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November 03, 2005
Transaction
Texas signed OF Adam Hyzdu, C Jamie Burke, C Nick Trzesniak, P Shane Bazzell, and P Chris Baker to minor-league contracts.
Hyzdu has the most MLB experience. San Francisco drafted him 15th overall in 1990, but he didn’t make his big-league debut until 2000 with Pittsburgh, by then his fifth organization. Hyzdu has some pop (18.6 AB/HR) and a good walk rate that partially compensates for a career batting average of .229. Now 34, he’ll probably fill the Chad Allen role, an AAA outfielder to provide temporary help if someone gets hurt.
Burke drank several cups of coffee with Anaheim and the White Sox, and in 2004 he stayed long enough to bat .333/.386/.408 in 57 games. The catching equivalent of Hyzdu, probably. Trzesniak (there’s a fun word to type) also is a former first-rounder, 51st overall by San Diego in 1999. The 25-year-old batted .380/.430/.519 in 24 games in AAA Portland, but the rest of his minor-league career is underwhelming offensively.
Bazzell is a six-year free agent who decided to return to Texas. He spent 2005 as a swingman in Frisco. Baker joins Texas after seven years in the Toronto system, mostly as a starter, and never with better than a 4.33 ERA in three seasons in AAA.
Posted by Lucas at November 3, 2005 12:42 PM