Twins sign Zach Duke to 1-year deal

The Twins have agreed to sign lefty Zach Duke, as first reported by Paul Lambert of KFAN. FanRag’s Jon Heyman reports Duke will receive $2.15 million guaranteed with another $1.5 million available in incentives.

Duke, 34, signed a three-year deal with the White Sox in 2014 before being traded to the Cardinals in July 2016. He underwent Tommy John surgery after the 2016 season, making a remarkable recovery to return to St. Louis in late July, posting a 3.93 ERA and 5.29 FIP in 27 innings of work last season.

In his last full-season action, Duke posted a 2.63 ERA and 2.97 ERA in 61 innings split between the White Sox and Cardinals. The southpaw, who was originally selected as a 20th-round pick of the Pirates in the 2001 draft, owns a lifetime 4.30 ERA in 13 seasons with the Pirates, Diamondbacks, Nationals, Reds, Brewers, White Sox and Cardinals.

Duke was converted to a full-time reliever in 2012 with Washington and has posted successful results as a reliever since. In 299 career appearances out of the bullpen, Duke has posted a 3.14 ERA and 8.5 K/9 in 269 innings of work.

Duke is the second significant bullpen addition of the winter for the Twins, who also added veteran Fernando Rodney on a one-year deal. Minnesota, as it appears now, will enter camp with Rodney, Duke, Trevor Hildenberger, Taylor Rogers, Alen Busenitz and Ryan Pressly in a bullpen that could undergo more change before Opening Day.