Report: Marlins, Gibbons reach Minors deal

The Marlins potentially added depth to their outfield on Monday, and, at the same time, gave a once-promising young player a chance at a comeback when they signed Jay Gibbons to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Spring Training, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Gibbons, who turns 32 in March, played his first seven years in the Major Leagues with the Orioles, hitting 20-plus home runs in three of those seasons, but hasn't appeared in a game since Aug. 12, 2007.

After an '07 campaign mired by injuries and a Sports Illustrated report linking him to human-growth hormone - which he later admitted to - Gibbons found himself released by the Orioles just days before Opening Day 2008. The previous year, he appeared in just 84 games, batting a career-low .230 with six home runs and 28 RBIs.

After no club signed him, the lefty hitter joined the independent Atlantic League's Long Island Ducks for about a month before signing a Minor League contract with the Brewers. While in Milwaukee's farm system, he hit .308 with five home runs and 17 RBIs in 34 games between Double-A and Triple-A..

-- Alden Gonzalez