In all, the Phillies signed 14 Minor League free agents to Minor League deals: pitchers Brian Mazone, Chris Key, Allen Davis and Tim McClaskey, infielders Carlos Leon, Matt Padgett, Pete Shier and Juan Tejeda and outfielders Jim Rushford, Branden Florence, Greg Jacobs, Mike Spidale and Gary Burnham. Pedro Swann, 36, was the Most Valuable Player on that 2003 Lynx team that won the IL Wild Card and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 1995. He also played in Ottawa in 2004.
Swann spent last season between four teams, including the Phillies' former Triple-A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In all, he hit .305 with 14 home runs and 79 runs batted in for the season.
Swann is a career .289 hitter in the Minors and has played in the Major Leagues with Atlanta, Toronto and Baltimore. Brian Mazone, 30, was Scranton's Pitcher of the Year last season, scoring a 13-3 record with a minuscule 2.
03 ERA in 20 games after his call-up from Double-A Reading. The lefthander led the team both in wins and in ERA in his first season of Triple-A baseball. Chris Key, 29, was third in the Eastern League in saves (20) and in relief points (62) with the Phillies' Double-A affiliate in Reading, PA.
He has a career minor league record of 36-16 and an ERA of 2.51 since being drafted by Florida in 2000. Allen Davis, 31, went a combined 8-8 last season, splitting time between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after a fantastic 2005 season.
That year, Davis led the Eastern League in wins (13), complete games (3) and innings pitched (183.0). Tim McClaskey, 30, spent the entire season with Philadelphia's Double-A affiliate in Reading, notching a 4-8 record and a 4.
97 ERA in 32 games, 18 of which were starts. He was originally drafted in the 36th round of the 1995 draft by the Florida Marlins. Carlos Leon, 27, has played at the Triple-A level in each of the past two seasons.
Leon can play shortstop, second base and third base and has a .264 career minor league batting average over 10 minor league seasons. Matt Padgett, 29, has 108 career minor league home runs and a .
266 average over nine minor league seasons. He split last season between the Cubs' Triple-A affiliate in Iowa and the Reading Phillies, where he hit .304 in 39 games.
Pete Shier, 25, moves over to the Phillies' system from the Orioles. Last season, Shier split time between Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie, hitting a combined .282 with 26 runs batted in.
Juan Tejeda, 24, made his Triple-A debut last season with the Norfolk Tides. Tejeda has hit .287 with 85 home runs and 509 RBI in eight minor league seasons.
Jim Rushford, 32, split the season between the Phillies affiliates in Reading and Scranton. He combined for a .268 average with 4 home runs and 53 runs batted in.
Rushford is a career .303 hitter in the Minor Leagues and made his Major League debut in 2002 with Milwaukee. Branden Florence, 28, is a career .
311 hitter in six minor league seasons. Last season, he led the Single-A Florida State League in hits (162), was second in average (.327), third in runs batted in (86) and fifth in total bases (217).
Greg Jacobs, 30, was a force in the independent Northern League last season. A converted pitcher, Jacobs finished in the top five in batting average (.333), home runs (15), RBI (64), hits (111), extra-base hits (46), on-base percentage (.
444), slugging percentage (.571), walks (57) and total bases (190). Mike Spidale, 24, led the Single-A South Atlantic League with a .
345 batting average while stealing 29 bases. He is a career .281 minor league hitter in seven seasons.
Gary Burnham, 32, is a career .295 hitter in 10 minor league seasons. Last season, he tied his career high with 18 home runs, while driving in 78 runs at independent Bridgeport, Double-A Reading and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Don't forget! The Skratching Post, your one-stop shop for Lynx apparel, will be open this Saturday, December 23rd,from 10am to 4pm. Last-minute shoppers can still get a Flex Pack or a game-worn jersey for the Lynx fan on their shopping list.
The Ottawa Lynx will open the 2007 season, their first season as the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, in Rochester on April 6. The Lynx home opener is scheduled for April 17 against the Charlotte Knights at 7:05pm. Ticket information can be found at www.
ottawalynx.com or by calling 613 747-LYNX (5969). The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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