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Pirates sign handful of minor-league free agents
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The Pirates announced today the signing of outfielder Brandon Boggs, right-handed pitchers Kyle Cofield and Jose Diaz and first baseman Stefan Welch.
They also made official the signing of catcher/outfielder Jake Fox and right-hander Shairon Martis.
Boggs, Fox and Martis received non-roster invitations to spring training.
Boggs, 28, hit .158 in 16 games for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2011. At the Brewers' Class AAA club in Nashville last season, he hit .241 with a .381 on-base percentage and nine home runs. The switch-hitter has played in the majors for parts of four seasons with the Brewers and the Texas Rangers and owns a .209 career average.
Cofield, 24, had a 3.30 ERA in 30 innings of relief split between the Class AA and Class AAA levels with the Chicago White Sox organization in 2011. He struck out 25 and had a 1.37 WHIP. He began his career as a starter but has not started a game since 2010.
Diaz, 27, had 23 saves in 44 2/3 innings split between the Class AA and AAA levels of the Baltimore Orioles organization. He struck out 48 batters, a rate of 9.7 strikeouts-per-nine innings.
Welch, a 23-year-old Australian native, hit .271 with a .361 on-base percentage and 16 home runs at the Class High-A level of the New York Mets organization. He had a .998 fielding percentage in 124 games and made the Florida State League All-Star team.
First Published November 23, 2011 11:27 am
