Infielder Luis Rodriguez signed a minor league free agent contract with the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, ending his stay with the Tacoma Rainiers.
Rodriguez had an excellent season for Tacoma in 2012, batting .296 with 12 home runs. He walked (50) more than he struck out (41), posting a .389 on-base percentage.
However, he did not get called up by the Mariners last season – a big disappointment for a player who has spent much of the previous six years in the majors. He’s hoping to get back to the majors with the Angels, presumably in a reserve infielder’s role. If that doesn’t happen, we might see him in a Salt Lake Bees uniform.
Rodriguez was expendable as far as the Rainiers and Mariners are concerned.
In the middle infield at the major league level, we’re looking at starters Brendan Ryan and Dustin Ackley, with Robert Andino the new utility infielder.
Here in Tacoma, we have Carlos Triunfel and Nick Franklin switching between second base and shortstop, with more young middle infielders about ready to come up: Brad Miller and Stefan Romero are waiting in the wings.
The Rainiers will miss the bat and quiet leadership of Rodriguez, but we should be set in the middle infield for two seasons moving forward (unless there is a big trade of some sort).
Links:
- Here is a national perspective on the Seattle Mariners, coming from Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
- Ryan Divish has a source that says the Mariners have stopped their pursuit of Nick Swisher. Rumors!
- Fangraphs has their ranking of the Mariners Top 15 prospects.
- As he does every year, Jim Caple runs through the new names on the Hall of Fame ballot in entertaining fashion.
- In the PCL, the Nashville Sounds announced that Mike Guerrero will return as manager in 2013.
- Lorenzo Bundy is back as the Albuquerque Isotopes manager in 2013, but he’ll be bringing in a new hitting coach: former Dukes and Dodgers star Franklin Stubbs.
- It’s common for many snarks (such as myself) to make fun of cartoonish logos of minor league teams. Well, time for the exact opposite: I really like the new palm tree logo for the St. Lucie Mets of the Florida State League.
