Brewers Sign Brian Bruney

The Brewers signed Brian Bruney to a minor league deal, according to Jen Royle of MASN.com (via Twitter). The deal has an opt-out in a month, so Bruney could be a free agent again before long. The Brewers seemed like a natural landing spot for Bruney when the Nationals released him last week. The righty refused a minor league assignment after being designated for assignment. 

Bruney, 28, walked more than a batter per inning in 19 appearances for the Nationals this year. Though he has never been a control pitcher, he had an acceptable walk rate as recently as 2008, when he posted a sub-2.00 ERA for the Yankees. For what it's worth, Bruney's fastball hasn't had as much pep as usual this year; he's averaging 92 mph, down from 94 mph last year.