Hot Stove: Minor Moves
Phillies Sign a Catcher
Just before the news of Carlos Ruiz‘s 25-game suspension broke, Jim Salisbury Tweeted the Minor League signing of 33-year old Venezuelan catcher Humberto Quintero. Quintero will likely compete for an Opening Day roster spot with fellow catchers Steven Lerud, who cleared waivers earlier this offseason, and Sebastian Valle, who, as a member of the 40-man roster, has a small chance of making the roster out of camp. Quintero is a ten-year Major League veteran with a .234/.267/.323 triple-slash line and 16 career home runs. This signing won’t set the world on fire but Quintero has a reputation for calling good games behind the plate. He’s likely better than Lerud and it appears as Valle would need some more seasoning before hitting the Big Leagues.
Phillies Bring Back Orr
In a second Tweet, Salisbury broke the news that the Phillies have re-signed infielder Pete Orr to a Minor League deal. Orr hit .315/.327/.444 in 57 PA in 2012 for the Phillies. His biggest hit came on April 24, a bases-clearing triple against Josh Collmenter and the Diamondbacks. Orr was a semi-surprise member of the 2011 and 2012 Opening Day rosters but he has become a fixture within the Phillies organization over the last two seasons. Orr will likely start the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
