AA St. Paul Saints

Saints Pull off Major Trade, Snag Power Hitter David Bergin from Sioux Falls

Published on August 23, 2016 under American Association (AA)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN- With first baseman Angelo Songco still on the shelf and the Saints in the middle of a tense race for the North Division, manager George Tsamis took another step to bolster his lineup by trading for a big bat. In a deal with the Sioux Falls Canaries, the Saints have acquired infielder David Bergin for two players to be named later.

The 26-year-old Bergin powered the Canaries offense this season hitting .262 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI. In 79 games, Bergin smashed 17 doubles while walking 48 times and had an on base percentage of .384 and a .489 slugging percentage. He led Sioux Falls in doubles, home runs, RBI, total bases, walks and slugging percentage.

During his first season with Sioux Falls in 2015, Bergin was one of the best sluggers in the American Association, hitting .331 with 15 home runs and 65 RBI. In 93 games, he doubled 23 times, drew 41 walks and posted a .427 on base percentage, with a .552 slugging percentage. In a year that saw two of the most potent offenses in league history between the Saints and the Sioux City Explorers, Bergin finished third in the league in slugging percentage, tied for fourth in extra base hits (42), fifth in on base percentage and tied for eighth in batting average.

The Tampa native was drafted in the 30th round of the 2011 First Year Player Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals out of Tennessee Wesleyan. After playing the remaining 19 games of the 2011 season at rookie level Johnson City in the Appalachian League, Bergin began the 2012 season at Low-A Batavia in the New York-Penn League. While there he hit .298 with a pair of home runs and nine RBI in his first 13 games and then was promoted to Single-A Quad Cities where he showed immense promise. He hit .344 with three home runs and 10 RBI, but saw his season end after just 10 games with a knee injury.

Bergin was released by the Cardinals before the start of the 2013 season and landed with the Fort Worth Cats in the United Baseball League. While in the Lone Star State, Bergin put together one of his best all-around seasons, hitting .310 with a career high 19 home runs and 66 RBI in 73 games. He led the league in RBI and home runs and helped the Cats make it to the final game of the ULB Championship series. During the postseason, Bergin was intentionally walked nine times in just five games and had a home run. His play attracted the attention of MLB scouts and he was signed by the Rockies at the end of the 2013 season. Splitting time between Low-A Tri-City, Advanced-A Modesto and Double-A Tulsa, Bergin hit .239 with 12 home runs and 39 RBI in 56 games.

With the acquisition, the Saints now have 21 players, two below the league maximum, eight pitchers and 13 position players.

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American Association Stories from August 23, 2016


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