Phillies Sign Lefty Reliever Steve Kline

Looks like the Phillies have found their second lefty reliever: they signed veteran left-hander Steve Kline to a minor league contract today. Kline, who was released by the San Francisco Giants in early April, is an 11 year veteran who has played with five different teams. He is coming off a mediocre season where he saw his strikeout rates take a dive and his ERA rise up to 4.70. He is a LOOGY, (Lefty One Out GuY) even though he wasn't particularly good against lefties last year.

Kline represents a great low-risk signing. It's the perfect kind of deal for Phils GM Pat "Small Splashes" Gillick. Kline will start out in the minors, and if he can get the job done, he will quickly move up to the big club. If he struggles, then he stays in the minors or the Phillies simply cut bait. These are the types of small moves that don't win championships, but they do build depth and fill holes. Hopefully Kline gets to the majors quickly and Clay Condrey can go back to AAA were he belongs.