CLEVELAND, Ohio – Josh Tomlin ended last season as the most tenured Indians player on the roster. On Thursday the free agent right-hander signed a minor league deal with Milwaukee.

The Indians drafted Tomlin in the 19th round in 2006. He pitched parts of eight seasons with the Indians, going 61-53 with a 4.77 ERA in 183 games.

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported that Tomlin will earn $1.25 million if he makes the big-league club and can make another $2.5 million in incentives based on innings pitched. The deal was later confirmed by cleveland.com.

Tomlin opened last season in the rotation, but couldn’t keep the ball in the park. He went 2-5 with a 6.14 ERA and allowed 25 homers in 70 1/3 innings for the season. First, he lost his spot in the rotation to Adam Plutko. Then rookie Shane Bieber replaced Plutko.

He spent the rest of the season in the bullpen, minus a six-week stay on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring.

Tomlin, in a three-year span from 2015 through 2017, went 30-20 with a 4.37 ERA in 65 starts and one relief appearance. In those three years he struck out 284 batters and walked 42 in 380 2/3 innings.

In that stretch Tomlin still allowed homers, but most of them came with the bases empty. Tomlin, throughout his career, has been able to counter the home run by the fact that he’s averaged just 1.332 walks per nine innings.

Last year he walked only 12 batters, but even that couldn’t save him as he allowed 92 hits. The 25 homers Tomlin allowed were the most in MLB history by a pitcher with fewer than 75 innings in a season.

In 2016, when the Indians reached Game 7 of the World Series, Tomlin saved a battered rotation by going 1-0 in the ALDS against Boston and 1-0 in the ALCS against Toronto. In the World Series against the Cubs, Tomlin pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in a 1-0 win in Game 3. He was the losing pitcher in Game 6.

The Indians had 12 players file for free agency at the end of last season. Tomlin, Michael Brantley (Houston), Cody Allen (Angels), Andrew Miller (St. Louis), Lonnie Chisenhall (Pittsburgh), Brandon Guyer (White Sox), Rajai Davis (Mets) and Josh Donaldson (Atlanta) signed elsewhere.

Lefty Oliver Perez and outfielder Brandon Barnes are the only free agents to re-sign with the Tribe. Free agents Melky Cabrera and Adam Rosales are still unsigned.