The man we call “Little Ninja” came over in a trade with the Angels back in 2012 along with Donn Roach in exchange for Ernesto Frieri. Frieri in Anaheim was able to harness his powerful repertoire that season and saved 23 games. The next year he saved 37. While the Padres were happy with the super-utility player they got in Amarista, many fans were upset that they gave up a closer for a guy to hit around .230 and simply play multiple positions with speed. Yet baseball has a funny way of paying out over time.
Padres Beat Phillies Thanks to Alexi Amarista
