CLEVELAND – Speedy’s outside defender Billy Hamilton has agreed to a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press on Thursday night.
Hamilton, who spent the last season at the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, will also receive an invitation to the major league training camp, the person said on condition of anonymity because the contract cannot be finalized until medical examinations are completed. .
Hamilton, 30, will be added to a congested field competition for Indians, who have been trying to improve a problem area in recent seasons.
Cleveland hired former Minnesota player Eddie Rosario for a $ 8 million one-year contract last week, but he appears to be the only player guaranteed a starting place. On Thursday morning, the Indians and veteran Ben Gamel agreed to a secondary league deal with an invitation to camp.
Hamilton has a career of 0.241 hitting over eight seasons, six with the Cincinnati Reds. He also played for Kansas City and Atlanta.
Hamilton would bring a little speed to the Indians. He stole at least 56 bases for the Reds each season from 2014 to 2017.