FSL1 Daytona Tortugas

Daytona Adds RHP Kyle Hendricks & INF Christian Villanueva After Chicago Trade with Texas

Published on July 31, 2012 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Daytona Tortugas News Release


The Daytona Cubs announced, Tuesday, that they have added both right-handed pitcher Kyle Hendricks and infielder Christian Villanueva who were acquired from the Texas Rangers in exchange for Cubs right-handed pitcher Ryan Dempster. Hendricks and Villanueva were both on the road playing with Advanced-A Myrtle Beach and are returning back to Myrtle Beach Tuesday evening before heading to Daytona on Wednesday. Daytona also announced, Tuesday, that they have added infielder Vladimir Frias from the Gateway Grizzlies of the Frontier League (Independent). Finally, Daytona infielder Matt Cerda has been promoted to AA-Tennessee and Tennessee infielder Dustin Harrington has been sent to Daytona.

Hendricks, 22, was selected by the Rangers in the eighth round of the 2011 Draft. The six-foot-three, 190-pound right-hander was 5-8 with a 2.82 ERA (41 ER/130.2 IP) in 20 starts for Advanced-A Myrtle Beach this season, earning Carolina League mid-season All-Star honors. He struck out 112 and walked only 15 batters in 130.2 innings pitched, an average of just 1.0 walk per nine innings.

A native of Newport Beach, CA, Hendricks was drafted by the Rangers out of Dartmouth College. He combined to go 2-2 with a 2.02 ERA (8 ER/35.2 IP) in 21 appearances, all but one in relief, between Single-A Spokane and Double-A Frisco in his first pro season last year. In two professional seasons, Hendricks has combined to go 7-10 with a 2.65 ERA (49 ER/166.1 IP) in 41 appearances, 21 starts.

Villanueva, 21, batted .285 (107-for-375) with 19 doubles, one triple, 10 homeruns and 59 RBIs in 100 games with Advanced-A Myrtle Beach this season. He had a .356 on-base percentage and a .421 slugging percentage to contribute to a .777 OPS. A native of Guadalajara, Mexico, the five-foot-11, 160-pound Villanueva originally signed with the Rangers as a non-drafted free agent on August 17, 2008.

The right-handed batter and thrower was a 2011 mid-season and post-season All-Star in the South Atlantic League after finishing the campaign with a .278 batting average (130-for-467), 30 doubles, three triples, 17 home runs, 32 stolen bases and 84 RBIs in 126 games with Single-A Hickory, his second season of professional baseball in the United States.

Frias, 25, batted .283 (34-120) with three homeruns, five doubles, 16 runs and 11 RBIs in 32 games with the Grizzlies this season. The Los Alcanzzas, Dominican Republic native was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 44th round of the 2004 Draft and again by the San Francisco Giants in the 30th round of the 2008 draft out of Tennessee Wesleyan College (Athens, TN).

The switch-hitting, right-handed thrower played in Single-A Augusta, Advanced-A San Jose, and AAA Fresno in 2009. Frias was signed as a Minor League Free Agent in April of 2010 by the Boston Red Sox, and played in 35 games for AA-Portland in 2011. In Portland, Frias hit .250 (28-118) with no homeruns and five RBIs.

Cerda, 22, hit .149 (12-81) with no homeruns and nine RBIs in 25 games for Daytona. The Oceanside, CA native was 3-3 in stolen base attempts, and walked 19 times with only 11 strikeouts.

Harrington, 23, batted .357 (5-14) with no homeruns and one RBI in six games for Tennessee. The Greenville, NC native had one double and one triple for the Smokies.

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Florida State League Stories from July 31, 2012


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