The Giants signed RHP Guillermo Mota to a minor league deal and invited him to big league camp.

Mota becomes the third pitcher with big league time to ink a minor league deal with the club in the past 48 hours. But B.K. Kim and Horacio Ramirez will nto be invited to big league camp, a club spokesperson is telling me.

Mota, 36, has a checkered reputation in more ways than one. He tested positive for a performance enhancing substance in November, 2006, and served a 50-game suspension. Heâ€^TMs also got a reputation as a bit of a headhunter. You could ask Mike Piazza about that. Heâ€^TMs charged the mound twice and tried to separate Motaâ€^TMs head from his shoulders, even venturing into the visiting locker room at Port St. Lucie several springs ago.

Still, Mota had a 3.44 ERA in 61 games for the Dodgers last season. He averaged more than an inning per appearance, too. His strikeout rate isnâ€^TMt what it once was, but he still held batters to a .224 average and he actually matched up very well against lefties.

If he makes the club and has a similar year for the Giants, heâ€^TMd be an able replacement for Bob Howry, who signed with the Diamondbacks.

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