Bluefish add former big leaguer, Harrisburg Senator, two others

The Bridgeport Bluefish have added former major league infielder and Harrisburg Senator Pedro Lopez in addition to infielder/outfielder Brett Dowdy and pitcher Gilbert De La Vara. The club announced the signings on Feb. 9.

With the addition of the trio, the Bluefish now have five players under contract for 2012, joining reliever Jorge Julio and infielder Luis Lopez.

Lopez: Pedro Lopez, who will turn 28 in April, made appearances in the big leagues in 2005 with the Chicago White Sox and in 2007 with the Cincinnati Reds. In 16 combined games with the White Sox and Reds, Lopez went 10-for-52 at the plate (.192) with 11 strikeouts and two RBIs.

The veteran infielder owns a career .269 average in the minor leagues (10 seasons). Lopez, a native of the Dominican Republic, last played stateside in 2010 in the Washington Nationals minor league system, splitting time between Class AAA Syracuse (58 games, .216 average, one homer, 11 RBIs) and Class AA Harrisburg (24 games, .174 average, four RBIs). This season will mark his first playing independent ball.

Dowdy: Dowdy, who turns 30 before the end of the month, also hasn’t seen much action stateside since 2010. That year, he split time between Mexican League club Nuevo Laredo (18 games, .317 average, one homer, 7 RBIs), the Milwaukee Brewers’ Class AAA affiliate Nashville Sounds (3 games, .143 average), the Brewers’ Class AA affiliate Huntsville Stars (3 games, .111 average) and the Winnipeg Goldeyes (8 games, .061 average), of the independent American Association.

Last season, Dowdy started off with Winnipeg but suffered an injury early in the year and was forced to sit out the 2011 campaign.

Dowdy, who is also a former prospect of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, owns a career .265 average in eight minor league seasons.

De La Vara: De La Vara, 27, is a former prospect of the Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. He topped out at Class AAA in 2009 with the Royals and in 2010 with the Tigers. Although the left-hander has been a reliever for most of his seven professional seasons, De La Vara spent all of last year as a starter with the Yuma Scorpions, of the independent North American Association – the same club that was managed by former big leaguer Jose Canseco in 2011.

In 17 starts for Yuma, De La Vara went 6-8 with a 6.43 ERA, striking out 82 batters and walking 54 in 91 innings of work.

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