The Chicago Cubs and pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith have agreed to a minor league contract, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. Rowland-Smith didn't pitch in the majors in 2011, but he appeared consistently with the Seattle Mariners from 2007-2010.
In 2011, Rowland-Smith was in the Houston Astros organization. He pitched 104 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City, posting a 6.19 ERA with 87 strikeouts and 41 walks. He was similarly brutal with the Mariners in 2010, posting a 6.75 ERA in 109 innings with Seattle.
He was far better in the previous three years, though, posting a combined 3.62 ERA over 253 innings while splitting time between the bullpen and the starting rotation. The Cubs presumably don't expect much from him, but he's some interesting minor league fodder that could eventually be useful in a variety of roles.
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