Well, it has been a long cold lonely winter, so here come the Suns* for 2014 (watchlist players in bold, notables in italics):
* Yes, I’ve been waiting awhile for the chance to drop that one
PITCHERS | INFIELDERS | OUTFIELDERS | CATCHERS |
Dixon Anderson | Wilmer Difo | Isaac Ballou | Spencer Kieboom |
Andrew Cooper | David Masters | Rafael Bautista | Craig Manuel |
Lucas Giolito | Khayyan Norfork | Estarlin Martinez | |
L.J. Hollins | Drew Ward | Wilman Rodriguez | |
Jake Johansen | James Yezzo | John Wooten | |
Nick Pivetta | |||
Hector Silvestre | |||
John Simms | |||
Matthew Spann | |||
Wander Suero | |||
Justin Thomas | |||
Austin Voth | |||
Jake Walsh |
Twenty of these 25 are on this site’s 2014 Watchlist, so by definition, this is a roster that will bear, um, watching — especially the pitchers. Headlined by Lucas Giolito, who it looks like I was wrong about (and happy for it) and will begin the season on the active roster, it would appear that he’ll be joined in the rotation by Jake Johansen, Austin Voth, and Nick Pivetta. Who the #5 guy will be appears to be the biggest mystery, with Hector Silvestre, Matthew Spann, and Dixon Anderson all candidates.
Silvestre will be joined by Wander Suero and Jake Walsh from the 2013 GCL Champs, with Rafael Bautista and Drew Ward bypassing Auburn. That’s perhaps not as many as some had hoped, but it’s roughly what I thought it would be (especially for Ward).
Busy day… finally, the P-Nats.