Philadelphia Phillies general manager Matt Klentak added to his bullpen depth Thursday by agreeing to a minor-league deal with left-hander James Russell.
The 29-year-old posted a 5.29 ERA and 20 strikeouts across 34 innings last season with the Chicago Cubs. He did not pitch in the postseason after being left off the roster.
Russell spent his first five seasons in the majors with the Cubs, before a trade brought him to the Atlanta Braves for part of the 2014 season. He returned to Chicago in April as a free agent and owns a 3.90 ERA in 330 1/3 career innings.