Angels invite top prospects to spring training
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Infielder Alex Amarista, oufielder Mike Trout and pitchers Tyler Chatwood and Trevor Reckling are among the prospects the Angels are inviting to their big-league spring training camp next month.
Trout, a 19-year-old speedster who hit .341 with 85 stolen bases last summer at Single A stops in Cedar Rapids and Rancho Cucamonga, and Chatwood, a 21-year-old right-hander who went a combined 13-9 with a 2.84 ERA at three minor league levels, are the top two prospects in the organization, according to Baseball America.
Amarista, 21, who like Chatwood and Reckling was a spring training invitee last year, had a solid summer, batting a combined .309 while rising from Single A to Trple A. He followed that up by hitting .295 in 57 winter league games in his native Venezuela.
Reckling, a 21-year-old left-hander, was 7-13 with a 6.42 ERA in a 2010 season split between Double A Arkansas and Triple A Salt Lake.
Infielder Jean Segura, a 20-year-old Dominican rated as the organzation’s third-best prospect, is also among the 25 nonroster players who will be working out with the major league team next month. Segura hit .313 and stole 50 bases in 60 tries at Single A Cedar Rapids last year.
The Angels’ spring training camp opens on Feb. 13 when pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report. The first workout will be held the following day with the rest of the squad expected in camp on Feb. 18.
-- Kevin Baxter