Canadian among six players Tigers sign
Right-handed pitcher Phillippe Aumont, who is a Gatineau, Que., native, was among six players signed by the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday.
Detroit also signed catcher Brayan Pena, who spent the 2013 season with the Tigers, infielder Pete Kozma, righthander Orbandy Rodriguez, left-hander Liarvis Breto and outfielder Herlis Rodriguez. All six signed minor-league contracts, with Pena and Kozma invited to the team’s major league spring training camp.
The 29-year-old Aumont was originally a first-round pick by Seattle in 2007. The six-footseven, 240-pound Aumont has appeared in 46 major league games with Philadelphia from 2012-16 where he compiled a 1-6 record with a 6.80 earned run average. Aumont pitched for Ottawa in the Canadian-American Association last season.
The switch-hitting Pena, who turned 36 on Sunday, has appeared in 638 games over 12 seasons in the majors with Atlanta, Kansas City, Detroit, Cincinnati and St. Louis. He batted .297 for Detroit in 71 games in 2013 and has a career average of .259
Kozma, 29, was a first-round pick by St. Louis in 2007. He played parts of five seasons in the majors with St. Louis from 2011-15 and spent time with the New York Yankees and Texas last season. The right-hand hitter has experience at third base, shortstop and second base.
Rodriguez, 29, has appeared in 30 minor league games and was signed as a non-drafted free agent by Arizona in 2008.
Breto, 24, pitched for Rockland in the Canadian-American Association last season. He has appeared in 62 minor league games with a 14-8 record and seven saves.
Rodriguez, 23, played 109 games in Philadelphia’s organization last year, going from A to AAA, and was a Florida State League mid-season all-star. In 429 career minor league games, Rodriguez has a .270 average.