Padres acquire INF Alexi Amarista, RHP Donn Roach from Angels for RHP Frieri

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The San Diego Padres today announced they have acquired infielder Alexi Amarista and right-handed pitcher Donn Roach from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in exchange for right-handed pitcher Ernesto Frieri.  Executive Vice President/General Manager Josh Byrnes made the announcement.

Amarista, 23, has hit .273 (21-for-77) with six doubles, two triples, 12 RBI and 11 runs scored in 18 games for Triple-A Salt Lake. The Venezuela-native made his first career Opening Day roster for the Angeles this season, appearing in one game as a pinch-runner before being optioned back to Salt Lake.  In his first full season at the Triple-A level last year, he hit .292 (106-for-363) with 24 doubles, five triples, four home runs, 50 RBI, 49 runs scored and 15 stolen bases in 86 games played.

Originally signed by the Angels as a minor league free agent in January of 2007, Amarista has hit .314 (599-for-1915) with 116 doubles, 35 triples, 20 home runs, 239 RBI, 319 runs scored and 117 stolen bases in 481 games played over parts of six minor league seasons.  He has played the majority of his games at second base. The infielder made his Major League debut for the Angels in 2011, playing in 23 games last season and hitting .154 (8-for-52).     

Roach, 22, has gone 5-0 with a 2.16 ERA (10 ER/41.2 IP), a .228 (36-for-158) opponents batting average and 29 strikeouts against just three walks over six starts for Single-A Inland Empire this season, currently leading the California League with five wins.  Selected in the third-round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft by the Angels out of the University of Arizona, he has gone 14-6 with a 3.97 ERA (73 ER/165.2 IP) and 156 strikeouts against 39 walks in 66 games, 16 starts, over parts of three minor league seasons.  

Frieri, 26, has gone 1-0 with a 2.31 ERA (3 ER/11.2 IP) in 11 relief outings for the Padres this season.  The right-hander was the longest tenured player in the Padres organization, signing as a non-drafted free agent at the age of 17 in January of 2003.  The Colombian-native made his Major League debut for San Diego in 2009, and has gone 3-3 with a 2.33 ERA (28 ER/108.1 IP) and 137 strikeouts against 56 walks over 105 Major League relief outings in his career, all for the Padres.

With today’s transactions, the Padres currently have 24 active players on the 25-man roster. The club is expected to make a corresponding roster move tomorrow, Friday, May 4, before a regularly scheduled 7:05 p.m. PT game against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park.