Arizona Diamondbacks Sign Outfielder/First Baseman Daryle Ward

This signing took place on July 31, so I apologize for my tardiness in reporting it. However, it really piqued my interest.

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed Daryle Ward, who has not played in the major leagues since 2008, to a minor league contract. He was sent to their Double-A team, the Mobile Bay Bears, where he is hitting .333 in three games.

Prior to the signing, Ward was playing for the Newark Bears of the independent Canadian-American Association, with whom he was hitting .312 with 12 home runs and 51 RBI in 57 games.

Ward, an 11-year major league veteran, last played for the Chicago Cubs three years ago. He began his major league career in 1998 for the Houston Astros and has played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves.

He has since toiled in the minor leagues, even spending part of 2009 and all of 2010 in independent baseball.

Ward is one of multiple long-forgotten “former” major league baseball players the Diamondbacks have signed this season. First was Sean Burroughs, who had been out of baseball altogether since 2007.

Then Eddie Rogers—out of the majors since 2006—and Wily Mo Pena—out since 2008—came about.

But it didn’t end there. They signed Robby Hammock and Yhency Brazoban, who both last played in the majors in 2008, in January and June, respectively.

Since Burroughs, Pena and Brazoban have all seen time with the big club this year, it would not be crazy to think that Ward might get an at-bat or two at that level as well.