Phillies add Gonzalez to Infield Mix
With the start of spring training one week away, the Phillies finally have a full 40-man roster.
Infielder Alex S. Gonzalez put the Phillies at their roster limit when he agreed to a one-year contract Wednesday. He will make $750,000, according to the Associated Press.
The 32-year-old Gonzalez played for Tampa Bay last season, hitting .269 with nine home runs and 38 RBIs in 109 games. He started 97 games for the Devil Rays, 91 at third base.
Gonzalez is expected to compete with Abraham Nunez for playing time behind third baseman David Bell and shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Nunez signed with the Phillies during the offseason after spending last year with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Gonzalez has also played for the Blue Jays, Cubs, Expos and Padres during his 12-year career. He has a .975 career fielding percentage, seventh-best among active shortstops.
''This is a guy that has had a lot of success at the major league level as an everyday player,'' Phillies general manager Pat Gillick said in a statement released by the team. ''He's a professional who will add some much-needed depth to our infield and provide a strong right-handed bat off our bench.''
Gonzalez's signing gives the Phillies a glut of reserve infielders. Tomas Perez and Matt Kata will join Nunez and Gonzalez in the competition for playing time this spring.
Gonzalez's arrival could end Perez's six-year run with the Phillies. Perez hit just .233 last year with no home runs and 22 RBIs while playing in 94 games.
Perez and Kata are both expected to have a chance to earn a roster spot by playing some outfield during spring training. The Phillies currently have only one backup outfielder, Shane Victorino, after trading Jason Michaels to the Indians for setup man Arthur Rhodes last month.
The Phillies also announced that catcher John Vanden Berg will join them in spring training as a non-roster invitee. He will replace catcher Tim Gradoville, who won't be in major league came because of what the Phillies called ''a minor medical issue.''
Vanden Berg, 26, was selected by the Phillies in the Triple-A part of the December Rule 5 Draft.
Posted at 01:45 pm by totototblog
