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Miguel Del Pozo

Pirates Sign Socrates Brito, Miguel Del Pozo, Phillip Evans

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The Pirates have announced a series of minor-league signings. Outfielder Socrates Brito, southpaw Miguel Del Pozo, and infielder Phillip Evans have all received non-roster invitations, as has Hector Noesi, whose signing was previously reported.

Brito was once viewed as a quality prospect but hasn’t shown much in the majors. The 27-year-old carries a lifetime .179/.216/.309 slash in 218 plate appearances at the game’s highest level. But he did turn in a .282/.328/.510 batting line in 428 trips to the dish last year at Triple-A with the Blue Jays organization. New Pittsburgh GM Ben Cherington is well-acquainted with Brito, having come over from Toronto.

The 27-year-old Del Pozo debuted in the bigs last year with the Angels after a mid-season claim from the Rangers. He didn’t exactly stake out a firm claim to a permanent job, allowing 11 earned runs on three long balls with an 11:8 K/BB ratio in 9 1/3 frames. But the southpaw works in the mid-nineties with his heater and delivered 68 strikeouts in 48 2/3 Triple-A innings.

As for Evans, also 27, he touched the bigs in the two prior seasons with the Mets but didn’t make it back in 2019 with the Cubs. He did see steady action with the Chicago organization’s top affiliate, slashing .283/.371/.470 in 539 plate appearances — good for a solid but hardly exceptional 106 wRC+ in the International League.

Angels Outright Five Players

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The Angels announced today that they’ve outrighted five players from their 40-man roster, all of whom elected free agency rather than accepting an assignment to Triple-A. First baseman Justin Bour, righties Nick Tropeano and Luis Garcia, southpaw Miguel Del Pozo, and two-way player Kaleb Cowart are all now on the open market.

It isn’t terribly surprising to see this handful of players sent packing in advance of an offseason that could be laden with change. The three most experienced names bounced from the roster were all eligible for arbitration. MLBTR projected Bour to earn $2.9MM, Garcia to take home $2.3MM, and Tropeano to cost $1.1MM.

That trio fell shy of expectations in 2019, making the salaries untenable. Signed for lefty power, Bour hit just .172/.259/.364 in a Halos uniform. Garcia managed a 4.35 ERA in 62 innings, but carried a suboptimal combination of 8.3 K/9, 4.8 BB/9, and 1.9 HR/9. And Tropeano struggled both in brief MLB action and at Triple-A.

Del Pozo was acquired in August for a trial run, but surrendered 11 earned runs in his first 9 1/3 frames of MLB action. The 27-year-old had shown enhanced strikeout numbers this year at Triple-A, so could be an interesting target. It’s unclear what’s next for Cowart, who attempted to add pitching to his already versatile set of defensive positions. He walked nearly as many batters as he struck out in 17 appearances in the upper minors, working to a cumulative 10.19 ERA.

Angels Select Miguel Del Pozo’s Contract, Option Jose Suarez To Triple-A

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Prior to Sunday’s game, the Angels selected the contract of left-hander Miguel Del Pozo from Triple-A.  Fellow left-hander Jose Suarez was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Del Pozo didn’t pitch in the Angels’ 9-2 victory over the White Sox, so he is still looking for his first official Major League appearance.

Originally signed as an 18-year-old prospect by the Marlins in 2010, Del Pozo spent his entire pro career in Miami’s organization until last offseason, when he was outrighted off the team’s 40-man roster and he chose to become a free agent.  After signing a minors contract with the Rangers, Del Pozo was dealt to Los Angeles earlier this month in a post-deadline trade (allowed since Del Pozo wasn’t on a Major League contract).

Despite his long stretch in the minors, Del Pozo didn’t even pitch at the Triple-A level until this season.  The 26-year-old lefty has a 4.28 ERA, 10.4 K/9, and 2.53 K/BB rate over 332 minor league innings, working out of the bullpen for 191 of his 207 career games.  Del Pozo will join Adalberto Mejia as the only left-handers in the Halos’ righty-heavy pen.

Suarez’s first taste of Major League action wasn’t a smooth one, as the rookie southpaw posted a 6.75 ERA over 53 1/3 innings, starting 11 of his 12 games.  While Suarez managed an 8.9 K/9 and a respectable 2.41 K/BB rate, he was bedeviled by home runs, as Suarez allowed 16 big flies in his brief time in the Los Angeles rotation.

Fangraphs (79th) and Baseball America (97th) each ranked Suarez within their list of the game’s top 100 prospects at the time of his promotion in late May, so his rocky start was something of a letdown for an Angels team that is starved for pitching.  Still, Suarez is only 21 years old and only in his fifth season in pro ball.  His issues may have also stemmed not from inexperience, but from a tendency to tip pitches, manager Brad Ausmus told media (including Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times).

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