Results tagged ‘ Efren Navarro ’
Angels announce Spring Training invites …
The Angels announced 21 non-roster invitees who will be joining those on the 40-man roster in Spring Training. Here’s a look at who’s coming to camp …
Pitchers: Billy Buckner, Kevin Johnson, Tony Pena, Jo-Jo Reyes, A.J. Schugel, Mitch Stetter
Catchers: Jett Bandy, Luke Carlin, Carlos Ramirez, Zach Wright
Infielders: Kaleb Cowart, Brendan Harris, Taylor Lindsey, Efren Navarro, Luis Rodriguez, Eric Stamets, Alex Yarbrough
Outfielders: Randal Grichuk, Trent Oeltjen, J.B. Shuck, Matt Young
* Note that veteran reliever Fernando Cabrera will also be in big league camp when his contract his official.
Here’s the 40-man roster, in case you’re wondering who else is joining them.
Pitchers report Feb. 11, position players report Feb. 14.
– Alden
Getting ready for the Rule 5 Draft …
By 8:59 p.m. PT today, teams must set their 40-man rosters in anticipation for the upcoming Rule 5 Draft. This is when teams choose whether or not to “protect” their eligible players from being taken in that Draft, which takes place at the end of each year’s Winter Meetings (this one being Dec. 6, in Nashville, Tenn.).
For those unfamiliar with the process, here’s a quick primer …
Players who signed after age 18 and have been in the Minors for four years, or players who signed at 18 or younger and have been in the Minors for five years, are eligible to be taken in the Rule 5 Draft if not on the 40-man roster. Now, it’s very rare that teams will find success through the Rule 5 Draft (Josh Hamilton, Johan Santana and Dan Uggla are among very few success stories) because, frankly, there’s a reason players are left exposed despite being in a system so long. Any player taken in the Rule 5 Draft costs $50,000. That player, then, must remain on the drafting team’s active Major League roster during the following season or be offered back to the original club for $25,000.
The Angels’ 40-man roster is currently at 31, so there’s some wiggle room (though the Angels must keep space for all the pitching they want to acquire this offseason). Also, an important side note: Any player who signs a Minor League deal before the Rule 5 Draft can be taken, regardless of his service time. That means each of the players the Angels signed this offseason are eligible if left off. As for guys who have been in their system for a while? Here are some names to watch …
* Travis Witherspoon, a 23-year-old center fielder who hit .268 with a .350 on-base percentage, 13 homers and 34 RBIs in high A and Double-A this season.
* Carlos Ramirez, 24, who posted a .205/.312/.276 slash line in 85 Double-A games. Ramirez, like Witherspoon, played in the Arizona Fall League.
* Orangel Arenas, a 23-year-old right-hander who went 5-11 with a 5.26 ERA in 27 games (24 starts) in Double-A.
* Matt Shoemaker, who’s 26 and went 11-10 with a 5.65 ERA in 29 Triple-A starts.
* Ryan Brasier, a 25-year-old right-handed reliever who posted a 4.37 ERA and 13 saves in 59 2/3 Triple-A innings.
* Efren Navarro, a 26-year-old lefty-hitting first baseman who won a Minor League Gold Glove in 2011 and posted a .294/.336/.403 slash line in Triple-A.
* Matt Long, a 25-year-old lefty-hitting outfielder who posted a .282/.350/.462 slash line with 23 steals in Double-A and Triple-A.
* Jeremy Berg, 26, posted a 3.75 ERA in 74 1/3 innings at Double-A and Triple-A.
– Alden
Angels in Winter Ball …
For now, center fielder Peter Bourjos will not be playing Winter Ball. He was planning on getting some reps for a Dominican team in December, but that fell through. Below are those in the Angels organization who currently are playing. The league in the Dominican Republic runs until Dec. 21, while the ones in Venezuela and Mexico go until Dec. 30. The Caribbean Series — pinning the league champs in the Dominican, Mexico, Venezuela and Puerto Rico — gets going in early February …
AAA RP Ryan Brasier (Mexico)
AAA OF Kole Calhoun (Dominican Republic)
AAA 1B Efren Navarrro (Dominican Republic)
AAA SP Matt Shoemaker (Venezuela)
A+ RP Baudilio Lopez (Venezuela)
RK SP Jairo Diaz (Venezuela)
DOSL RP Alexis Campos (Venezuela)
DOSL C Gabriel Santana (Venezuela)
DOSL OF Luis Tovar (Venezuela)
For updates on the Arizona Fall League and Caribbean Leagues, click here.
– Alden
Day 3: Efren Navarro takes on the winter leagues
Efren Navarro, American-born but of Mexican descent, wanted to hone his craft in the winter leagues this offseason. But he couldn’t get into a Mexican team, so instead, he spent 1 1/2 months playing in the Dominican Republic.
“It was definitely a learning experience,” Navarro said. “The fans. They’re rowdy. The food out there, too, was a little different. It was different. It was good. I actually liked the food out there, the chicken and rice.
Navarro, 25, got his first taste of the big leagues last season via an eight-game stint with the Angels. He kind of had a breakout year in the Minors, batting .317 with 12 homers and 73 RBIs while winning a Gold Glove for Triple-A Salt Lake, but he’s got very little hope trying to crack a roster that has Albert Pujols, Kendrys Morales and Mark Trumbo as first basemen.
That aside, Navarro is just focusing on getting better and letting the chips fall where they may. That included a 27-game stint with the Aguilas, for whom he batted .227 with four homers and 13 RBIs. In the Dominican, Navarro got his first taste of Dominican food (“We ate that, like, every day,” he said), went to a local Chili’s and TGI Friday’s when he wanted American food (yep, they had those there) and was put up in a pretty nice hotel. All good.
Problem?
“When I did a couple interviews out there, they were like, ‘We’re here with the Cuban Efren Navarro,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh, no, I’m Mexican,’” Navarro said. “I actually had a couple of interviews like that — ‘We’re here with the Puerto Rican Efren Navarro.’ ‘Panamanian.’”
Some notes from Wednesday …
- Manager Mike Scioscia has quite the juggling act this spring, with the situations of Trumbo, Morales, Bobby Abreu, Alberto Callaspo and Maicer Izturis all uncertain. How does he plan to juggle it?
- Trumbo was medically cleared for full-on baseball activities.
- More good news: Morales’ progress has been good so far.
- Being a No. 2 hitter should be a pretty sweet gig on the Angels this year. Could the beneficiary be Howie Kendrick?
- Hank Conger quickly learned from Bengie Molina, the veteran catcher who was a guest instructor in Angels camp. Molina taught him Tuesday how to quietly shift his body for certain pitches so hitters don’t notice.
- Jorge Cantu‘s Minor League contract includes a May 1 opt-out.
- I’m doing a live Angels chat on MLB.com at noon MT tomorrow. Stop on by if you get a chance.
- And the Heat open up the unofficial second half against the Trailblazers on TNT.
– Alden







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