The Leones del Escogido and the infielder Wendell Rijo reached an agreement, as reported this Friday by the Baseball Operations department of the scarlet team.
Rijo, who works at second base, third base and shortstop, comes to the Lions as a free agent after participating between 2015 and 2022 with the Toros del Este. His deal with the long-haired is for the next two seasons.
“Wendell is a player that our Operations group identified as versatile and available for the entire tournament, which is the type of player we want to add. In the coming days, names will continue to be announced that will add depth to the Chosen One,” said José Miguel Bonetti Du-Breil, member of the Board of Directors.
In the last tournament, Rijo had his best performance, shooting 4 home runs and posting an OPS of .756 in 26 games. He also hit 4 doubles, scored 12 runs and posted a .337 on-base percentage.
For his work between October 24 and 30, 2022, Rijo was distinguished as the MVP of the Week at the official award ceremony of the Professional Baseball League of the Dominican Republic.
“We are happy to add Wendell to our team. He gives us depth in the infield with the ability to play both left side and second base. He has been improving his offense with good on-base ability and occasional power,” said Jaylon Pimentel, Director of Operations.
The 27-year-old, a native of La Romana and a hitter to the right, currently belongs to the Philadelphia Phillies and is with that team in spring training.
Rijo is the second unrestricted free agent signed by the Lions. Yesterday the club announced the hiring of third baseman Orlando Calixte.