Phillies add veteran Guzman

Recently a club spokesman confirmed on Wednesday that the Phillies signed veteran outfielder Freddy Guzman to a Minor League contract, though his deal does not include an invitation to Spring Training. Guzman spent the 2009 season with the Triple-A affiliates of the Orioles, Mariners, Red Sox and Yankees, while also seeing action in 10 games for the Bronx Bombers. In 101 Minor League games last year, he batted .223 with a .272 on-base percentage, two homers.

Guzman has played parts of four big league seasons with the Padres, Rangers and Yankees, batting .211 with a .255 on-base percentage in 47 games. In six seasons in the Minor Leagues, he holds a .265 batting average and a .338 on-base percentage.
Hope Guzman is also a main center fielder when he puts on the phillies jersey.

Rockies sign with Jay Payton

Rockies player development director Marc Gustafson announced that the Rockies signed Payton, who didn't play in the Majors in 2009, to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training. Gustafson also said the Rockies completed working on a Minor League deal with catcher Paul Lo Duca, a former All-Star who also didn't play in 2009.

Payton hit .309 with 33 home runs in the rockies jersey before signing with the Padres as a free agent. He last played for the Orioles in 2008, when he hit .243 with seven homers and 41 RBIs. Lo Duca played for manager Jim Tracy with the Dodgers. A .286 hitter in 11 seasons, Lo Duca hit .243 for the Nationals and Marlins in 2008.

Dave Jauss will become Mets' bench coach

Dave Jauss, a former bench coach for the Orioles and Dodgers, will be hired by the Mets for the same position. An announcement is expected to be made on Wednesday or Thursday. Jauss left his recent position as Baltimore bench last month after two seasons. And he was the bench coach for Grady Little with the Dodgers from 2006-07, he spent 10 previous seasons with the Red Sox in various positions, serving as first-base coach, Minor League field coordinator, director of player development and Major League advance scout.

Actually Jauss has a history with Mets manager Jerry Manuel, who was the Minor League field coordinator for the Montreal Expos when Jauss got his first position as a Minor League manager in 1988. Sandy Alomar Jr., a catching instructor was named first-base coach by the Indians on Tuesday.