Every team but Southern Maryland made roster moves this past week. A total of 19 players, including four former big leaguers, were involved in transactions. Three trades were also made. Before we get to the transactions, however, here are some newsworthy items…

Players of the Month: I can’t find any press releases on this, so thanks to Bridgeport and reporter Ryan Dunleavy on pointing this out. Bluefish starting pitcher Mike Parisi took home Pitcher of the Month honors for the month of April while Somerset’s Yunesky Sanchez was named the Atlantic League Player of the Month. Sanchez led the league with a .381 batting average, 16 hits, five home runs, and 15 RBI in 10 games during the month before signing to play for Oaxaca of the Mexican League. Parisi went 1-0 with a 1.20 ERA in three starts in the month of April for Bridgeport, striking out 13 and walking five while allowing 13 hits in 15 innings of work.

College team saves child: In case you haven’t heard about this yet, members of the Millersville University baseball team helped save the life of a 1-year-old boy last week. OK, not exactly Atlantic League-related news. But if I may go seven-degrees-of-Kevin Bacon, the first player ever signed by the Lancaster Barnstormers was pitcher Matt Scheuing, who played at Penn Manor High School and Millersville, both located in Lancaster County (Scheuing, who went to school with my older brother, is now teaching social studies at Penn Manor High School). Plus, this story of the child getting saved is pretty cool. The story made national headlines as well.

Fans make the call: Again, not an Atlantic League-related news item, but here’s to hoping an Atlantic League team experiments with this in an exhibition game next year. The St. Paul Saints, of the independent American Association, allowed fans to make the call on just about everything in an exhibition game last week, from strikes to balls to outs and fair or foul calls. Here’s the full story from the New York Times.

Zambrano won’t play in Atlantic League after all: The Philadelphia Phillies officially signed pitcher Carlos Zambrano to a minor-league deal last week. The signing brought an end to speculation that Zambrano could possibly pitch in the Atlantic League for the Long Island Ducks. Days before he signed with the Phillies, cbssports.com reported Zambrano had only agreed to terms with the Ducks but had not signed a contract with them. Various reports surfaced a couple weeks ago insinuating Zambrano had indeed signed with the Ducks, who never actually made any kind of announcement on Zambrano.

Vlad Guerrero’s status: Former big league slugger Vladimir Guerrero is still listed on the Long Island Ducks’ inactive roster and has yet to see any playing time this season as he’s still dealing with what the team is still calling a “family matter” in his native Dominican Republic. A tweet from clnsradio.com reporter Chris Cotillo last week stated “Source close to the situation doesn’t expect Vlad Guerrero to report to the @LIDucks “Doesn’t seem interested in playing”. Here’s to hoping that changes so we can see Guerrero blast some homers in the Atlantic League this season.

Now on to the transactions…

 

BRIDGEPORT BLUEFISH: Acquired LHP Mickey Jannis from Lake Erie (Frontier League) in exchange for a player to be named later, signed INF Sam Greenberg and INF Russ Mitchell, released INF Daniel Barbero

Jannis, 25, will make his Atlantic League debut with Bridgeport after posting a 2.53 ERA in 34 games (three starts) last season with Lake Erie. The California native is just three years removed from playing college ball at Cal State Bakersfield. He spent the first two years of his pro career in the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization, reaching Class High A Charlotte in 2011.

Mitchell, 28, is a former big leaguer who will make his Atlantic League debut with ‘Fish. The Georgia native spent his first nine years as a pro in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ organization, reaching the majors in 2010. He played in 40 combined big league games with the Dodgers in 2010 and 2011, batting .151. He split last season between the Miami Marlins’ Class AA Jacksonville affiliate and the San Francisco Giants’ Class AA Richmond affiliate. He has a career .302 average at the Class AAA level.

Greenberg, 23, is a Southern Connecticut State University product who is making his pro debut with Bridgeport.

Barbero batted .200 with a double in 11 games (25 plate appearances) for Bridgeport.

CAMDEN RIVERSHARKS: Acquired RHP Jake Hale and LHP Corey Young from New Jersey Jackals (Can-Am League) in exchange for players to be named later, released OF Stantrel Smith, INF Erik Lis and C Shea Harris

Hale, 27, comes to the Atlantic League for the first time in his fourth year as a pro. The right-hander has spent the last two seasons in the independent Can-Am League, where he posted a 2.67 ERA in 70 combined games. The Ohio State University product was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 27th round in 2009 and later reached Class High A Visalia in 2010.

Young, 26, is a New Jersey native who played college ball at Seton Hall University before being drafted in the 12th round in 2008 by the Texas Rangers. The lefty has spent the last two seasons at Class AA Frisco, where he has a career 5.93 ERA in 73 combined relief appearances over four years. He’ll make his Atlantic League debut with Camden.

Smith held a .275 batting average with a double and an RBI in 10 games (29 plate appearances) for the ‘Sharks. Harris played in just two games for Camden, going 1-for-5 (.200) at the plate with a walk and two strikeouts. Lis carried a .176 average in 14 games (34 plate appearances) with two doubles and three RBIs.

LANCASTER BARNSTORMERS: Signed OF Stephen Holdren, traded C Charlie Neil to Trois-Rivieres (Can-Am League)

Holdren, 30, is an indy league veteran who has batted above .300 in four separate seasons. Last year with Lincoln (American Association), the left-handed batter posted a .279 average with nine homers, 19 doubles a triple and 71 RBIs.

It’s unclear what the ‘Stormers are getting into return for Neil, who batted .261 with a double and two RBIs in nine games (23 plate appearances) for Lancaster.

LONG ISLAND DUCKS: Signed 1B Murray Watts, acquired UTL P.J. Phillips from New Jersey Jackals (Can-Am League) in exchange for player to be named later, released LHP Rusty Jones

Watts, 25, makes his Atlantic League debut with the Ducks after playing in 16 games earlier this season with the Kansas City Royals Class High A Wilmington affiliate, where he posted a .172 batting average with three doubles, a triple and an RBI in 16 games. An Arkansas native, Watts is just three years removed from playing college ball at Arkansas State University, where he batted .319 in three seasons before being drafted by the Royals in the 28th round in 2010.

Phillips, 26, also makes his Atlantic League debut in Long Island less than a year removed from playing at the Class AAA Louisville (Cincinnati Reds), where he had a .143 average in just four games. Originally a Los Angeles Angels’ prospect, Phillips reached Class AA Pensacola in the Reds’ organization last season. He played in 68 games for Pensacola, batting .198.

The release of Jones is somewhat surprising considering his 2.45 ERA was third-best on the team. The left-hander two earned runs on six hits in eight relief appearances, with six strikeouts and seven walks.

SOMERSET PATRIOTS: OF Oakland Athletics signed RHP Erik Arnesen, San Diego Padres signed Mike Wilson; Patriots signed Anderson Hernandez, traded LHP Ryan Zamorsky to Evansville (Frontier League) in exchange for a player to be named later

Arnesen, 29, spent his first seven years as a pro in the Washington Nationals’ organization before coming to Somerset. He has a career 3.76 ERA in 57 games at the Class AAA level. In five starts for the Patriots, Arnesen went 2-1 with 4.10 ERA with 27 strikeouts and one walk in 30.2 innings of work. He reported to Oakland’s Class AA Midland (Tex.) affiliate.

Wilson, 29, posted a .325 batting average, three homers, five doubles and a triple in 23 games for Somerset. The former big leaguer will play in the San Diego Padres’ organization for the first time in his 12-year pro career. A second-round draft pick of the Seattle Mariners in 2001, Wilson made his major league debut with the Mariners in 2011. He spent all of last season at Class AAA Tacoma, where he batted just .239 with 12 homers and 37 RBIs in 71 games. He’ll report to Class AAA Tucson.

Hernandez, 30, has 240 games of big league experience but won’t play yet for Somerset since he signed with a Mexican League club less than 24 hours after reaching a deal with the Patriots, according to Courier News’ Somerset beat reporter Ryan Dunleavy. The Pats’ put Hernandez on the inactive list, so there’s always a chance Hernandez could play for Somerset later this season if things don’t go as planned in the Mexican League.

Zamorsky had two scoreless relief appearances for the Pats’, striking out one and walking none.

SUGAR LAND SKEETERS: RHP Sean Gallagher signed by Colorado Rockies; Skeeters signed INF Kevin Rios

Gallagher, 27, made four starts with Sugar Land this year, going 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA (5ER/22IP) and 10 strikeouts. His 22.0 innings pitched rank second-most on the team, while he assisted in leading the Skeeters to a 21-3 record to start 2013. The former big leaguer came to Sugar Land after spending all of last season with the Reds’ Class AAA Louisville affiliate, where he went 10-9 with a 4.92 ERA in 26 starts. Gallagher has 91 games (23 starts) of big league experience with four different teams from 2007 to 2010. He reported to the Rockies’ Class AA Tulsa (Okla.) affiliate.

I missed Rios’s signing last week. The 31-year-old California native is back for his second season in the Atlantic League after playing for Southern Maryland last season. A former New York Mets’ prospect, Rios batted just .241 in 71 games for the Crabs last year.

 

YORK REVOLUTION: RHP Matt Fox signed by New York Mets; Revolution sign LHP Edward Paredes and OF Mike Coles, place INF Andy Gonzalez on suspended list, announce retirement of OF Jason Repko

Fox made four starts for York, posting a 1-0 record and 1.58 ERA in 17 total innings. The 6-foot, 3-inch right-hander struck out 18 batters and walked three. The University of Central Florida alum reached the majors in 2010 with both Boston and Minnesota, making one big league start for the Twins, the organization that drafted him in the first round of the 2004 draft out of UCF. After going to the Red Sox, he made three appearances out of their bullpen in 2010. Fox missed much of last season battling inflammation in his throwing shoulder. He had eight combined starts for three different affiliates in the Seattle Mariners’ organization. Fox becomes the third York player to get picked up by a major league organization this season, which matches the total amount of Revs that were signed by big league teams last year. He reported to the Mets’ Class AAA Las Vegas affiliate.

He made his pro debut in 2006 and has spent his entire seven-year pro career playing indy ball in Northern League, Frontier League and American Association. He’ll make his debut in the Atlantic League with York. Coles, 30, has batted above .300 in four of those seasons. A 6-foot, right-handed batter, Coles split last year between American Association clubs Gary Southshore and Winnipeg. He had a .211 average in 27 games with Winnipeg but hit .300 in 72 games at Gary Soutshore.

Repko, 32, retires with 360 games of big league experience. A first-round draft pick out of high school by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1999, Repko played in the majors for the Dodgers, Minnesota Twins and Rex Sox. For his career, he has a .224 average, 16 homers and 67 RBIs in the majors. Repko started out this season batting just .159 in his first 10 games with York before going 19-for-63 (.302) at the plate in his last 12 games to bump his average up to .253. To read the full story on Repko’s retirement, including quotes from Repko on why he decided to retire, click here.

York placed Gonzalez on the suspended list while he returns to his native Puerto Rico to deal with what the team is calling personal issues. Gonzalez, a former big leaguer, held a .273 batting average with no homers, seven RBIs and eight runs scored in 21 games for York.

A prospect of the Seattle Mariners his first five years as a pro, Paredes sat out all of last season before playing winter ball in the Dominican for Estrellas, where he went 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA. Paredes’s best season came in 2010 at Class AA West Tennessee (Mariners), where he posted a 3.63 ERA in 26 relief appearances. He has a career 7.34 ERA at the Class AAA level. He has a career record of 28-30 with seven saves. The left-hander comes to York after pitching for the Cleveland Indians’ Class AA Akron affiliate, where he went scoreless in his first three relief appearances before giving up a combined six runs over his last three appearances, which led to his release on April 18.

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Multiple media outlets reported Tuesday former big league pitcher Carlos Zambrano has signed with the Long Island Ducks. The Ducks have yet to actually announce anything, but it pretty much sounds like a done deal.

The signing came as news to York Revolution manager Mark Mason, who said before Tuesday’s game the Revs have been in talks with Zambrano over the last couple weeks.

“He’s been in touch with (Revs’ reliever) Juan Rincon,” Mason said. “We were interested but we really don’t have any room.”

Although it was under different circumstances, the Ducks had also signed former big league outfielder Vladimir Guerrero earlier this year after the Revs were in discussions with him on possibly coming to York.

Mason said it also sounds like Zambrano is still building up to be a starting pitcher. That wouldn’t scare off Long Island, who brought in former big leaguer Dontrelle Willis as he continues to build up into a starting role. In his third start for the Ducks on Tuesday, Willis tossed a season-high 6.2 innings, holding Lancaster to two runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

For more information, feel free to check out a detailed blog post on Zambrano from Courier News’ Somerset Patriots’ beat reporter Ryan Dunleavy, who chatted with Zambrano’s agent and caught up with his former teammate and current Patriots’ player Jake Fox.

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A total of five Atlantic League clubs and 15 players, including seven former major leaguers, involved in transactions last week. Not much on news this past week other than a couple features that touched on the Atlantic League. Here’s a special to Sports Illustrated on Dontrelle Willis pitching for the Ducks, and a more in-depth story from Courier News’ Somerset Patriots’ beat reporter Ryan Dunleavy on the “D-Train.” Also, check out a Q&A that MLBtraderumors.com did with Ducks’ president and general manager Michael Pfaff about several topics, including his thoughts on Vlad Guerrero and when he might play in the Atlantic League this season. Ballparkdigest.com also did a nice piece on the Somerset Patriots’ TD Bank Ballpark going green.

Now on the transactions…

 

CAMDEN RIVERSHARKS: Signed INF Delwyn Young and OF Chris Walker

Young becomes the fourth former big leaguer to join Camden this season. He returns for his second straight season with the Riversharks about a month after the Washington Nationals released him at the end of March. Young, 30, has 344 games of big league experience under his belt. He spent part of the 2012 season with the Camden Riversharks, batting .191 in 32 games.

Walker, 32, returns for his fifth straight season in the Atlantic League, and fourth in Camden. He comes to the Riversharks after playing in 25 games in the Mexican League this season with Saltillo, where he batted .275. In 121 games with Camden in 2012, Walker batted .239. The Mississippi native is a former prospect of the Chicago Cubs, where he reached Class AAA Iowa in 2007. He also played for the Los Angeles Angels Class AAA Salt Lake club in 2008.

Camden now has 28 players under contract (catcher Salomon Manriquez is inactive).

LANCASTER BARNSTORMERS: RHP Tim Dillard signed by Milwaukee Brewers, OF Joe Mather signed by Cincinnati Reds

Dillard rejoins the same organization where he had spent his entire 10-year pro career before coming to Lancaster this season. The right-hander tossed six scoreless outings for the Barnstormers before getting picked up by the Brewers. In all, the Mississippi native threw seven scoreless innings, giving up three hits while striking out five with no walks. He’s aiming to get back to the majors since pitching there just last season. For his career, Dillard has 73 games of big league experience – all in relief – with a 4.71 ERA. Dillard, 29, has been assigned to Class AAA Nashville.

Mather has played in 229 major league games over four separate seasons with three different teams. He spent all of last season with the Chicago Cubs, batting .209 with five homers and 19 RBIs in 103 big league games. He joins the Cincinnati Reds’ organization for the first time in his 13-year pro career. A former third-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001, Mather came to Lancaster shortly after having an unsuccessful spring training tryout in the Philadelphia Phillies’ camp earlier this year. The 30-year-old outfielder batted .271 with two homers, four RBIs and four runs scored in 13 games for the ‘Stormers. He has been assigned to the Reds’ Class AA Pensacola afffiliate. For more on Mather, check out a feature on him from Lancaster Intelligencer Journal’s Barnstormers’ beat writer Burt Wilson, who caught up with Mather last week before he departed for Pensacola.

Dillard and Mather become the Barnstormers’ first two players picked up by big league clubs this season.

SOMERSET PATRIOTS: SS Yunesky Sanchez picked up by Oaxaca (Mexican League), Somerset signed OF Josh Kroeger and RHP Jim Hoey

Sanchez was leading the Atlantic League in home runs (five) and RBIs (15) to go along with a .381 batting average at the time of being signed by Oaxaca. It’ll mark Sanchez’s first time playing in the Mexican League in his seventh pro season. He spent his first four years as a pro in the minors with the Arizona Diamondbacks, reaching Class AAA Reno in 2010. This season marked his third in the Atlantic League. He started out with Southern Maryland in 2011, batting .403 in 61 games before being picked up by the Pittsburgh Pirates and assigned to Class AA Altoona, where he hit .299 in 42 games. Sanchez, 28, came back to the Atlantic League in 2012, this time with Somerset, and held a .274 batting average in 77 games.

Kroeger, 30, played in 22 games at the major league level with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005. He also has nine seasons of experience at the Class AAA level, played in the farm systems’ of the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves. He last played at the Class AAA level in 2007 with the Cubs. This will mark his first season in the Atlantic League.

Hoey, 30, will make his Atlantic League debut with Somerset after pitching in three games with the Milwaukee Brewers’ Class AAA Nashville affiliate, where he allowed 12 runs (11 earned) in 3.1 innings. Hoey is also a former big leaguer, having last played there in 2011 with the Minnesota Twins. Hoey came up through the Baltimore Orioles’ organization after the O’s took him in the 13th round of the 2003 draft. He missed nearly the entire 2004 season because of Tommy John surgery but would return to pitch in the majors with the O’s in 2006 and 2007 before missing the entire 2008 season because of shoulder surgery. For his career, Hoey has 61 games of experience at the major league level, posting a 4-7 record and 6.90 ERA.

The Patriots have 28 players under contract (reliever Ryan Zamorsky is inactive), including nine with major league experience.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND BLUE CRABS: Signed LHP Michael Ballard, RHP Kyle Zaleski and C Alvin Colina, released RHP Deinys Suarez, traded RHP Tommy Mendoza to River City Rascals (Frontier League), traded C George Carroll to Trois-Rivieres Aigles (Can-Am League)

Ballard comes to the Atlantic League for the first time in his seventh season as a pro. The starting pitcher spent all of last season with the Washington Nationals’ Class AA Harrisburg affiliate, going 1-5 with a 4.31 ERA in 12 starts. Originally a 14th-round draft choice of the Texas Rangers in 2006, Ballard reached Class AAA Oklahoma in 2008. He’s also seen time in the Baltimore Orioles’ organization. A Virginia native, Ballard played college ball for the University of Virginia, where he had a career 3.51 ERA in 38 starts over three seasons. He missed all of the 2004 season with the Cavaliers because of Tommy John surgery to his throwing arm. For his career, the 28-year-old Ballard has 12-17 record and 5.37 ERA in 55 games (39 starts) at the Class AAA level, last playing there in 2011.

Zaleski, 31, returns for his fifth season in the Atlantic League and second with Southern Maryland, last playing with the Crabs in 2010. Last season, the Illinois native went 5-3 with a 4.63 ERA in 48 relief appearances with Bridgeport.

Colina, 31, is a former big leaguer who comes back to the Atlantic League for his third straight season and first with Southern Maryland. The Venezuela native has a career .248 batting average in 172 Atlantic League games. He played in 2 major league games with the Colorado Rockies in 2006.

Suarez, 29, returned for his second season in the Atlantic League after posting 5-6 record and 4.55 ERA in 33 games (15 starts) for Southern Maryland in 2012. In two games for the Crabs this year, Suarez allowed seven earned runs in 3.2 innings of work, a 17.18 ERA.

Mendoza, 25, is a former Los Angeles Angels prospect, reaching Class AAA Salt Lake in 2009 and 2010. He has played indy ball since then, suiting up for the Frontier League’s Joliet the last two seasons, where he had a combined 11-9 record and 4.00 ERA in 32 starts. A Florida native, Mendoza posted a 24.75 ERA in two appearances for the Crabs, allowing 11 earned runs in four innings.

Carroll hit .106 in six games for Southern Maryland.

Southern Maryland now has 28 players on its roster (infielder Ryan Mulhern is inactive), including seven players with major league experience.

YORK REVOLUTION: RHP Josh Judy signed by L.A. Angels, York released C Sandy DeLeon

Judy, 27, became the second Atlantic League player to get picked up by a big league club during the regular season when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim signed the right-hander to a contract. He’s also the first player in the league to earn a major league contract after playing in a game (Cincinnati signed Camden’s Marquez Smith on April 19, but Smith didn’t actually play in the Atlantic League this season). The Angels assigned the right-hander to Class AA Arkansas. A former big leaguer, Judy posted a 1-0 record and 2.25 ERA in four relief appearances for the Revs. He last pitched for York on Saturday at Bridgeport, allowing one hit in 0.2 innings of work. He’s been throwing in the low 90s this season. In his only time in the majors in 2011 with Cleveland, Judy posted a 7.07 ERA in 12 games. For more details on Judy’s journey to York and his aspirations to return to the majors, click here.

York signed DeLeon last week in what amounted to a one-day contract. Because catcher Patrick Arlis had to miss the April 27 game at Bridgeport, the Revs brought in DeLeon, a New York native who lived nearby, to be the back-up to Salvador Paniagua. DeLeon did not see action in the game but was suited up in a Revolution uniform in the dugout. Had he played, it would’ve marked his eighth season in the Atlantic League and 13th year in the pros, and his first time seeing action since 2011.

There are now 26 players on York’s active roster (reliever Pedro Liriano is still inactive).

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Veteran outfielder Vladimir Guerrero will likely miss the Long Island Ducks’ three-game series in York this weekend. The Ducks play at York on Friday through Sunday.

Guerrero, who signed with Long Island on April 4, has yet to play in a game for the Ducks. He’s still down in his native Dominican Republic. When reached by phone Monday, Ducks’ media relations and broadcast manager Michael Polak didn’t give any indication Guerrero is likely to join the team anytime soon.

“Guerrero is still down in the Dominican Republic dealing with a family issue,” Polak said. “When that changes, we will let fans know. As of right now, there is no timetable as to when he’ll join us.”

Guerrero is still on Long Island’s inactive list since being placed there on April 13. The fact that Guerrero, 38, had yet to play this season is surprising to Revs’ third base coach Enohel Polanco, who chatted with Guerrero last month in hopes to get him to come play for York before he signed with Long Island.

“I know that the day I talked to him he said he was hitting BP (batting practice) but he had some family things he had to take care of before he came (to play),” Polanco said Tuesday night after York’s 3-2 loss to Camden. “That was the last conversation I had with him and then I found out he went to the Ducks. I’m surprised (he hasn’t played yet) because he’s a guy who likes to play the game.”

Guerrero, 38, last played in the big leagues in 2011 as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. Mostly a designated hitter, he batted .290 that season for the Orioles, with 13 homers and 63 RBIs in 145 games. Guerrero is a career .318 hitter in 2,147 games in the majors, with 449 homers, 1,496 RBIs, 1,328 runs scored and 2,590 hits.

Willis: There’s a good chance York won’t get to see former major leaguer Dontrelle Willis in action, either. The left-hander made his first start for Long Island on April 26, allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits in 2.2 innings of work. He’ll likely make his next start on Thursday at Long Island against visiting Somerset. Of course, Thursday’s game could always get rained out to push back Willis’s next start to Friday, but there’s a zero percent chance of rain in Long Island on Thursday.

The two-time All-Star earned the NL Rookie of the Year Award as a member of the World Series champion Marlins in 2003 after compiling a 14-6 record with a 3.30 ERA, two complete game shutouts and 142 strikeouts in 27 starts. He last pitched in the Major Leagues in 2011 as a member of the Reds, making 13 starts and striking out 57 batters in 75 and two-thirds innings. A native of California, the 31-year-old spent the 2012 season with Norfolk (AAA, Orioles). Willis was originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the eighth round of the 2000 amateur draft.

Next chance: There’s still a chance Revolution fans could get an opportunity to possibly see Guerrero or Willis in action later this season. After the series this weekend, Long Island is next slated to come back to York for a four-game series from May 31 to June 1 and a three-game series from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1.

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A total of six teams and 12 players, including two former big leaguers were involved in transactions over the last week in the Atlantic League. Before we get to those signings and releases, here are some newsworthy items:

Speed it up: The Atlantic League issued a formal press release last week on the new pace-of-game rules to speed up the completion times of games. Click here to read more.

Skeeters get broadcast partner: The Sugar Land Skeeters announced Friday a new radio partnership with KBRZ Sports Radio for the 2013 season. All regular season Skeeters games will be broadcast on KBRZ, via online stream and through TuneIn Radio App. KBRZ replaces the Skeeters’ former broadcast partner, Cox Media Group. Last season, Skeeters games were broadcast on 97.1 FM and on HoustonsEagle.com and TheNew93Q.com, both of which are affiliated with Cox Media Group radio stations in Houston. Also new on the call for Sugar Land is play-by-play man Ira Liebman, who replaces Lane Zieben. Click here to read more on the news and learn more about Liebman.

Skeeters preserving baseball history: While we’re on the Skeeters, here’s a blurb from Ballpark Digest on Sugar Land creating a home for the Houston baseball memorabilia collected by the Finger family.

Hobson speaks: Since the 2013 season is still fairly new, I thought this would be worth pointing out: Lancaster Intelligencer Journal’s Barnstormers beat reporter Burt Wilson sat down with skipper Butch Hobson last week for a Q&A. Among many topics, Hobson shared his thoughts on the beginning of a baseball season and building a baseball team. Click here to check it out. Also, feel free to give Wilson a follow on Twitter @BurtWilson21

Now on to the transactions…

 

BRIDGEPORT BLUEFISH: Signed RHP Ty’relle Harris and RHP Josh Schmidt; OF Collin DeLome retires

Much thanks to Bridgeport Bluefish fan Vivianna Velasquez (@TheFishPen) for first letting people know about the retirement of DeLome. The Bluefish signed DeLome, 27, just two weeks ago. He returned to the same place where he crushed the ball last season, batting .368 with five homers and 22 RBIs in just 23 games before being picked up by the Atlanta Braves on May 28. Before coming to Bridgeport he had started the year at Class AAA Oklahoma City, the Houston Astros’ affiliate, but the Astros released him after he hit .176 in 10 games. He didn’t have much better luck with the Braves’ Class AAA Gwinnett team, hitting .125 in just six games. The Braves released DeLome in late March. In seven games for Bridgeport this season, DeLome batted .214 in 28 plate appearances. Three of his six hits were made up of a double, triple and home run. DeLome was originally a fifth-round draft pick of the Houston Astros in 2007 out of Lamar (Tex.) University, where he held a career .340 average in 172 games. He was teammates with former Atlantic League pitcher Derrick Gordon (now retired) at Lamar. DeLome reached the Astros’ Class AAA Oklahoma City club in 2011 before coming to Bridgeport in 2012.

Harris, 26, makes his Park City and Atlantic League debut during his fifth season of professional baseball. Just four years removed from playing college ball at the University of Tennessee, the righty was originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2009 and spent 36 games with the Braves’ organization before getting traded to the Cubs in the 2010 season for Derrek Lee. Harris’s best year came in 2011 while with Class AA Tennessee, where the reliever had a 1-0 record with a 2.10 ERA in 34.1 innings pitched. He split last season between Class High A Daytona, Class AA Tennessee and Class AAA Iowa, posting a 3.84 ERA and a 4-6 record in 82.0 combined innings of work.

The ‘Fish picked up Schmidt just days after he was released by the Somerset Patriots. The right-hander saw action in just two games for Somerset, giving up a hit with three strikeouts in one inning against Southern Maryland on April 18 before allowing an earned run on four walks with one strikeout in one inning against Southern Maryland April 21. That accumulated to a 4.50 ERA. Schmidt, 30, is a former prospect of the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins who spent the majority of the last three seasons at the Class AA level, where he owns a career 20-13 record and 2.39 ERA in 162 games. At the Class AAA level, where he has played in parts of the last three seasons, he has a career 6-2 record and 3.24 ERA in 27 games.

Bridgeport now has 29 players under contract (including pitcher Wardell Starling and outfielder Brian Anderson, who are inactive). With the addition of Harris and Schmidt, the ‘Fish have 16 players who are in their first seasons in the Atlantic League.

CAMDEN RIVERSHARKS: Signed 3B Tommy Mendoca, released C Francisco Rodriguez and OF Ruddy Yan

Mendoca, 25, comes to Camden and the Atlantic League after spending the first four seasons of his pro career in the minors with the Texas Rangers’ organization. Just four years removed from playing college ball at Fresno State University, Mendoca spent last season with the Class AA Frisco and Class AAA Round Rock. He batted .208 in 63 games at Round Rock and holds a career .278 average in 153 games played at the Class AA level.

Yan, 31, did not see any action for Camden. He was set for his second season in the Atlantic League with Camden, having last played with the Riversharks in 2011, when he batted .281 with no homers and 24 RBIs in 99 games.

Rodriguez, 43, was the Atlantic League’s oldest active player for all of three games. Camden signed him just last week, but opted to release Rodriguez after he went 0-for-5 in three games with three strikeouts. York Revolution starting pitcher Brett Tomko, 40, now holds the distinction of the being the league’s oldest player.

The Riversharks now have 26 players on their roster, including 15 who are in their first seasons in the Atlantic League.

LONG ISLAND DUCKS: Signed OF/1B Ben Broussard, 1B Ryan Strieby

Broussard, 36, is a former big leaguer who comes to the Atlantic League for the first time in his 12th year as a pro. Originally a second-round draft pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 1999, Broussard first reached the majors in 2002 as a member of the Cleveland Indians. He has played in 705 big league games with three different teams during his career and holds a .263 big league average. He last played in the majors in 2008 with the Texas Rangers. Broussard was been out of baseball for a few years while he concentrated on his music career.  He returned to baseball earlier this season in the Mexican League as a member of the Diablos Rojos, where he hit .3-4 with two homres and 11 RBIs in 19 games.

A Washington native, Strieby was drafted in the fourth round by the Detroit Tigers in 2006. A right-handed batter, Strieby has spent the majority of the last three seasons at the Class AAA level, where he has a career .234 average in 297 games.

The Ducks now have 30 players on their roster, (infielder Josh Barfield and outfielders Vladimir Guerrero and Matt Fleischman are inactive) including 10 former big leaguers.

SOMERSET PATRIOTS: Signed LHP Roy Merritt, released RHP Josh Schmidt

Merritt, 27, returns to Somerset for his second straight season in the Atlantic League. The left-handed starter went 8-8 with a 3.22 ERA in 27 starts for the Patriots last season. Prior to coming to Somerset, Merritt had spent his first five pro seasons as a New York Mets’ prospect, reaching Class AAA Buffalo in 2010.

Schmidt, 30, is a former prospect of the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins who spent the majority of the last three seasons at the Class AA level, where he owns a career 20-13 record and 2.39 ERA in 162 games. At the Class AAA level, where he has played in parts of the last three seasons, he has a career 6-2 record and 3.24 ERA in 27 games. The right-hander saw action in just two games for Somerset, giving up a hit with three strikeouts in one inning against Southern Maryland on April 18 before allowing an earned run on four walks with one strikeout in one inning against Southern Maryland April 21. That accumulated to a 4.50 ERA.

Somerset’s roster is currently at 27 players (not including outfielder Jeff Baisley, who was signed on April 3 but is no longer on Somerset’s roster, although no transaction has been issued yet to tell us if Baisley has either been released or is just inactive).

SUGAR LAND SKEETERS: Signed LHP Gilbert De La Vara

Either I missed this signing two weeks ago or De La Vara wasn’t added to the roster or until sometime last week. Either way, De La Vara is back for his second consecutive season in the Atlantic League. In 26 starts for Bridgeport last season, De La Vara posted a 11-9 record and 4.13 ERA. He’s made two appearances in relief thus far for Sugar Land. De La Vara, 28, 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 the 2011 season 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.

The Skeeters have 27 players listed on their roster (missing from the roster are right-handed pitchers Julian Tavarez, Derek Blacksher and Jake Cowan. I suspect Tavarez is on the inactive list while Blacksher and Cowan are no longer on the team, but we won’t know those answers since Sugar Land hasn’t provided any information on transactions).

YORK REVOLUTION: Signed LHP Rommie Lewis and C Sandy DeLeon

Lewis, 30, went 3-1 with a 2.05 ERA in 47 appearances with Bridgeport last season. He has a career 7.12 ERA in 20 major league games, last pitching there in 2011 with the Toronto Blue Jays.

It’s unclear at this point if DeLeon, 33, will return for his eighth season in the Atlantic League. York signed the former Rev on April 27 while also placing catcher Patrick Arlis on the inactive list. Two days later, York activated Arlis and put DeLeon on the inactive list. So, for now York has two active catchers and one inactive catcher, although manager Mark Mason had said in the off-season he wouldn’t mind adding a third catcher this season. Anyway, DeLeon was actually in York a few weeks ago as part of the retired Atlantic League alumni team playing against the Revs in York’s FanFest event. A New York native, DeLeon didn’t play at all in the 2012 season. In 2011, he batted .238 in 65 games for the New York Federals in the independent Can-Am League. DeLeon has spent his entire 12-year pro career playing indy ball. He has suited up for nine different Atlantic League clubs (including Atlantic City, Lehigh Valley, the Road Warriors, Newark, all of which are no longer in the league). He played in 18 games for York in 2010, batting .237 in 59 plate appearances. He’s a career .254 hitter.

York now has 29 players under contract (DeLeon and reliever Pedro Liriano are inactive), including 15 former big leaguers (including Liriano, who is inactive).

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Transactions were busy this week as they include five Atlantic League clubs and 17 players, including six former major leaguers. But first, here are some news items worth note….

Speeding up the game: The Atlantic League is discussing the addition of new pace-of-game rules this season in attempt to speed up the completion times of games. Click here for all the details.

Virgnia Beach expansion team?: The Atlantic League gave conditional approval for a franchise in Virginia Beach. It basically means the Atlantic League promises to put a franchise there so long as the proper funding and building plan is in place – because why would a town want to build a stadium and then try to find a league to join. Click here to read more details on the plans in Virginia Beach. Virgnia Beach joins the Loudon (Va.) Hounds on the list of locations that are currently conditionally approved by the Atlantic League. A timeline as to when to expect a franchise in either of these locations is still premature.

Now on to the transactions…

 

BRIDGEPORT BLUEFISH: Signed C Luis Rodriguez, OF Brian Anderson, INF Brad Boyer, INF Matt Spencer, RHP Edward Rodriguez, OF Collin Delome, OF Adam Greenberg and RHP Hayden Penn; Released OF Robbie Garvey

Luis Rodriguez, 39, returns to Bridgeport for the fifth straight season. In 97 games last season, Luis batted .255 with nine home runs, 43 RBI, 37 runs scored, and 12 doubles. Known as “The Machete” for his penchant for cutting down runners on the basepaths with a cannon of an arm, Luis Rodriguez has played for the Long Island Ducks and the Nashua Pride, then of the Atlantic League, before coming to Bridgeport in 2008. This past off-season, he participated in the World Baseball Classic as part of the coaching staff for Team Venezuela.

It appears Anderson, 31, will return the outfield for the first time since 2009 after spending the last three years in the pros as a pitcher. Drafted 15th overall by the Chicago White Sox in 2003, Anderson went to play in 355 big league games from 2005 through 2009, batting a combined .227 in 799 plate appearances in the majors. He then turned to pitching in 2010, when he reached the Kansas City Royals’ Class AAA Omaha club. Last season he pitched in just five games for Somerset out of the bullpen, posting a 1.80 ERA in five innings.

Like Anderson, it appears Spencer will be a position player after pitching last season. A third-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007, Spencer spent the first four years of his pro career in the minors as an outfielder. In 2011, he split time between pitching and playing the outfield. In 2012, he was strictly a pitcher. As an outfielder, he reached Class AAA Iowa in the Chicago Cubs’ system. As a pitcher, he reached Class High A Daytona (Cubs) in 2012. This season will mark his first in the Atlantic League.

Boyer, 29, joins the Bluefish during his second season in the Atlantic League and eighth of professional baseball. The Santa Monica native began the 2012 campaign as a member of the Lancaster Barnstormers and finished the season in the Park City. With the ‘Fish, he batted .263 in 44 games.

Edward Rodriguez, 28, will make his Park City debut during his third season in the Atlantic League and ninth of professional baseball. He last pitched in 2011 as a member of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. In 29 appearances (12 starts) the righthander posted an 8-4 record with a 4.14 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 100 innings pitched.

The Bluefish signed DeLome and Greenberg over the weekend, according to a tweet from Bridgeport Bluefish GM Ken Shepard. Delome, 27, returns to the same place where he crushed the ball last season, batting .368 with five homers and 22 RBIs in just 23 games before being picked up by the Atlanta Braves on May 28. Before coming to Bridgeport he had started the year at Class AAA Oklahoma City, the Houston Astros’ affiliate, but the Astros released him after he hit .176 in 10 games. He didn’t have much better luck with the Braves’ Class AAA Gwinnett team, hitting .125 in just six games. The Braves released DeLome in late March.

Greenberg, who was made famous last season with his one at-bat with the Marlins, had signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles back in December before getting released earlier this month. In his first and only major league at-bat with the Chicago Cubs in 2005, Greenberg got drilled in the head on the first pitch he saw. This seven-minute Youtube clip with Greenberg recently on The Today Show explains it all. The Marlins gave Greenberg a one-day contract and his moment in the spotlight Tuesday night, bringing him as a pinch-hitter. Unfortunately for Greenberg, he went down on strikes on three pitches from Mets’ ace R.A. Dickey (yes I’m calling Dickey an ace). Check out video of the moment here. Greenberg, 32, played in a combined 354 games with the Bridgeport Bluefish from 2008 to 2011.

Penn, 28, is a former big leaguer who will make his Atlantic League debut with the Bluefish. Drafted in the fifth round by the Baltimore Orioles in 2002, Penn pitched in a combined 14 games with the O’s big league club in 2005 and 2006. He lated pitched briefly with the Marlins and the Pittsburgh Pirates. For his career, he owns a 4-6 record and 9.55 ERA in 33 big league games (15 starts). He comes to Bridgeport after spending last season overseas in Japan, going 1-2 with a 3.98 ERA in four starts with Chiba Lotte.

Garvey, signed in February, is no longer listed on the team’s roster. Bridgeport now has 24 players under contract for the 2013 season (Note*Anderson, Boyer, DeLome and Greenberg were not on Bridgeport’s online roster as of Monday night), including 11 former big leaguers.

CAMDEN RIVERSHARKS: INF Marquez Smith picked up by Cincinnati Reds

According to a tweet sent out Sunday night by Riversharks’ general manager Adam Lorber, Smith was apparently picked up by the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds had actually signed Smith back in November, but he was then selected by the Texas Rangers in the Rule V draft in December before being released by the Rangers in late March.  The Clemson University product was set to make his return to Camden, where he batted .363 with three homers and 20 RBIs in 23 games last season before being picked up by the Boston Red Sox in June and assigned to Class AA Portland. Smith, 28, then batted .293 with eight homers and 37 RBIs in 71 games at Portland.

 

LONG ISLAND DUCKS: Signed LHP Rusty Jones, acquired OF Matt Fleishman from Washington Wild Things in exchange for player to be named later

Jones, 29, has spent his entire seven-year pro career in independent ball. The lefty reliever has a career 15-16 record and 5.06 ERA. A Kansas native, Jones went 4-1 with a 2.44 ERA in 32 appearances last season with Edinburg (North American League).

Long Island signed Fleishman, now 22, last season in a bold move not typically seen by Atlantic League clubs. After batting .320 with five homers and 42 RBIs in 55 games in his senior season with Villanova University, Fleishman signed with his hometown team in the Ducks, where he batted .238 in 17 games. He is by far the youngest player in the league – there are a handful of 25-year-olds across the league. (Check out more on Fleishman from a story on him done last season by Long Island Newsday).

Long Island now has 28 players signed, including nine former big leaguers. Thirteen are new to the league.

SOUTHERN MARYLAND BLUE CRABS: Signed RHP Jeff Stevens, RHP Kyle Mertins, RHP Pete Sikaras, RHP Daryl Thompson

Stevens, 29, and Thompson, 27, are just the fourth and fifth former big leaguers to sign with Southern Maryland this season. Thompson, a former big leaguer, will return to Southern Maryland for his second straight season after going 1-2 with a 3.43 ERA in six starts and four relief appearances with the Blue Crabs in 2012. Before coming to the Crabs, the Maryland native began the season with the Minnesota Twins’ Class AAA Rochester club, where he posted a 1-5 record and 4.71 ERA in nine starts. Thompson owns a career 8.47 ERA in four big league games, last pitching there in 2011.

A California native, Stevens will make his Atlantic League debut with the Crabs. He spent last season in the New York Mets’ minor leagues, posting a 7.71 ERA in six games at Class AA Binghamton and 3.32 ERA in 34 relief appearances at Class AAA Buffalo. He owns a career 1-0 record and 6.16 ERA in 33 appearances in the big leagues, last pitching there in 2011 with the Chicago Cubs.

Mertins, 25, is a former Atlanta Braves’ prospect who pitched last season with independent American Association club Sioux Falls, going 4-1 with a 1.00 ERA in 45 relief appearances.

Sikaras, 33, will also make his Atlantic League debut with the Crabs. It also looks like he’ll be returning to the game for the first time in four seasons after last pitching in 2009. He is a former prospect of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies, reaching Class AAA Tucson (D’Backs) in 2001 but never pitching above Class AA since then.

Southern Maryland now has 23 players signed for the 2013 season, including 11 who are new to the league.

YORK REVOLUTION: Signed SS Andy Gonzalez

Gonzalez, , was in York’s spring training camp for three days in 2011 before being picked up by the Milwaukee Brewers, where he has spent the last two seasons in the club’s farm system. A former big leaguer, Gonzalez batted .301 in 42 games at Class AA Huntsville and .221 in 87 games at Class AAA Nashville. A Puerto Rico native, Gonzalez joins York shortly after being released by the Chicago White Sox. Originally drafted by the White Sox in the fifth round in 2001, Gonzalez has 91 games of big league experience, split between the White Sox, Cleveland Indians and Marlins from 2007 through 2009. Gonzalez will make his Atlantic League debut with the Revs.

York now has 29 players under contract, including 14 former major leaguers.

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