Ex-Twins News: Alexi Casilla Finds A Deal
The former Minnesota Twins second basemen, Alexi Casilla, has spent the past two seasons playing in the Baltimore Orioles organization. After spending parts of seven seasons with the Twins, he continued his career in Baltimore. 2014 saw Casilla spend most of his time down on the farm, and now he has found a new home.
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After moving some pieces around this offseason, the Tampa Bay Rays were in need of some extra depth, and they find it in Alexi Casilla. Signed on a minor league deal with an invite to big league Spring Training, Casilla will compete for a 25 man roster spot.
With the Rays having moved on from players like David Price and Ben Zobrist, as well as watching manager Joe Maddon leave the organization, Tampa Bay will have a significantly different look this season.
Over the past two seasons, Alexi Casilla has only played in 63 games at the major league level, with only one of those coming in 2014. He hit .207/.260/.284 across that time span, while stealing nine bases and scoring 15 runs. Of Casilla’s biggest strengths, his speed is something that is apparent on the basepaths.
For the Rays, Casilla will need to show he is able to provide enough value to contribute at the major league level. Last season at Triple-A Norfolk, Casilla hit .264/.315/.320 in the Orioles organization. He was able to swipe nine bases while scoring 25 runs in 56 games. It would appear to be an uphill battle for Casilla to make an appearance on the Rays 25 man roster, but they could do worse when it comes to organization depth.
The Twins will take on the Rays in their third Spring Training contest on Friday March 6 at 12:05 CST.
Next: 2015 Twins: Looking For A Spring Training Hero