Ozuna speed and experience could help him make the team.
Infielders Anthony Hewitt, Pablo Ozuna and Jorge Velandia and left-hander Jacob Woods signed minor league contracts and were invited to major league spring training, the Phillies announced today.
Hewitt, 19, was the Phillies’ first-round selection in last year’s draft. In 33 games with the rookie-level Gulf Coast Phillies in 2008, Hewitt batted .197 with seven doubles, one home run and nine RBI.
Ozuna split the 2008 season between the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers, hitting a combined .260 with one home run and nine RBI in 68 games. A member of the 2005 World Champion White Sox, the 34-year-old has a career average of .282 in 309 games for the Florida Marlins (2000, 2002), Colorado Rockies (2003), White Sox (2005-08) and Dodgers (2008).
A native of Venezuela, Velandia split last season between triple-A Syracuse and triple-A Buffalo and batted a combined .233 with three home runs and 20 RBI in 80 games. In seven games with the Cleveland Indians, the 34-year-old hit .375. Velandia has appeared in 174 major league games for the San Diego Padres (1997), Oakland A’s (1998-2000), New York Mets (2000-01, 2003), Tampa Bay Rays (2007) and Indians (2008).
Woods appeared in 15 games for the Seattle Mariners last season, but spent the majority of the year with triple-A Tacoma, where he went 6-1 with one save and a 4.08 ERA in 32 games (two starts). In his major league career, Woods is a combined 8-5 with one save and a 4.60 ERA in 84 games (eight starts) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2005) and Mariners (2006-08).
These additions bring the number of non-roster invitees to spring training to 23 players. The breakdown: right-handed pitchers Yorman Bazardo, Dave Borkowski, Mike Koplove, Justin Lehr, Gary Majewski and Blaine Neal; left-handed Antonio Bastardo pitchers and Woods; catchers Tuffy Gosewisch and Paul Hoover; infielders Mike Cervenak, Ozzie Chavez, Jason Donald, J.J. Furmaniak, Marcus Giles, Hewitt, Ozuna, Terry Tiffee, Andy Tracy and Velandia; and outfielders Jason Ellison, Jeremy Slayden and Chris Walker.
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