Twins sign Colon to minor league deal

MINNEAPOLIS — Bartolo Colon is getting another chance with the Minnesota Twins.

The 44-year-old pitcher is set to join his 10th major league club after the Twins signed the former American League Cy Young Award winner and four-time All-Star to a minor league contract on Friday.

“When he came off the roster he certainly had garnered some interest from a handful of clubs and we chatted with his agent about potentially providing pitching depth for us,” Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said Friday. “We feel like, certainly, with some of our needs at the back of the rotation and otherwise that we felt, ‘Let’s get him in, get him on a minor league deal, get him a chance to pitch down in Rochester and we’ll see from there.”

Colon was released by the Atlanta Braves on July 4 after joining the team on a one-year, $12.5 million deal last November. He went 2-8 with an 8.14 ERA in 13 starts with the team and was designated for assignment on June 29.

He was the oldest active major league player entering this season.

“We talked with his agent, and he felt like there were some things he was doing that were uncharacteristic for him, from a command stand point,” Falvey said. “He’s confident. He said he feels just as good as he’s been the last couple years, so hopeful we can see some of that rebound with a fresh start.”

A 20-year veteran, Colon owns a 235-170 record with a 4.02 ERA and 2,407 strikeouts over 522 career outings (513 starts).

Colon spent the first five-plus seasons of his career with the Cleveland Indians from 1997 to 2002 before going on to pitch for the Montreal Expos, Chicago White Sox, Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, New York Mets and Braves.

His Cy Young season came with the Angeles in 2005, winning a career-high 21 games opposite eight losses and posting a 3.48 ERA and 157 strikeouts in 33 starts.