Goldeyes sign major-league player Yurendell de Caster

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Yurendell de Caster, standing, has played for the Netherlands in the 2008 Summer Olympics and at the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic tournaments. (ANDRES LEIGHTON / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES)

A busy week of wheeling and dealing has ended with the Winnipeg Goldeyes making yet another tweak to the roster.

The American Association club announced the signing of infielder Yurendell de Caster Friday. The 32-year-old reached the Major Leagues in 2006 (he played three games with the Pittsburgh Pirates) and has been at or near the Triple-A level for the better part of seven seasons.

"He has a lot of experience and he made it to the big leagues,"

Goldeyes manager Rick Forney offered in a release. "He can play multiple positions, but right now, for our club, we see him fitting in at first base and hitting in the middle of the lineup."

de Caster has played 1,346 games during 14 professional seasons. In 2009, he played 37 games with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, hitting .344 with 13 home runs and 43 RBI. He’s also represented the Netherlands in the 2008 Summer Olympics and at the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic tournaments.

With Reynosa of the Mexican League last season, de Caster hit .338 with six home runs and 47 RBI in 90 games.

The move comes thanks to the sudden departure of fellow veteran infielder Scott Thorman, who informed the Fish this week that he was headed to Yucatan of the Mexican League. With the start of the season less than a month away and a key veteran spot suddenly empty in his lineup, Forney had to move quickly on de Caster.

Earlier this week, Forney shuffled around other pieces of the roster, shipping veteran outfielder Cristian Guerrero to Sioux Falls in favour of bringing back Jon Weber, and trading infielder/catcher Louis Ott to Kansas City to make room for other players.

Winnipeg has 24 players signed up for the 2012 season, an even split between pitchers and position players.