Angels Sign Middle Reliever Nelson

The Angels signed free-agent middle reliever Gene Nelson to a triple-A contract Wednesday and have invited him to camp as a non-roster player.

Nelson, 32, was 3-1 with a 6.45 earned-run average last season for the Oakland Athletics before being released Aug. 17. In the last two years, Nelson is 4-6 with a 6.64 ERA, yielding 128 hits in only 100 1/3 innings.

Nelson, who made his major league debut May 4, 1981 against the Angels when he was pitching for the New York Yankees, is joining the seventh organization of his 10-year career.