A Couple Cuts, Few More Releases
Late yesterday afternoon, the Nationals announced the reassignment of 1B/LF Micah Owings and UT Carlos Rivero to minor-league camp. Both will presumably begin the season in Syracuse.
MLB.com beat writer Bill “No, I did not play Stevie’s Dad on Malcolm In The Middle” Ladson also had the news of another set of releases:
- RHP Alex Kreis (Hagerstown)
- OF Ray Kruml (offseason pickup)
- LHP Brandon Mann (offseason pickup)
- RHP Hassan Pena (Syracuse)
With less than a week to go before the minor-league season starts, it’s now a waiting game to see how the rosters shake out. Unfortunately, if there are any more releases, we’re back to relying on MiLB.com and Baseball America (warning: if you haven’t been to the site in a couple of days, it’s been redesigned) as the beat writers have (quite happily) left Viera for this afternoon’s cash cow vs. the New York Yankees.
I’m expecting rosters to be released on Tuesday and Wednesday (e.g. the 3rd is Media Day for Potomac). The past two seasons, the first roster to hit the streets, er, inboxes has been Harrisburg, which is quite apt this year since it’s the most anticipated roster of them all… Matt Skole, Brian Goodwin, Nathan Karns, and newly acquired Ian Krol, for example. Wait: Am I missing anybody?
As in years past, I’ll have a separate post for each roster with some analysis.
Hassan Pena is the name I best recognize of all of those. Looking back to your previous columns, I see he was suspended last year for “vioating team rules.” Did we ever find out which rules he violated, or should I not care because he has been let go? Here’s hoping all the guys get another chance if they are looking for one.
No and probably not. If it had been truly serious, he probably would have been let go last November.
I read on MiLb.com about Morgantown getting in the NYPL business. any rumors as to which team will locate there?
The betting money is on either Batavia or Jamestown, given that the former has been losing money while being run by the Rochester Redwings, while the latter has been working in one of the oldest parks in the league and hasn’t been drawing very well. It’s not as big a factor as it’s ever made out to be, but the Jammers are currently a Pirates affiliate and WV is already home to a Pittsburgh farm club.
It should also be noted Binghamton is rumored to be moving to Ottawa, which could potentially free up that city/stadium for whichever of those two doesn’t move… assuming that none of the stadium-starved affiliates (*ahem*) in the Sally League or Carolina League are lured up there (unlikely, given the demographic dropoff).
Luke, care to project starting lineups for Syracuse and Harrisburg?
Harrisburg I think will look like this:
C – Leon
1B/3B/DH – Skole
2B/SS – Hague
SS/2B – Jo. Johnson
3B/2B/SS – Rendon
LF – Hood
CF – Goodwin
RF – Souza
DH/LF/1B – Bloxom
SPs (alphabetically)
Broderick, Holder, Karns, Krol, Treinen
For Syracuse:
C – Solano/Maldonado
1B – Marrero
2B – Kobernus
SS – Walters
3B – Rivero
LF – Brown
CF – Perez
RF – Komatsu
DH – Costanzo
SPs – Rosenbaum, Perry, Maya, Ohlendorf, Torra or Roark
Phone the hold – working on a post about the Senators…
Here is the H’burg roster:
Pitchers
Barrett, Aaron
Broderick, Brian
Clay, Caleb
Demny, Paul
Frias, Marcos
Holder, Trevor
Holland, Neil
Karns, Nathan
Krol, Ian
Lehman, Pat
Swynenberg, Matt
Treinen, Blake
Wort, Rob
Catchers
Howell, Jeff
Leon, Sandy
Watts, Kris
Infielders
Hague, Rick
Johnson, Josh
Lozada, Jose
Nicol, Sean
Rendon, Anthony
Skole, Matt
Outfielders
Bloxom, Justin
Goodwin, Brian
Hood, Destin
Souza, Steven Jr.