Just one day after Vladimir Guerrero signed a contract to play with the Atlantic League's Long Island Ducks, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reports that lefty Dontrelle Willis has signed with the Ducks as well (Twitter link).
Willis signed a minor league deal with the Cubs this offseason and was invited to Major League Spring Training with the team. He experienced discomfort in his left shoulder in his first outing, however, and had to leave the game. Willis walked the only batter he faced that day and was cut by the team at the end of March.
The 31-year-old Willis is a former NL Rookie of the Year and NL Cy Young runner-up. From 2003-06 he posted a 3.44 ERA, 6.7 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 817 1/3 innings for the Marlins. His brilliant Rookie of the Year campaign helped propel the Fish to a World Series victory over the Yankees in 2003.
Willis has just a 5.65 ERA in 404 1/3 innings since 2007, having walked 5.4 batters per nine innings and allowed 446 hits in that time. He retired from baseball last July but elected to make a comeback this offseason. Willis is represented by Sosnick & Cobbe.
