SOME ODD 'N ENDS STARTING WITH HOT SEATTLE MINOR LEAGUE HURLER

I would mark Steve Delabar down as a former Independent player possibly on a fast track toward the major leagues.

While the 27-year-old righty has been pitching professionally since 2004, he was only signed by Seattle in the third week of April and now the Mariners have promoted the 6-foot-5 hurler from Class A High Desert in the California League to Double-A Jackson, MS.

We wrote about Delabar earlier this season in the Independent Baseball Insider because he is coming back after what appeared to be a career-ending broken right elbow. He worked at Florence, KY of the Frontier League and for quite a while with Brockton, MA in the Can-Am League before Seattle bought his contract.

Delabar has struck out 29 hitters in 20.1 minor league innings so far with five saves, a 2-1 record and a 2.66 earned run average. He has been virtually perfect in the Southern League, and we will keep a lookout for more progress.

ODDS 'N ENDS HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND: The New York Mets have sent lefty Mike O'Connor (Southern Maryland, Atlantic League) back to Triple-A Buffalo even though he had a 2.70 ERA for nine appearances. He took one loss, but also fanned eight in 6.2 innings and gave up only five hits...Milwaukee has Erick Almonte (Long Island, NY, Atlantic League) out on a rehab assignment at Nashville. He was perhaps the major surprise among former Indy players during spring training when he came from nowhere to make the Brewers' Opening Day roster as a utilityman and pinch hitter...It may not be the end, but Detroit has released former major league hurler Chris Oxspring, whose Indy time was at Cook County (Crestwood, IL) of the Frontier League...Corey Smith (Newark, NJ, Atlantic) is back at Double-A Chattanooga, TN after the Dodgers had moved the hot-hitting third baseman up to Albuquerque for a time. It still would not surprise this corner if he got a major league opportunity because of his bat...the pace of player sales from Indy teams to major league organizations has really picked up in recent days.

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