The deal will pay Williams $2 million if he makes the major-league roster, according to a baseball source.

Williams underwent achilles surgery this winter, delaying his free-agent signing until today. The 34-year old will provide rotation depth at Triple-A Memphis, providing a potential replacement if the Cardinals decide to promote top prospect Alex Reyes. For the time being, the Cards appear set with a rotation of Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, Mike Leake, Jaime Garcia and Carlos Martinez.

Williams spent last season with the Phillies, posting a 4-12 record and 5.80 ERA in 121 innings with the club. He is a veteran of 10 major-league seasons with the Giants (2003-05), Cubs (2005-06), Nationals (2007), Angels (2011-13), Astros (2014), Rangers (2014) and Phillies (2014-15). In that time, he owns a lifetime 52-66 record and 4.57 ERA in 225 appearances (149 starts).