VENADOS ADD PADRES PROSPECT CLARK TO ROSTER

In an effort to boost their power numbers this winter, the Mazatlan Venados are bringing in San Diego Padres prospect Matt Clark to play first base.

The 25-year-old Clark was a Pittsburgh draft pick out of LSU, where he tied for the NCAA lead in homers with 17 in 2008, but was dealt to the Padres before ever playing a game in the Pirates’ system. He split the 2009 season playing for the Padres’ Class A affiliates in Fort Wayne and Lake Elsinore, belting 25 homers and driving in 101 runs over 131 games, then spent this season with San Antonio of the Class AA Texas League, where he hit .269 with 28 homers and 97 RBIs. MadFriars.com’s Denis Savage was quoted in Scout.com as saying the 6’5” 235-pound Clark has “light-tower power.”

Mazatlan team president Jose Luis Martinez says, “We needed to round out the team with a great power hitter and the inclusion of Matt Clark will be of great benefit to the middle of our lineup.”