Indians invite Jose Lopez & Felix Pie to Major League camp

The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has signed free agents INF JOSE LOPEZ and OF FELIX PIE (pea-yay) to Minor League contracts for the 2012 season with non-roster invitations to Major League spring training camp.

Lopez, 28, owns a career Major League batting average of .263 (947-3605) with 201 doubles, 11 triples, 88 home runs and 452 RBI in 955 games with Seattle, Colorado and Florida. He was Seattle's everyday second baseman from 2006-10, appearing in at least 149 games in each of those five seasons and was a 2006 American League All-Star. He finished 3rd in the AL in hits in 2008 (191) and in 2009 he was tied for 11th in the league in doubles (42, with Asdrubal Cabrera) and tied for 16th in RBI (96, with AL MVP Joe Mauer).

The Barcelona, Venezuela native split the 2011 season between Colorado and Florida after being acquired by the Rockies from Seattle last December. After appearing in 38 games with Colorado, he was signed by Florida on June 9 and split the remainder of the season between Florida and Triple-A New Orleans.  With the Zephyrs, he hit .400 (50-125) with 9 2B, 9HR & 30RBI in 32 games (1.118OPS) and concluded the season by hitting .273 (21-77) with 7 2B, 6HR & 13RB I over his final 32 games with Florida (.597SLG). On the year at the big league level he appeared in 39 games at third base, 20 games at second base and 8 at first base. He is currently hitting .290 (36-124) with 11 2B, 3HR & 14RBI in 32 games for Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League.

Pie, 26, has compiled a five-year career Major League batting average of .249 (240-964) with 44 doubles, 13 triples, 17 homers and 97 RBI in 398 games with the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs since 2007.  His best season came in 2009 with Baltimore after being acquired from the Cubs that off-season, hitting .266 (67-252) with 10 2B, 3 3B, 9HR & 29RBI in 101 games (.763OPS).  He spent most of the 2011 season in the Major Leagues with 85 games played for the Orioles before concluding the season in Triple-A Norfolk.  In his career vs. the Indians he owns a career batting average of .326 (14-43) with 5 2B, 3HR & 10RBI in 11 games.  He is currently second in the Dominican Winter League for Estrellas in both doubles (9) and extra base hits (15).