The Rangers have signed right-hander Aaron Heilman to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A, reports Anthony Andro of FOXSportsSouthwest.com (on Twitter). The Mariners released the Frontline Sports client over the weekend.
Heilman spent the first half of the 2011 campaign with the Diamondbacks, who released him in July after he posted a 6.88 ERA with 8.4 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 28.5% ground ball rate in 35 1/3 innings. He later signed minor league deals with the Phillies and Pirates, but didn't pitch at the Major League level after July 15th. One fifth of fly balls against him left the yard in 2011, a major reason for his unsightly ERA.