(March 8) — The York Revolution have announced three more signings for the 2017 season, bringing back outfielder Jose Constanza and pitcher Ty’Relle Harris, while adding newcomer Victor Mateo to the pitching staff. The signings were announced by Revs manager Mark Mason Tuesday evening on “Revs Hot Stove Weekly presented by Shipley Energy” on SportsRadio 1350 WOYK.
Constanza played 31 games for the Revolution in 2015, after opening the season with the Louisville Bats, Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. During his time in York, Constanza boasted a .324 average and stole 21 bases before having his contract purchased by the Tampa Bay Rays. He finished out the campaign in Triple-A Durham. Constanza accumulated 10 hits in his final four games with the Revolution and registered a multi-hit game in 14 of the 30 games in which he appeared with York.
Originally signed by the Cleveland Indians as a non-drafted free agent on June 13, 2003, Constanza has enjoyed a lengthy professional career, entering his 13th season. He spent parts of four seasons in the Majors as a member of the Atlanta Braves, making his big league debut July 29, 2011. He has collected 60 hits, 2 home runs, and 17 RBI in 112 Major League appearances.
“We’re excited to have him back,” said Mason on WOYK. “He’s an accomplished hitter and bunter. He can slap the ball all around the field and run extremely well. He’s a high on-base percentage guy and a distraction to every pitcher when he’s on base, which makes life easier for the guys behind him.”
Harris returns for his third season with the Revs. Initially an addition at the All-Star break in 2015, he established himself as one of Mason’s most versatile options in 2016, making 36 appearances, 18 of those starts. He ranked second on the staff with 116 strikeouts to go along with a 5-7 record and a 4.49 ERA. He was also named the 2016 Revs Corey Thurman Community Player of the Year.
Originally drafted in the 19th round by the Atlanta Braves in 2009 out of the University of Tennessee, Harris enters his ninth season of professional baseball. He has made it as high as Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs, after being acquired from the Braves in a deal that sent Derrek Lee to Atlanta. The Knoxville, TN, native has a 3.81 minor league ERA and over 450 strikeouts in his career.
“He’s an amazing competitor and wants to win all of the time,” commented Mason. “He wants the ball every night and has a never-say-die attitude when he’s out there. I also don’t recall in all of the years I’ve been in professional baseball receiving so many emails and messages from fans with how much one player impacts young kids and interacts with children everywhere we go. He’s a tremendous ambassador for our organization.”
Mateo comes to York after a 10-year career in the Tampa Bay Rays and Atlanta Braves organizations. Originally signed by the Rays as a non-drafted free agent in 2006, Mateo made it as high as the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves in 2015 and 2016. Throughout his career, he has worked as both a starter and a reliever. He has a professional record of 56-58 and an ERA of 4.10 in nearly 950 innings of work. On July 8, 2011, Mateo made history with Single-A Bowling Green, pitching the first no-hitter (seven innings) in team history against Lake County.
“We see Victor in our starting rotation,” stated Mason. “I think that would be a good fit for us. We’re excited to get him in there and see what he can do for us.”
The Revs now have 15 players signed for the upcoming season and will continue to unveil preseason signings live each week on “Revs Hot Stove Weekly presented by Shipley Energy,” with the next episode set to air on Tuesday, March 14, at 6:30 p.m. immediately following “The Baltimore Baseball Show” on SportsRadio 1350 WOYK.