Cowtipper
01-16-2009, 03:59 PM
CLEVELAND -- One can only suspect the Indians bought their Spring Training invitations in bulk.
Two more invitees were announced on Friday, as right-handers Matt Herges and Jack Cassel have been signed to Minor League contracts. As previously reported, right-handed reliever Vinnie Chulk was signed to a Minor League deal with an invite to big league camp on Thursday, though that deal hasn't been officially announced by the club yet.
Herges might be in the mix for the Indians' seventh and final bullpen spot. The 38-year-old has appeared in 537 Major League games for the Dodgers, Expos, Padres, Giants, Diamondbacks, Marlins and Rockies. Interestingly, he is one of just two players -- Steve Finley being the other -- to have played on every team within a five-team division. Finley also played for every team in the National League West.
A product of Illinois State University, Herges spent the entire 2008 season with the Rockies. In 58 appearances, he went 3-4 with a 5.04 ERA. His 46 strikeouts were his most since striking out 50 in 2002, while with the Expos. Herges went on the disabled list from Aug. 20-Sept. 2 with lower back stiffness.
In 364 Minor League games, including 59 starts, Herges has gone 38-46 with a 4.35 ERA.
Cassel, 28, has quite a bit less big league experience on his résumé. He's appeared in 15 games, including seven starts, over parts of two seasons with the Padres and Astros. In those 15 games, he went 2-2 with a 4.92 ERA in 53 innings pitched.
In seven seasons in the Minors, Cassel has gone 42-48 with a 4.04 ERA. The Astros recalled him from Triple-A Round Rock four times last season, and he went 1-1 with a 5.64 ERA in nine games, including three starts, for Houston. With Round Rock, he went 9-5 with a 3.65 ERA in 19 games, including 17 starts.
Cassel is the older brother of Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel.
With Herges, Cassel and Chulk in the mix, the Indians have now extended 19 non-roster invitations to big league camp. Nine of those invitations went to players from within the organization, with the other 10 coming from the outside.
http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090116&content_id=3747041&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle
Two more invitees were announced on Friday, as right-handers Matt Herges and Jack Cassel have been signed to Minor League contracts. As previously reported, right-handed reliever Vinnie Chulk was signed to a Minor League deal with an invite to big league camp on Thursday, though that deal hasn't been officially announced by the club yet.
Herges might be in the mix for the Indians' seventh and final bullpen spot. The 38-year-old has appeared in 537 Major League games for the Dodgers, Expos, Padres, Giants, Diamondbacks, Marlins and Rockies. Interestingly, he is one of just two players -- Steve Finley being the other -- to have played on every team within a five-team division. Finley also played for every team in the National League West.
A product of Illinois State University, Herges spent the entire 2008 season with the Rockies. In 58 appearances, he went 3-4 with a 5.04 ERA. His 46 strikeouts were his most since striking out 50 in 2002, while with the Expos. Herges went on the disabled list from Aug. 20-Sept. 2 with lower back stiffness.
In 364 Minor League games, including 59 starts, Herges has gone 38-46 with a 4.35 ERA.
Cassel, 28, has quite a bit less big league experience on his résumé. He's appeared in 15 games, including seven starts, over parts of two seasons with the Padres and Astros. In those 15 games, he went 2-2 with a 4.92 ERA in 53 innings pitched.
In seven seasons in the Minors, Cassel has gone 42-48 with a 4.04 ERA. The Astros recalled him from Triple-A Round Rock four times last season, and he went 1-1 with a 5.64 ERA in nine games, including three starts, for Houston. With Round Rock, he went 9-5 with a 3.65 ERA in 19 games, including 17 starts.
Cassel is the older brother of Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel.
With Herges, Cassel and Chulk in the mix, the Indians have now extended 19 non-roster invitations to big league camp. Nine of those invitations went to players from within the organization, with the other 10 coming from the outside.
http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090116&content_id=3747041&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle