Indians' James Russell: Inks NRI deal with Cleveland

Russell signed a minor league contract with the Indians on Monday that includes an invitation to spring training, Tommy Stokke of FanRag Sports reports.

The deal isn't complete until the left-hander passes a physical, but it seems like he'll be switching leagues with the hopes of returning to the majors. Russell spent the bulk of 2016 with the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley, and he compiled a 4.29 ERA while acting as both a starter and a reliever. He'll compete for a bullpen role out of spring training, but it'll be tough to carve out a niche with Ryan Merritt and Shawn Morimando competing for southpaw spots behind Andrew Miller and Boone Logan in the Tribe's bullpen.