Phillies are Busy

Phillies sign a slew of people.

The Phillies signed reliever Oscar Villarreal to a minor-league deal yesterday. Villarreal, who missed the entire 2009 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, will not be invited to spring training.

Villarreal, 28, last pitched in 2008 with Houston when he appeared in 35 games, compiling a 1-3 record with a 5.02 ERA. He was 9-1 with a 3.61 ERA in 58 games for Atlanta in 2006, his best season in the majors.

Villarreal, much like other recent signees by the Phillies, is probably ticketed for triple-A Lehigh Valley. In the last few days, the Phillies have also come to terms with outfielder Freddy Guzman, second baseman Luis Maza and pitchers Brian Gordon and Brian Mazone, all on minor-league contracts.

Guzman, 29, is the most notable, having spent time with the Yankees in 2009. He played in 10 regular-season games and hit .167 while stealing four bases. He also appeared as a pinch-runner twice during the American League Championship Series.

The Phillies also signed catcher John Purdom, who began 2009 in the Florida Marlins system, from the Camden Riversharks. – Matt Gelb

Some more on the new pitchers

Righthanders David Herndon, J.C. Ramirez and Drew Naylor and lefthander Mike Zagurski.

Herndon was selected by the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings last December in Indianapolis. He was 5-6, 3.03 with 11 saves in 50 games for the Angels Double A Arkansas affiliate last year and impressed Phillies scouts with how well he threw in the Dominican Republic Winter League.

Ramirez was acquired from the Mariners, along with Phillippe Aumont and Tyson Gillies, in the Cliff Lee trade. Naylor was 8-11, 4.22 at Class A Clearwater.

Zagurski has missed most of the last two seasons trying to come back from injuries, including Tommy John elbow surgery.

The first official workout for pitchers and catchers will be held 2 weeks from today at the Carpenter Complex in Clearwater.

In another matter, the Phillies-Red Sox game on Saturday, May 22 at Citizens Bank Park is a candidate to be televised by Fox in prime time.

Fox will air two of its national Saturday broadcasts in prime time this season. It’s the first time in the network’s 15 years of televising the package that it will show two regular-season night games.