Rangers sign five players to minor league contracts

As the off-season starts to sizzle, the Texas Rangers have signed five players to minor league contracts. According to Fox Sports Southwest writer Anthony Andro, the Rangers signed P Neal Cotts, C Juan Apodaca, OF Jim Aducci, OF Aaron Cunningham and P Yonata Ortega.

Of the five, Cotts and Cunningham are the only players with experience in the majors. Cotts won a World Series as a member of the Chicago White Sox, where he spent four seasons before heading across town to the Cubs for three more. The left-hander has a 4.63 ERA over 256.1 career innings, but hasn't seen the big leagues since 2009. He spent 2012 in Round Rock, the Rangers AAA squad where he appeared in 25 games and compiled a 4.55 ERA. Cunningham bounced Oakland, San Diego, and Cleveland, never earning a starting job. The outfielder had 109 plate appearances for the Indians last season.

Apodaca has been at the AA and AAA level for Cleveland, Boston and Chicago since 2008 but has yet to appear in the majors. Fellow former Cubs farm hand James Adduci has a similar story, having spent the last six seasons with Chicago. Ortega, a righty from the Dominican Republic, spent seven seasons in the Diamondbacks organization before being released at the end of the 2012 season.