Guillermo Mota - Minor League Career

Minor League Career

After two years playing baseball in the Dominican Republic, Mota was assigned to the rookie-league Gulf Coast League Mets in 1993 as a third baseman. He had a batting average of .249 with one home run and one stolen base and amassed a .934 fielding percentage in 43 games. The next season, he spent most of the year with the rookie-league Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League, although he went hitless in four at bats in one game with the St. Lucie Mets of the single-A advanced Florida State League. With Kingsport, he batted .245 while he struck out 78 times in 245 at bats.

In 1995, Mota was moved to the shortstop position and assigned to the single-A Capital City Bombers of the South Atlantic League. With the Bombers, he batted .243 and struck out 127 times in 400 at bats while committing 40 errors at shortstop. In 1996, he returned to the St. Lucie Mets, where he batted .234 with 90 strikeouts in 304 at bats while committing 21 errors. Following the season, he was selected by the Montreal Expos in the Rule 5 Draft.

The Expos converted Mota to a pitcher in 1997 and assigned him to the Cape Fear Crocs of the South Atlantic League. Starting 23 of his 25 games for the Crocs, he had a 5–10 record with a 4.36 earned run average (ERA) and 112 strikeouts in 126 innings.

In 1998, the Expos moved Mota to the bullpen, and he began the season with the single-A advanced Jupiter Hammerheads of the Florida State League. He posted a 3–2 record with a 0.66 ERA and two saves in 20 games and was promoted to the Harrisburg Senators of the double-A Eastern League during the season. With the Senators, he had a 2–0 record with a 1.06 ERA and four saves in 12 games.

Mota began the 1999 season with the Ottawa Lynx of the triple-A International League. With the Lynx, he had a 2–0 record with a 1.89 ERA and five saves in 14 games.