The Phillies have inked right-hander Kyle Kendrick to a two-year, $7.5 million contract, covering the 2012 and 2013 seasons.  Assistant General Manager Scott Proefrock announced  the news today.

The contract includes performance and awards bonuses.

Kendrick, 27, went 8-6 with a 3.22 ERA in 34 games (15 starts) for the Phillies last year. He shuttled between the rotation and the bullpen all season while reaching career bests in ERA and games. In 18 games against the NL East, he went 5-2 with a 2.14 ERA.

Last month, the Phillies and Kendrick had avoided the salary-arbitration process by agreeing to a one-year contract for the 2012 season.

Originally selected by the Phillies in the seventh round of the 2003 draft, Kendrick has a career record of 43-30 with a 4.41 ERA in 127 games (98 starts) in parts of five seasons (2007-11), all with Philadelphia.

Our Take: Kendrick is a nice swing man, who can be a spot starter and give you multiple innings in relief.  While $7.5 million is a bit more then I would like to pay for Kendirck, he is still a guy we see making the big league roster and getting used mostly out of the pen.

More From 97.3 ESPN