Looking to augment their depth on the left side of the infield, the St. Louis Cardinals signed utility fielder Ramon Vazquez.
The minor-league deal comes with an invitation to spring training. GM John Mozeliak confirmed the deal, which was reported earlier in the afternoon here at StlToday.com.
Vazquez, 34, spent all of 2010 in Class AAA with two different organizations. Overall, he hit .257 with a .330 on-base percentage and a .363 slugging percentage. Vazquez had 14 doubles and 17 RBIs in 51 games split between Tacoma and Round Rock. Vazquez played 101 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009, and he has appeared in nearly 700 games during his nine-year big-league career.
A shortstop by trade, the lefthanded-hitting Vazquez has also played more than 200 big-league games at third base and he's played 165 games at second base.
The Cardinals have been on the lookout for depth on the left side of the infield as third baseman Dave Freese recovers from ankle surgeries. The team does not have a surefire backup at third base on the 40-man roster, with minor-league infielders Daniel Descalso and Tyler Greene offering the most-obvious options. Outfielder Allen Craig, who climbed the minors as a third baseman, will see ample playing time during spring training at the corner.
Vazquez started 39 games on the left side of the infield for Pittsburgh in 2009. From 2007 to 2008, Vazquez started 120 games at third base for the Texas Rangers, where he hit .260 with a .402 slugging percentage in 600 at-bats over those two seasons.
Derrick Gould
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