Signed RHP Baby-Faced Assassin and RHP Steve Karsay to minor-league contracts; Invited them to Spring Training.
While both guys will be recognized by even casual Tribe fans because of their connection with past Indian clubs, neither reliever is a good bet to be an integral part of the 2006 Indians bullpen, for different reasons.
Danny Graves, although he's been given the mantle of Proven Closer, has for the most part been a bad pitcher since 2003. His performance against the Indians last season was the last straw for the Reds; it earned him a ticket to the waiver wire. He finished the season in New York posting marginally better numbers. He allowed 20 walks and 59 hits in 38.2 IP. That's not good.
Steve Karsay has pitched a grand total of 28.1 major-league innings since 2002. His brief stint with the Rangers in 2005 was awful; he allowed 26 hits in 15.2 IP. Now I have a bit more confidence in Karsay turning it around, because his issues have been almost entirely injury-related; Graves' problems have been pitching-related.
I'd be loathe to make comparisons between Steve Karsay and Bob Howry or Scott Sauerbeck, though. Howry and Sauerbeck were coming off single arm injuries costing them a season to a season-and-a-half; Karsay is coming off multiple arm injuries costing him almost four seasons.
But hey, they're just minor-league deals.
And I've just written four paragraphs about them.