BARNSTORMERS NAB BIG LEAGUE VETERAN DE AZA

The Lancaster Barnstormers have selected outfielder Alejandro De Aza with the first pick in the New Britain Bees dispersal draft, it was announced today.

De Aza, 35, batted .346 with six homers and 42 RBI in 69 games for the Bees during the first half of the 2019 season while patrolling center field.  His contract was purchased by the Minnesota Twins in July and went to Class AAA Rochester.  The lefty batting outfielder hit .352 over 35 games for the Red Wings with six homers and 31 RBI.

The native of the Dominican Republic signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002.  He went to the Florida Marlins in 2005 and reached the Major Leagues in 2007, spending parts of two seasons with the Marlins.  The bulk of his playing career was spent with the Chicago White Sox, playing on the southside from 2010-14.  De Aza batted .281 in 131 games in 2012 and .264 with 17 home runs the following season.

He has since spent time at the Major League level with Baltimore, San Francisco, Boston, the Mets and Washington.  In his 11 total big league seasons, De Aza has hit .260 with 51 homers in 838 games.  Of those 51 homers, nine led off games and one broke a ninth inning tie at Cleveland.

“The more I watched him, the more he grew on me” said Lancaster manager Ross Peeples.  “To me, he was the best hitter in the league when he was (with New Britain).  He can hit, he can still roam center field, and he still has a pretty good arm.”