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The Philadelphia Phillies have signed catcher Humberto Quintero to a minor league contract on Wednesday, according to a report by Jon Morosi of FoxSports.com.
Quintero spent the beginning of 2012 season as a member of the Kansas City Royals before the club released him in July. In 43 games played, the 33-year-old Venezuelan native registered a .232 batting average with 19 RBI, 12 doubles and a homerun in 144 plate appearances.
Originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Chicago White Sox in 1997, Quintero made his major league debut in September of 2003 with the San Diego Padres. In March of 2005, he was traded to the Houston Astros for pitcher Tim Redding and cash considerations. Quintero spent the majority of his career in Houston, playing eight seasons with the club before being traded to Kansas City.
The signing of Quintero comes on the heels of the announcement of Carlos Ruiz's 25-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance. This may give Quintero an opportunity to see playing time in the major leagues.