Duke signs one-year deal; Carassco, Church non-tendered

The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed Zach Duke to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2012. (It is reported to be worth $3.5M in 2011, $5.5 M mutual option for 2012. It could increase to $7 M based on innings pitched with a buyout o $750,000.)

Duke was traded to the Dbacks last week for a Player to be named later.

“We’re excited,” General Manager Ken Towers said. “He’s a lefty with a lot of experience that’s still in the prime of his career. We think there’s a lot of upside there.”

Duke went 8-15 with a 5.72 ERA in 2010. He is 45-70 with a 4.54 ERA in six seasons with the Pirates.

The Diamondbacks non-tendered reliever D.J. Carrasco and Outfielder Ryan Church on Thursday making them free-agents.

Carrasco and Church were both acquired by the D-backs from the Pirates last July in a deal that sent Catcher Chris Snyder and Infielder Pedro Ciriaco to Pittsburgh.

Carrasco went 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA in 55.2 innings for the Pirates and 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 22.2 innings for the Dbacks,

Church batted .182 with three home runs and 18 RBI in 170 at-bats with the Pirates. He batted .265 with two home runs and seven RBI in 49 at-bats with the Dbacks.