March Madness will mean more than the NCAA basketball tournaments this week. Baseball players in major league camps will be nervously awaiting news whether they have made the 25-man Opening Day roster or where they will be playing this summer. A few may get outright releases although most will go back to minor league teams. For players already in minor league camps, a heavy number of them will be handed pink slips while others will be assigned to a full season team or held back for extended spring training.
Several former Independent players have already been released out of minor league camps, which means they could return to the non-affiliated ranks. Arizona has already cut four such players, including veteran RHP Mike DeMark, who started his pro career at Florence, KY, in the Frontier League. He later played for the York (PA) Revolution in the Atlantic League. Also let go by the Diamondbacks were Quebec (Can-Am League) righty Chris Cox, York corner infielder Chris Nowak and southpaw Matt Way, who pitched for Laredo, TX in the American Association and Long Island, NY, in the Atlantic League. RHP Donovan Drake (Windy City, Frontier) was released by Atlanta. Cox and Drake also played their first pro games in Independent leagues.
CHRISTIAN, DE LA ROSA OUT OF MAJOR LEAGUE CAMPS
The most recent that we have seen Independent players sent back to farm systems out of major league camps were outfielder Justin Christian, who saw a lot of time with the St. Louis Cardinals this spring, and Tampa Bay right-hander Dane DeLaRosa. Christian is one of the players with some major league time after starting in Indy baseball. He played for River City in the Frontier League and later for Southern Maryland in the Atlantic League. DeLaRosa, who has brief major league time, also played at Southern Maryland as well as for El Paso, TX in the American Association and for four Golden League teams. We had a longer list of players sent back to the minors from major league camps in last week's lengthy Independent Baseball Insider, which subscribers receive via email every Thursday.
MARK PRIOR'S FUTURE
It looked like former major league standout Mark Prior might be through after his time at Pawtucket, RI, Boston's top farm club, last season, but Cincinnati gave the right-hander a minor league contract recently and he has pitched a scoreless inning for the parent Reds. Prior's Independent comeback time was at Orange County (Fullerton, CA) when it was in the Golden League
SUBSCRIBE TO THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER FOR 2013. 40 issues for only $48 through December, 2013; Scouts: $32
REQUEST A FREE WEEK OF THE INDEPENDENT BASEBALL INSIDER
Get the independent minor league baseball trivia question of the day by clicking this link: Independent Minor League Baseball Trivia Questions
Get the independent minor league baseball trivia question of the day by clicking this link: Independent Minor League Baseball Trivia Questions
No comments:
Post a Comment