A NEW HOPE: PART V

Full Name: Andres Yungo (Feliciano) Torres

Position: Centerfielder

Born: January 26, 1978

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 200 lbs.

How acquired: Obtained in a trade with Ramon Ramirez from the San Francisco Giants for Angel Pagan

Uniform number: 56

MLB experience: 6 seasons, with Detroit, Texas, and San Francisco

Best season: 2010, when he posted a slash line of .268/.343/.479 in 570 plate appearances for San Francisco (and won a World Series ring).

Injury history: Hamstring (2009); Achilles (2011)

2012 salary: $2.2 million.

Actual scouting notes: Torres is basically an older version of the guy he was traded for, Angel Pagan. The Mets got him and Ramirez, who is a steady, veteran righty out of the pen, making it a pretty nice deal when you add it up. Torres is blazing fast and can play all three outfield positions equally well. He had a very slow start to his career, battling through abysmal performances with the Tigers after his initial call-up, and then being banished to the minors when better options emerged. When healthy and given an everyday job, Torres has shown a good eye and surprising power to go along with his speed and defensive abilities. A leg injury hampered him most of 2011.

Weird, wild stuff: Yungo? I have no idea, but that is both his middle name and nickname. Wikipedia reports that Andres, and the crippling ADHD from which he suffers, are the subject of a feature-length documentary called “Gigante”. Watch for that in July 2012 at no theaters anywhere near you.

A NEW HOPE: PART IV

Full Name: Ronny Alexander Cedeno

Position: Shortstop//Second Baseman

Born: February 2, 1983 (On his birthday, he saw his shadow, meaning 40 more years of dictatorial rule for Hugo Chavez).

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 190 lbs.

How acquired: Signed as a free agent from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Uniform number: 13. What, him worry?

MLB experience: 7 seasons, with the Cubbies, Seattle and Pittsburgh.

Best season: 2010, when he posted a slash line of .256/.293/.382 in 502 plate appearances for Pittsburgh.

Injury history: Concussion (2011); Fractured Left Hand (2005).

2012 salary: $1.15 million.

Actual scouting notes: Cedeno is a mostly slap-hitting middle infielder with a little pop, a slick glove and a gun for an arm. He’ll push Ruben Tejada in Spring Training and make a bid for the second base job over Justin Turner, but with DePodesta and company making the decisions, I can’t see an out machine like Ronny getting a full time job. He’ll make a solid bench veteran who can cover both middle infield positions ably and provide a right-handed bat to counter situational lefties.

Weird, wild stuff: Cedeno is a remarkably boring individual. He has not been kidnapped, killed anyone, or had his girlfriend go on Venezuelan Big Brother and have sex with various men, all of which have happened to other Venezuelan-born players. About all I can come up with is that he will be wearing #13, presumably in honor of fellow Venezuelan ex-Met Edgardo Alfonzo. Ronny, you ain’t no Fonzie.