The Phillies have signed righty Brandon Duckworth to a minor league contract, reports Matt Gelb of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The deal does not include an invitation to Spring Training, which means the soon to be 34-year-old would likely just provide depth at the Triple-A level.
Duckworth has spent the last three seasons in the Royals' organization, mostly in Triple-A. He last appeared in the majors in 2008, and owns a 5.28 ERA in 511 innings pitched. During the last three years in the minors, Duckworth has posted a 4.98 ERA. Philadelphia originally signed him as an undrafted free agent back in 1997, and he spent six years in their system before moving on to Houston as part of the Billy Wagner trade.
