Angels ink J. Guerra to Minor League deal

ANAHEIM -- The Angels have signed right-handed reliever Javy Guerra, the onetime Dodgers closer, to a Minor League contract with a Spring Training invite.
Guerra was a fourth-round Draft pick by the Dodgers out of high school in 2004 and posted a 2.45 ERA with 29 saves from 2011-12. Injuries to his knee, shoulder and oblique caught up to him in 2013, prompting Guerra to spend most of the season in the Minor Leagues and then get claimed off waivers by the White Sox in March 2014.
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The 30-year-old enjoyed another nice season that year, finishing with a 2.91 ERA despite a 1.90 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 42 appearances. But Guerra took another step back in 2015, landing on the disabled list early in the year with right shoulder inflammation and then serving a 50-game suspension over a second positive test for a drug of abuse while in the Minor Leagues.
Guerra -- who uses mostly a mid-90s fastball and high-80s cutter -- will join an assortment of relievers vying for up to four bullpen spots when Angels camp opens Feb. 19.
Closer Huston Street, setup man Joe Smith and middle reliever Fernando Salas are locked in, while the likes of Mike Morin, Jose Alvarez, Al Alburquerque, Cory Rasmus, Cam Bedrosian, Deolis Guerra, Christian Friedrich, Rob Rasmussen, A.J. Achter, Lucas Luetge, Ramon Ramirez and Guerra are vying for the rest. Alvarez, Friedrich, Rasmussen and Luetge throw left-handed.