Cubs Sign Lefthanded Reliever Phil Coke

The Cubs will have another lefthanded reliever in camp, per Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, former Detroit Tigers pitcher Phil Coke:

Source: Coke to #Cubs on minor-league deal.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 5, 2015

Coke turned down at least one major-league offer to take minor-league deal and compete with #Cubs, source says.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 5, 2015

Coke on #Cubs: "They just all made me feel very welcomed and I feel like I have a great opportunity to help this team get to next level."

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 5, 2015

Interesting that he turned down a big-league offer for a non-roster invite to camp. Coke has been an effective lefthander -- at times. At other times he's been a polarizing figure among Tigers fans. He's spent the last five years with the Tigers after a pair of seasons in the Yankees bullpen, posting a 22-26 won-lost record (not that a W/L record really matters anymore, particularly for a lefty reliever), a 4.16 ERA and 1.423 WHIP in 383 appearances covering 398⅓ innings.

Pretty mediocre numbers and overall, he has piled up 2.0 career bWAR in seven seasons.

Can't hurt to have another lefthander in camp, I suppose, but the competition will be pretty tough.