ANAHEIM, CA - The Angels today announced Matt Swanson has been named the Club's Director of Scouting. Today's announcement was made by Angels General Manager Billy Eppler. Swanson will oversee the scouting and signing of amateur players. <o:p>
"We are excited to add someone with Matt's resume, depth, and passion to our department," said Eppler. "He has a clear vision with practical knowledge, and he is a welcome addition to our front office." <o:p>
Swanson has served as the Midwest Crosschecker for St. Louis for nearly three years, after previously working as an Area Scout for the Cardinals, covering Northern California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii. He held the Area Scout role from his original hiring in November 2008 until his promotion to the Midwest Crosschecker position in November 2013. <o:p>
A right-handed pitcher, Swanson pitched three seasons in the Pittsburgh organization (2005-07) after being selected by the Pirates in the 13th round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of California, Berkeley. During his collegiate career, he was teammates with future big leaguers Brennan Boesch, Allen Craig and Brandon Morrow. In 108 career minor league appearances (all in relief), he went 10-12 with 32 saves and a 3.93 ERA (130.2 IP - 57 ER) and was named a New York-Penn League All-Star in 2005. <o:p>