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Ruben "Buddy" Flores, the 25-year-old RH reliever acquired in the Billy Hall dump (er, I mean trade), has been re-signed to a minor league deal. He had become a minor league free agent recently. If Flores is able to break camp in Huntsville, it will be his first pro action above high-A.

LINK from August: Ruben Flores is a right-handed pitcher the M's selected in the 12th round of the 2003 Draft out of El Paso Community College in Texas. He's always been wiry -- measuring at 6-foot-4 and weighing in at about 180 to 185 pounds, rather than the 170 listed on his MiLB player page.

Flores has always thrown hard, had control issues and been a relief prospect only. His delivery is quite violent, he has trouble repeating it, but has great arm speed, good deception on a pretty good changeup and a power curve ball in the 82-84 mph range. His fastball has good life and touches 94, and has been as high as 96.

Flores has battled arm problems, however, having labrum surgery in 2005, missing the entire season and fidgeting around getting back to full strength until late last year... but not until he had a second surgery on the throwing shoulder.

His velo is back to the low 90s, but he's still very wild, in and out of the zone, and at 25 now, is simply a live arm with a chance to figure it out. He was having a great year in Class-A Clinton when promoted to High Desert, but hadn't pitched in a week until the trade.