The St. Louis Cardinals have added to their stable of roster options for the spring, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that they've signed utility player Eugenio Velez to a minor league contract. The switch-hitter is currently playing in his native Dominican Republic.
Velez, 29, spent last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He looked totally overmatched in the majors, though, going 0-for-37 with two walks in L.A. Velez did much better in Triple-A, hitting .339/.371/.463 with 19 extra-base hits and 6 steals in 55 games in the hitter-friendly environment of Albuquerque.
Over the past couple years, he's spent varying amounts of time at second base, third base and in the outfield, which presumably explains part of his appeal given the premium that teams place on versatility.
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