PHILLIES SIGN TWO ... BUT LOSE RIVERO TO WASHINGTON

Posted at 02:47:50 PM on December 21, 2011

The Phillies have signed infielder Hector Luna and outfielder Luis Montanez to minor league contracts, inviting both to spring training.

But they also lost infielder Carlos Rivero, who had a break-out season at Reading and was a likely candidate for the IronPigs roster, on waivers to Washington.

The 23-year-old Rivero, who the?Phillies claimed off waivers from Cleveland last winter, hit .275 with 15 homers and 66 RBIs for Reading last year while making the switch from shortstop to third base. He also played briefly for the IronPigs (.185-1-5 in 27 at-bats) in early August before being sent back down to make room for the ill-fated Jack Cust experiment.

Rivero was?designated for assignment?to add Jimmy Rollins back to the roster.

As for??Luna, the 31-year-old played for Pawtucket last year, hitting .283 with 14 homers and 58 RBIs in 113 games, and has averaged 14, 59 RBIs and a .269 average in 104 games over his last four Triple-A seasons.

Luna has also hit?.265 with 13 home runs and 86 RBI in 311 games between the Cardinals (2004-06), Indians (2006), Blue Jays (2007-08) and Marlins (2010).

Montanez, the third pick in the 2000 draft, hit .321 with 22 doubles, seven triples, seven homers and?69 RBIs in 92 games for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs last season. the 30-year-old also hit .222 in 36 games (54 at-bats) for the Cubs last year and is a .229 hitter in 129 big-league games with the Orioles and Cubs over the last four years, including a home run in his first major league at-bat.

He's a .283 hitter in 277?Triple-A seasons, a .287 hitter overall in?12 minor-league seasons. He also won the 2008 Eastern League Triple Crown (.335-26-97) while at Bowie despite playing in only 116 games.

Source: http://blogs.mcall.com/ironpigs/2011/12/phillies-sign-two-but-lose-rivero-to-washington.html

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