The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has signed INF/OF SHELLEY DUNCAN to a free agent minor league contract. The contract includes a non-roster invitation to Major League spring training camp.

Duncan, 30, earned International League MVP honors in 2009, batting .277 (125-for-452) with 85 runs, 30 doubles, 1 triple, an IL-record 30 home runs and 99 RBI in 123 games with the Triple-A Scranton Yankees.  He led the IL in runs, homers, RBI and extra-base hits (61), ranking second in slugging percentage (.546), T10th in doubles and 3^rd in OPS (.916).  After the season he was named a Topps Triple-A All-Star, Topps IL Player of the Year and was a mid-season and post-season IL All-Star selection. He appeared in 79 games in right field and 5 games at first base.   He also appeared in 11 games for the New York Yankees in September (.200, 3-15, 1RBI).  

He owns a minor league career average of .258 (854-3314) with 201 2B, 170HR & 599RBI in 905 games and a big league career mark of .219 (32-146, 8HR, 24RBI) in 68 games with the Yankees from 2007-09.  He was New York’s second round pick in the 2001 draft out of the University of Arizona.

The club has also signed OF AUSTIN KEARNS to a free agent minor league contract. The contract includes a non-roster invitation to Major League spring training camp.

Kearns, 29, owns a Major League career batting average of .256 (737-2879) with 155 doubles, 105 home runs, 422 RBI, 385 walks and a career on-base % of .353 in 542 games with the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals since 2002.  The Lexington, KY native was the 7^th overall pick of the Reds in 1998.  His 2009 season with Washington was cut short due to a right thumb injury in August, appearing in 80 games for the Nationals prior to the injury (.195, 34-174, 3HR, 17RBI, 32BB, .336 on-base %).   His best season came in 2006 between the Reds and Nationals where he hit a combined .254 (142-537) with 33 2B, 24HR & 86RBI in 150 games (.363OB %).