GOODYEAR http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-marcell-ozuna-jersey , Ariz. (AP) — designated him for assignment in November. The utility player has wound up with a team from his home state, getting a chance to earn a role off the bench.Dietrich agreed to a minor league deal on Tuesday with the Cincinnati Reds, who plan to carry four players on the bench. The 29-year-old Dietrich will get an opportunity to win one of those spots in camp.His versatility made him attractive to the Reds, who could use another reserve infielder. Dietrich also has played outfield.“One of his strengths is he can move around. He can play second base. He plays some first base, third base, corner outfield,” manager David Bell said. “I’ve seen him play a lot, but we haven’t mapped out plan for what positions he is going to play. We will move him around enough he’ll be able to adapt.”Dietrich grew up in the Cleveland area. His grandfather, Steve Demeter, played for the Tigers and the Indians in 1959-60. Cleveland is only a four-hour drive from Cincinnati, which made the opportunity more attractive.“Maybe I can go home on an off-day,” he said.Houston drafted him in the third round in 2007 out of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, but he chose to play baseball at Georgia Tech. Tampa Bay drafted him in the second round in 2010 and traded him to the Marlins in 2012 for Yunel Escobar. He made his major league debut a year later.Dietrich appeared in a career-high 149 games last season Miles Mikolas Jersey , batting .265 with a career-high 16 homers and 45 RBIs. He played 97 games in left field, 33 at first base, and split the rest of his time between second base, third base, right field and DH.“I’ve made a profession being able to play all over the diamond,” he said. “I’m sure that’s how I’m going to be utilized initially here.”The Reds’ starting infield is set with first baseman Joey Votto, second baseman Scooter Gennett, shortstop Jose Peraza and third baseman Eugenio Suarez. Dietrich is among a group that includes Alex Blandino, Blake Trahan, Christian Colon, Kyle Farmer and Connor Joe competing for bench spots.As spring training approached and Dietrich didn’t have a job, he wasn’t sure what possibilities would open. He was glad to get an offer from the Reds that includes a $2 million base salary and up to $500,000 in performance bonuses if he makes the major league team. He got $2.9 million with the Marlins last season.“It was a little unexpected Bud Norris Jersey , anytime you go through something new,” Dietrich said. “For me, it was staying ready, being patient and finding the best fit. I’m happy to be here. I’m playing in my home state for the first time.” Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred placed some of the blame for why Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout isn't a more marketable player on the All-Star himself.ESPN.com shared Manfred's comments, which suggested Trout doesn't spend as much time marketing himself off the field as he could:"Player marketing requires one thing for sure -- the player. You cannot market a player passively. You can't market anything passively. You need people to engage with those to whom you are trying to market in order to have effective marketing. We are very interested in having our players more engaged and having higher-profile players and helping our players develop their individual brand. But that involves the player being actively engaged.Mike's a great, great player and a really nice person, but he's made certain decisions about what he wants to do and what he doesn't want to do, and how he wants to spend his free time and how he doesn't want to spend his free time. That's up to him. If he wants to engage and be more active in that area, I think we could help him make his brand really, really big. But he has to make a decision that he's prepared to engage in that area. It takes time and effort."Trout has a number of things going for him in terms of his marketability, not the least of which is his once-in-a-generation type of talent.He is a mere 26 years old and is already a two-time MVP, seven-time All-Star, Rookie of the Year http://www.stlouiscardinalsteamshop.com/authentic-jason-motte-jersey , two-time All-Star Game MVP and five-time Silver Slugger. He drilled a home run during Tuesday's All-Star Game, helping the American League win its sixth straight in the annual showdown.Trout already has 25 home runs this season, marking the seventh straight year he reached that total. He also plays in a big market and was visible to a national audience during Tuesday's contest when he conducted an interview with the Fox broadcasters while playing the field.Despite his immense talent and a career that has put him on a sure path to the Hall of Fame, a number of features have delved into the question of why isn't he a bigger star, pointing to factors such as the long schedule, the lack of transcendent stars in baseball compared to other sports and his satisfaction in simply showing up to the park and dominating on the field.For his part, Trout said "I got to pick and choose when I want to do things" outside of the game, per ESPN.com.One thing holding Trout back from a bigger national presence is the fact that his Angels have made the playoffs just once during his career and were promptly swept in the first round in 2014. The playoffs are when household names in local markets play in the biggest moments in front of larger audiences, and he hasn't had the opportunity to consistently do so.That doesn't seem likely to change this year either with his Angels sitting at 49-48 and in fourth place in the American League West.Trout remains a singular force on the field, but the commissioner believes he can do more to market himself even if his team appears set to fall short of the playoffs yet again. « The 5-foot-7 speedster has resurfaced withTo which one user with twitchy Twitter fingers fired off » Weitere Artikel der Kategorie Allgemein |
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