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Four Former Dragons Added to Reds 40-Man Roster

24 Dragons Now on Reds Roster
November 21, 2013

DAYTON, OH -Four former members of the Dayton Dragons were added to the Cincinnati Reds 40-man roster on Wednesday.

Catcher Tucker Barnhart, right-handed pitcher Chad Rogers, and outfielders Ryan LaMarre and Juan Duran were added to the Major League roster by the Reds as they reached their limit of 40 players. Twenty-four (24) of the 40 players on the current Reds roster are former Dragons. 

Barnhart spent the entire 2011 season with the Dragons and is considered to be one of the top defensive catchers in Minor League Baseball. In 2013, he played for Delino DeShields at Class-AA Pensacola and batted .260 with three home runs. Barnhart is a switch-hitter, a rarity for a catcher. He was listed as the 10th best prospect in the Reds organization last week by Baseball America.   

Rogers also played for the Dragons in 2011, serving as a reliever that season in his first year of professional baseball before converting to starting pitcher in 2012. He began the 2013 season at Pensacola and was outstanding in 13 starts, posting a 2.20 earned run average that led the league at the time. He moved up to Triple-A Louisville at mid-season and made 12 more starts there, going 5-5 with a 4.22 ERA. Following the completion of the regular season, Rogers enjoyed an outstanding tenure in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. Playing against many of the top prospects in baseball, Rogers posted a 0.66 ERA, allowing just one earned run in 13.2 innings. Rogers' unique story (his first workout with the Reds was delayed as he recovered from a shark attack while surfing off the coast of Galveston, Texas) is certain to gain attention as he career path continues.

LaMarre played for the Dragons in 2010, joining the club immediately after the June draft off the campus of the University of Michigan. LaMarre played at Pensacola in 2013, batting .246 with 10 home runs and 22 stolen bases. He improved over the final two months of the season, batting .287 with six homers in July and August before a brief stint with Triple-A Louisville. He is a strong defensive center fielder. 

Duran spent the entire 2011 season with the Dragons as a teammate of Barnhart and Rogers for a club that set a franchise record for victories, going 83-57 for DeShields. Duran, known for his tremendous home run power, spent the 2013 season with Advanced-A Bakersfield, batting .251 with 20 home runs and 66 RBI. 

Players on the 40-man roster are protected by the organization from being selected in the Rule V Draft in December. Players with at least four years of professional experience (or at least five years of experience for players who signed their first contract before their 19th birthday) are eligible for the Rule V Draft and must be placed on the 40-man roster to be protected. Players must also be on the 40-man roster to be promoted to the Major Leagues during the season. 

Other former Dragons currently on the Reds 40-man roster include infielders Joey Votto, Zack Cozart, Todd Frazier, Henry Rodriguez, and Neftali Soto; outfielders Jay Bruce, Chris Heisey, Billy Hamilton, Donald Lutz, and Yorman Rodriguez; catchers Ryan Hanigan and Devin Mesoraco; and pitchers Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto, Logan Ondrusek, Nick Christiani, Curtis Partch, Carlos Contreras, Daniel Corcino, and Ismael Guillon.

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