Team Features Mix of Veterans, Young Prospects
Jeff Smith talks to the
media with high hopes for a successful season.
NEW BRITAIN, CT
- With the Minnesota Twins making moves in
the off-season to fill their roster, several players were bumped down a
level.
As a result, the Rock Cats will open the 2012 season with an
experienced team
and a dash of youthful talent. That could lead to another contending
season for
the 'Cats.
Headlining the
2012 Opening Day roster are five players who
have Major League experience as well as a duo of highly touted
prospects and
former first round draft picks - pitcher Alex
Wimmers and outfielder Aaron Hicks.
This year's squad will
also boast three of Baseball America's Top 15 and five of the Top 30
Twins'
prospects.
Manager Jeff Smith,
a former catcher for the Rock Cats, returns for his third season at the
helm.
Smith put a difficult Eastern League debut managerial season behind him
- in
which the Rock Cats finished in last place in 2010 - to bring the team
back
among the top teams in the Eastern Division. In 2011, the Rock Cats
finished
72-70 and just two games shy of the playoffs. This season, a
significant
portion of his roster returns. Smith will be assisted by veteran
pitching coach
Stu Cliburn and hitting coach Rudy Hernandez, who coached in the
Hardware City in 2010.
Pitchers
Projected
Starters:
Andrew Albers (L)- The University
of Kentucky
product made a stop in independent ball in the Quebec Can-Am League in
2010
before signing as a free agent with the Twins prior to the 2011 season.
The
southpaw turned in an impressive debut season in the organization,
posting a
combined 8-2 record with a 2.16 ERA and 80-strikeout-to-14-walk ratio
in 35
games between Ft. Myers and New Britain.
Logan Darnell
(L)- The 23-year-old
southpaw rapidly climbed through the system since
being selected by the Twins in the sixth round of the 2010 draft. In 2010, he appeared in 11 games for
Elizabethton in the Appalachian League, posting a 2.08 ERA with 32
strikeouts
in 34 2/3 innings. Last season, he started six games for Beloit (2-2,
3.78) and
15 for Ft. Myers (803, 4.17) before earning a promotion to New Britain.
He went
1-1 with a 5.58 ERA but posted an impressive 20K/4BB ratio in 30 2/3
innings.
Luke French
(L)- The 26-year-old has
plenty of experience under his belt - French
was originally an eighth round draft pick by Detroit in 2004 and came
through
the Eastern League in 2008 as a member of the Erie Sea Wolves. He
enters the
2012 season with eight pro seasons on his resume, including 23 Major
League
games. French
appeared in seven
games for the Detroit tigers and also pitched 16 games (13 starts) for
the
Seattle Mariners in 2010. He compiled nine MLB wins and a 4.99 ERA.
Last
season, he went 9-9 with a 6.27 ERA for Triple-A Tacoma. French will
get the
ball on Opening Night on Thursday, April 5 at New Britain Stadium.
Steve
Hirschfeld (R)- The 26-year-old
provides the Rock Cats with yet another veteran arm
with experience both out of the bullpen and as a starter.
Hirschfeld, who was originally drafted by Montreal (2004) and
Colorado (2005) but opted not to sign with either team, was eventually
selected
by the Twins in the ninth round of the 2007 Draft. He made his Rock
Cats debut
in 2010, but was eventually limited to 22 innings -32 total innings on
the
season - after suffering a shoulder injury and then a lower leg injury
that
resulted in the removal of a non-cancerous tumor. In 2011, he came back
strong
to turn in a solid first full season in New Britain, posting an 8-8
record with
a 3.73 ERA in 30 games.
Projected
Bullpen:
David Bromberg
(R)-Had it not been
for a freak injury on the mound last season, the
Eastern League would likely be in Bromberg's rearview mirror. Bromberg
first
arrived in New Britain in 2010 after leading his league in strikeouts
in 2007,
2008 and 2009 and being named Twins' Minor League Pitcher of the Year
in 2009.
In 2010, Bromberg went 5-5 with a 3.62 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 17
starts for
the 'Cats. He also earned his first taste of Triple-A, posting a 1-4
record
with a 3.98 ERA in nine starts. Last season, he entered the season as
the ace
of the New Britain staff but suffered a broken forearm after being hit
by a
line drive that caused him to be limited to 42 total innings. He makes
the
transition to a relief a role this season.
Bobby Lanigan
(R)- The 24-year-old
Staten Island native returns for his third stint with
the Rock Cats. Lanigan was selected by the Twins in the third round of
the 2008
Draft. He split the 2010 season between Ft. Myers and New Britain -
including
posting an impressive 2.15 ERA with a 41K/7BB ratio in 54 1/3 innings
with the
Miracle - before spending the entire 2011 season with the Rock Cats. In
27
starts last season, he finished with a 4.45 ERA and 101 strikeouts.
Lanigan
makes the move to the bullpen this season.
Daniel Turpen
(R)- Originally selected by the
San Francisco Giants in the 8th round of the
2007 Draft, the now
25-year-old arrives in New Britain with five professional seasons under
his
belt. Turpen has put in time with San Francisco, Boston, and Colorado,
posting
a combined 18-16 record and 3.25 ERA in 204 minor league games. He
spent the
2011 season with Double-A Tulsa (Rockies), going 2-4 with a 4.83 ERA
and 11
saves in 48 appearances. He only managed 33 strikeouts while walking 35
in 59
2/3 innings.
Chris Herrmann;
Danny Lehmann
The 24-year-old Herrmann
returns
for his second season. Herrmann split the 2011 season between Ft. Myers
and New
Britain, batting a combined .269 with eight homers and 62 RBI in 121
games.
Originally selected by the Twins in the sixth round of the 2009 Draft,
he
provides the team with another outfield option as well.
Lehmann,
a Rice
University
product, spent parts of the past three seasons with New Britain,
including
batting .309 (17/55) in 20 games with the 'Cats last season. The
26-year-old
gives the Rock Cats a solid defensive catcher behind the plate.
Infield
1B: Chris Colabello, Nate Hanson
Colabello
makes his Rock
Cats debut after spending the past seven season playing
independent ball for the Worcester Tornadoes. During his tenure, he
posted a
.317 mark in 583 games with the Tornadoes. He was named the Can-Am
League MVP
last season after batting a career-high .348 with 20 home runs and 79
RBI. The
27-year-old spent most of his playing time at first base during his
independent
ball days but also saw action at third base and in the outfield.
Colabello
becomes the local boy of the team, having attended nearby Milford High
(Milford, MA) and Assumption College.
Hanson returns to the
Rock Cats for a second go-around. The University of
Minnesota product split the 2011 season between Ft. Myers and New
Britain,
batting .267 with four homers and 29 RBI for the Miracle and .238/2/22
for the
'Cats. He also has experience at third base.
2B: Estarlin De Los
Santos;
Darin
Mastrioianni
De
Los Santos, 25, returns
to the Rock Cats for the first time since 2010, when he
spent 64 games in the Hardware City. The Dominican native struggled in
his
Eastern League debut, batting just .177 while committing 22 errors in
64 games.
Last season, he was limited to just 27 games. The once highly-touted
prospect
looks to rebound from an injury-plagued 2011 season and breakout this
season.
Mastroianni should sound
familiar to Rock Cats
fans, as the former New Hampshire slugger often feasted on Rock Cats'
pitching
throughout the 2009-11 seasons. He was a one-man wrecking crew in 2010,
batting
.367 (33-90) with 5 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers and 12 RBI against the
Rock
Cats. Mastroianni, who made his Major League debut with the
Toronto Blue
Jays last season, going 0-2 on August 24 vs Kansas City, was picked up
off
waivers by the Twins in the off-season. The speedster is making the
transition
from outfield to infield and will play both second base and
outfield.
SS: James Beresford, Pedro Florimon
The
Rock Cats will feature another Australian native, this season in the
form of
the 23-year-old Beresford. He has
collected a career .282 average in five seasons, including a
career-best .297
with Beloit in 2010.
Florimon returns to the
Eastern League with four Major League games
and one big league hiot under his belt. The 25 year old played against
the Rock
Cats the past few seasons as an Orioles prospect at Bowie.
3B: Deibinson Romero
Romero
provides the 'Cats with experience at the hot corner. The 25-year-old
returns
for his second stint with New Britain after spending the entire 2011
season
with the Rock Cats. He looks to improve on a solid debut season (.256,
11 HR,
55 R, 27 2B, 58 RBI, 121 games) in which he committed 20 errors in 109
games at
third base.
Outfield:
Evan Bigley, Aaron Hicks, Mark
Dolenc
Bigley
returns
for his third stint with the Rock Cats. The 10th
round draft pick by
the Twins back in 2008 made his E.L. debut in 2010, batting an
impressive .336
with four home runs and 15 RBi in 27 games to close out the season. In
2011, he
spent the entire year with the 'Cats, hitting .253 with seven homers
and 56 RBI
in 133 games. He spent the majority of his time in right field,
although did
put in time in all three outfield spots.
The 27-year-old Dolenc provides the Rock Cats with a
seasoned veteran in the
outfield. Dolenc spent the past two full years in New Britain, turning
in solid
seasons both times. In six professional seasons, the Minnesota State
University-Mankato product has collected a .265 mark in 592 career
games.
KEEP AN EYE ON:
These players may be a couple years away from New Britain, but remain exciting young talent to keep an eye on in the farm system:
3B/SS Miguel
Sano - Rated the
#1Twins' prospect by
Baseball America, the 18-year-old (he will turn 19 on May 11) Dominican
native
enters his third professional season. He has already collected a career
.299
average with 27 home runs in 127 games. He is also ranked as the Best
Power
Hitter in the organization.
2B/OF Eddie
Rosario - The
20-year-old is rated the
third-best prospect and Best Hitter for Average in the Twins'
organization by
Baseball America. The Twins selected the Puerto Rican native in the
fourth
round of the 2012 Draft. Since then he has batted .319 with 39 stolen
bases, 26
homers and 86 RBI in 118 career games. Last season, he hit .337 with 60
RBI and
21 home runs in 67 games with the Elizabethton Twins.
OF Oswaldo Arcia - The
20-year-old Venezuelan has
successfully climbed through the Twins' system since being signed as a
non-drafted free agent in 2008. As a 19-year-old, he batted a
career-high .375
with 14 homers and 51 RBI in 64 games with Elizabethton. Last season,
he split
the season between Beloit and Ft. Myers, batting a collective .312 with
13
homers and 51 RBI (including two games with the Gulf Coast League
Twins). Arcia
- the #5 prospect in the Twins' organization - is the closest of the
up-and-coming prospects to making his Double-A debut. He will start the
season
in Ft. Myers.
SS/2B Levi
Michael - Rated the
sixth-best prospect in the
Twins' organization, Michael was the Twins' first-round draft pick in
2011 out
of the University of North Carolina.
P Hudson Boyd - The Twins
selected the 6-2/235-lb.
righthander with the 55th overall pick in the
2011 Draft. Baseball
America gave him the title of Best Curveball in the organization.