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Looking to add depth to a rotation they think can pitch them to the National League Central title, the Milwaukee Brewers have signed veteran right-hander Jeff Weaver to a one-year, incentive-laden contract.
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Though the deal is believed to be for a relatively low base salary, Weaver can earn between $4 million and $5 million, according to sources with knowledge of the contract, if he successfully completes his return to the majors and hits his incentives. The deal includes an out clause if the Brewers don't add Weaver to their major-league roster in June.
The veteran right-hander was 7-13 with a 6.20 ERA in 27 starts for Seattle in 2007, though this deal returns him to the National League -- where he has fared better recently than in the AL.
Weaver was 5-4 with a 5.18 ERA over 15 starts while helping the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals win a World Series (he was 3-2 with a 2.43 ERA over five postseason starts).
Before that, he won 30 games in two-and-a-half seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he worked 220 innings in 2004 and 224 innings in 2005.
"We wanted to take a patient look at this and find the right fit," said Scott Boras, Weaver's agent. "He's been working out at our fitness institute the past two months, and he's ready to go."
Weaver will spend a few days at the Brewers' extended spring training base in Arizona and then is expected to pitch for Triple-A Nashville.
Though the Brewers expect to get a major boost to their rotation this weekend when Yovanni Gallardo returns from the disabled list, they released Claudio Vargas earlier this season and lost Chris Capuano for all of 2008 to a shoulder injury.
