Angels sign Gosselin to Minor League deal
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ANAHEIM -- The Angels bolstered their infield depth on Tuesday by signing veteran infielder Phil Gosselin to a Minor League deal. Gosselin also received an invitation to Major League Spring Training.
Gosselin, 32, has played parts of eight seasons in the Majors with the Braves, D-backs, Pirates, Rangers, Reds and Phillies. He's a career .261/.314/.361 hitter in 359 games and has experience at all four infield spots and both corner outfield spots, although he¡¯s best as a second baseman. He batted .250/.324/.402 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 39 games with Philadelphia last year.
Gosselin will compete for a job as a backup infielder along with Franklin Barreto, Luis Rengifo and Robel Garc¨ªa, among others. Matt Thaiss could also be in that mix as well as Kean Wong, who is a non-roster invitee to camp. Of that group, Barreto is the only one who is out of Minor League options, which could give him a leg up if the competition is close at the end of camp.
The starting infield is set with Anthony Rendon at third, Jos¨¦ Iglesias at shortstop, David Fletcher at second base, and a combination of Jared Walsh and Albert Pujols at first base. There remains a chance the club will carry two backup infielders despite the platoon situation at first base.
Gosselin is one of several non-roster invitees with Major League experience, joining Wong, catcher Juan Graterol, reliever Junior Guerra, and outfielders Juan Lagares and Scott Schebler.