The Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association announced on Thursday that they have sold the contract of first baseman Casey Haerther to the Baltimore Orioles. Haerther becomes the 64th player in Goldeyes history to have his contract purchased by a Major League Baseball organization. He is also the first Goldeyes player to have his contract purchased by the Orioles since right-handed pitcher Shawn Sedlacek in 2005.
Haerther, 27, was originally drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 34th round of the 2006 MLB Draft, but he chose not to sign with the club and attend UCLA. He was drafted again in the fifth round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels.
Despite hitting at least .290 in his first three professional seasons and moving up through the Minors each year (2009-11), Haerther was released by the Angels after hitting .271/.288/.380 in Double-A in 2012.
He signed with the Goldeyes prior to the start of the 2013 season and has been a key cog in the club’s lineup over the past two seasons. In 195 games, he batted .334/.265/.490 while swatting 23 homers and driving in 138 runs and also represented the Goldeyes in the 2014 American Association All-Star Game.
Haerther will likely start next season in Double-A Bowie, but it wouldn’t be too big of a surprise if he ends up starting his 2015 season in Triple-A Norfork.
Anton Joe is an Independent League Baseball Reporter for Baseball Essential. You can follow him on Twitter @AntonJoe_BBE.
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