The Cincinnati Reds signed first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training Monday, increasing their number of non-roster invitees to camp to 10.
The Reds were one of three teams, along with Cleveland and Oakland, who didn’t sign a free agent to a Major League contract prior to the Dec. 2 lockout. Teams are not permitted to make moves on their 40-man roster during the lockout and they are limited to minor league transactions.
Bauers, a left-handed hitter, played 115 games in the Majors last season with Cleveland and Seattle, but he was considered a minor league free agent because he cleared waivers and was outrighted off Seattle’s 40-man roster in October.