Reds sign Strange-Gordon to minor-league contract

The Cincinnati Reds signed second baseman Dee Strange-Gordon to a minor-league contract, the team announced Monday. The deal includes an invitation to major-league spring training.

Strange-Gordon is a two-time All-Star and three-time stolen-base champion, but he's coming off a dismal season with the Seattle Mariners that saw him post a career-worst .482 OPS with just one extra-base hit and three steals over 82 plate appearances.

The 32-year-old is a lifetime .286/.319/.360 hitter across parts of 10 seasons while his 333 stolen bases are the most among active players.

Strange-Gordon will now try and win a spot on Cincinnati's bench as a versatile utility player, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. He initially came up to the majors as a shortstop - a position of need for the Reds - but hasn't played there regularly since switching to second base in 2013. Seattle also tried him briefly in left field last year.

Cincinnati has been searching for a shortstop all winter but has started compiling infield depth after missing out on some bigger-name targets in both free agency and trades.