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White Sox sign Zach Duke to 3-year, $15-million deal

Jerry Lai / USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago White Sox fortified their shaky bullpen Tuesday by signing left-hander Zach Duke to a three-year deal worth $15 million, the team announced.

Duke endured a turbulent decade in the majors before enjoying the finest season of his career in 2014, in which he fashioned a 2.45 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP over a career-high 74 appearances for the Milwaukee Brewers.

“Very early on, we identified Zach as one of the best left-handed free agents available this offseason, so we are very pleased he agreed to join the White Sox,” general manager Rick Hahn said in a statement.  “He addresses an important need in our bullpen by giving Robin Ventura a veteran left-handed option late in games.”

Selected in the 20th round of the 2001 draft, Duke is poised to become the lone southpaw in a bullpen that yielded a 4.38 ERA last season, the third-worst mark in the majors, while posting a league-worst 11.3 percent walk rate.

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