As a result of offseason acquisition Alex Gonzalez‘s season-ending, torn ACL, the Milwaukee Brewers have signed former Houston Astros starting shortstop Tommy Manzella to a minor league deal, per Ken Rosenthal.
Manzella will provide some infield depth for the Brewers, and it is depth that they sorely needed due to this injury.
In 2010. while with the Houston Astros, the right-handed hitter was the team’s Opening Day starter and received his only season with a significant amount of playing time.
In those 282 plate appearances, Tommy Manzella was a disappointment and was worth -0.6 WAR. He struck out 25.2% of the time with a meager 4.6 BB% and a low .225 batting average despite a normal BABIP. He finished the season with a .225/.267/.264 triple slash that yielded a .238 wOBA and a poor 42 wRC+. Manzella’s defense, however, was only slightly below average, and he evened it out with some slightly above average base-running.
The 29-year-old shortstop posted average numbers in the minors in the seasons precluding 2010, but he struggled in AAA with the Houston Astros. Manzella finished the year with a 68 wRC+ as a minor leaguer in a thoroughly disappointing season and was released afterwards.
The Arizona Diamondbacks picked him up off of waivers, but they did not receive much production out of him in nearly 70 AAA PAs.
It is doubtful that Manzella will make the MLB roster unless if another injury falls upon a Brewers infielder, but he does have experience starting in the Majors and provides decent, “extra” depth.
Be sure to check out all of Call to the Pen’s transaction breakdowns for the 2011-12 offseason. You can follow Call to the Pen on Twitter at @FSCalltothePen or like us here on Facebook.
Follow Joe Soriano on Twitter here. Check out Reviewing the Brew for everything about the Milwaukee Brewers.