Diamondbacks sign first baseman Kila Ka’aihue
Nov 23, 2012, 6:07 PM | Updated: 6:10 pm
There’s no doubt that Paul Goldschmidt is the first baseman of the present and future for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But over the Thanksgiving holiday, general manager Kevin Towers added some insurance behind Goldschmidt going into the 2013 season.
Arizona agreed to terms on a minor-league deal with 28-year-old Kila Ka’aihue.
The Hawaiian first baseman spent of part of the 2012 season — 4 HR and 14 RBI in 128 plate appearances — with the Oakland Athletics before being designated for assignment in June.
Ka’aihue was drafted in the 15h round of the 2002 amateur draft by the Kansas Royals, and spent the first four years of his professional career with the organization from 2008-2011.
After being designated for assignment last season, the six-foot-four left-handed batter hit .256 with 15 home runs in sixty-six games.
The Diamondbacks used Lyle Overbay and Mike Jacobs to back up Goldschmidt a season ago, although the second-year first baseman played in 145 games.
