Padres, Villanueva agree to 1-year deal

The San Diego Padres added a versatile veteran to their pitching staff Wednesday, agreeing to one-year, $1.5-million deal with right-hander Carlos Villanueva.

Villanueva, who turned 32 in November, enjoyed an impressive 2015 campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals, crafting a 2.95 ERA (135 ERA+) with a 1.16 WHIP over 35 appearances, while pitching exclusively in relief for the first time since 2010. Over parts of 10 seasons in the majors, Villanueva owns a 4.18 ERA (99 ERA+) across 76 starts and 349 relief appearances, faring much better out of the bullpen than in a starting role.

Barring more changes to the Padres' roster, Villanueva could compete this spring with Robbie Erlin for the fifth spot in San Diego's rotation, or serve as a long/middle reliever in a bullpen that posted the second-worst park-adjusted ERA (108 ERA-) in the National League last summer.