A note on Ervin Santana

[The Big Train]

Possible late round flier material in larger leagues or AL-only if he gets the fifth rotation spot over Saunders. A big "if" at this point....

"Determined to reclaim a spot in the Angels rotation, Ervin Santana has drawn rave reviews for his work with Licey in the Dominican Winter League.

On Monday, Santana outdueled former teammate Bartolo Colon in a 5-1 victory over Cibaenas in the DWL championship series. Pitching five scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out four, Santana subdued a lineup that included MLB regulars Miguel Tejada, Rafael Furcal and Edwin Encarnacion.

"We've gotten solid reports on him," Reagins said of Santana, who is 3-1 with a 2.13 ERA. "His concentration and confidence have been outstanding, and the location of his fastball, breaking ball and changeup have been great. His last two outings, he didn't give up a run. He's pitching with confidence, and that's exciting to see."

Santana, a 16-game winner in 2006 who fell to 5-12 and lost his rotation spot in 2007, is expected to compete with Joe Saunders for the fifth slot this spring.

Manager Mike Scioscia has expressed confidence that Santana, at 25, can rebound and regain his stature as a frontline pitcher."

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