Jacksonville Suns Announce 2009 Opening Day Roster
Jacksonville, Fla. - The Jacksonville Suns, Double-A affiliate of the Florida Marlins, have announced the 2009 Opening Day roster, including two left-handed pitchers selected in the first round during 2005 and two players among Baseball America's top ten prospects in the organization.
Left-handed pitchers Sean West and Aaron Thompson, two of the five pitchers the Florida Marlins selected in the first round of the 2005 draft, will start the 2009 season with Jacksonville. West, the organization's #4 prospect (Baseball America), missed the entire 2007 season due to a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. The six-foot-eight southpaw rebounded in 2008 with Class-A Jupiter posting a 6-5 record and 2.41 ERA in just over 100 innings of work. Thompson battled shoulder tendonitis throughout 2008 with the Carolina Mudcats, but enters the 2009 season healthy.
Infielder Logan Morrison, the organization's #3 prospect, breaks camp in Jacksonville for his Double-A debut. Named the Most Valuable Player in the Florida State League during 2008, the left-hand hitting first baseman Morrison blasted Class-A pitching with a .332 average, 13 homeruns and 74 RBI.
Returning from the 2008 Carolina Mudcats, the former Marlins Double-A affiliate, are RHP Willie Glen, LHP Jeff Gogal, RHP Jarrett Santos, LHP Graham Taylor, LHP Aaron Thompson, C Brad Davis, IF Chris de la Cruz, IF Lee Mitchell, IF Kevin Randel, Utility Andy Jenkins, OF Scott Cousins, OF Bryan Petersen and OF Lorenzo Scott.
The starting pitching rotation will feature LHP Graham Taylor, LHP Sean West, RHP Willie Glen, LHP Aaron Thompson and RHP Cristhian Martinez. West and Martinez will make their Double-A debut during 2009 while Glen returns from a Southern League All-Star campaign in which he went 9-4 with a 2.01 ERA over 94 innings of work. Thompson battled shoulder trouble during 2008 with Carolina while Taylor earned a late-season promotion to the Double-A team.
Jacksonville's bullpen features RHP Jay Buente, LHP Gogal, RHP Chris Leroux, RHP Adalberto Mendez, RHP Matt Peterson, RHP Santos, RHP Levale Speigner and LHP Carlos Vasquez. Speigner signed as a free agent with the Marlins during the off-season after spending parts of the last two seasons in the Major Leagues with the Washington Nationals. Leroux, out of Mississauga, Ontario, is protected on the Marlins 40-man roster and will make his Double-A debut in 2009.
Brad Davis will return to the Southern League as catcher, his third season in the Double-A circuit. Catcher Neil Wilson signed with the Marlins as a free agent during the off-season after spending his first seven professional seasons in the Colorado Rockies organization, including 2008 with Double-A Tulsa.
The Suns infield will be packed with returning Double-A players, including third baseman Lee Mitchell and second baseman Kevin Randel, both starting their fourth season in the Southern League. Mitchell was named a 2007 Southern League All-Star while his younger brother Russell played for Jacksonville during 2008 in the Dodgers organization, and is expected to break camp with Chattanooga during 2009. Mitchell batted .370 with a homerun and eight RBI over an eight game postseason in 2008.
Shortstop Ryan Klosterman joins the Marlins organization, a 2008 Rule 5 draft selection from the Blue Jays. Morrison is expected to hold down the first base position throughout the 2009 season. Utility infielder Chris de la Cruz came over to the Marlins organization during 2008 after a trade from the Indians, contributing down the stretch to the Carolina playoff efforts. In the postseason, de la Cruz posted a .444 average with six RBI. Utility infielders Andy Jenkins and Tim Torres will also contribute in 2009, Jenkins returning to the Southern League and Torres in his Double-A and Marlins organizational debut.
Jacksonville will feature an experienced outfield corps during 2009, including Scott Cousins, Bryan Petersen and Lorenzo Scott, who all return from the 2008 Carolina Mudcats. Cousins batted .320 with three homeruns and five RBI during the 2008 postseason. Scott spent most of the 2008 season in Triple-A Albuquerque while Petersen batted .301 and belted 19 homeruns with Low-A Greensboro before seeing Double-A time later in the year.
Brandon Hyde returns to the Southern League as manager in 2009. The former catcher in the White Sox organization managed the 2007 Carolina Mudcats, and enters his fifth season as a skipper. Reid Cornelius will move to Jacksonville as pitching coach while Orange Park resident Theron Todd moves to the Suns as hitting coach. Dustin Luepker is in his first season with the Marlins organization as Athletic Trainer while Elliot Walters joins the Suns as Strength and Conditioning Coach.
The Suns open the 2009 season on Thursday April 9 at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville against the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs) at 7:05 p.m. For tickets call the Suns box office at (904) 358-2846 or visit jaxsuns.com.
Left-handed pitchers Sean West and Aaron Thompson, two of the five pitchers the Florida Marlins selected in the first round of the 2005 draft, will start the 2009 season with Jacksonville. West, the organization's #4 prospect (Baseball America), missed the entire 2007 season due to a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. The six-foot-eight southpaw rebounded in 2008 with Class-A Jupiter posting a 6-5 record and 2.41 ERA in just over 100 innings of work. Thompson battled shoulder tendonitis throughout 2008 with the Carolina Mudcats, but enters the 2009 season healthy.
Infielder Logan Morrison, the organization's #3 prospect, breaks camp in Jacksonville for his Double-A debut. Named the Most Valuable Player in the Florida State League during 2008, the left-hand hitting first baseman Morrison blasted Class-A pitching with a .332 average, 13 homeruns and 74 RBI.
Returning from the 2008 Carolina Mudcats, the former Marlins Double-A affiliate, are RHP Willie Glen, LHP Jeff Gogal, RHP Jarrett Santos, LHP Graham Taylor, LHP Aaron Thompson, C Brad Davis, IF Chris de la Cruz, IF Lee Mitchell, IF Kevin Randel, Utility Andy Jenkins, OF Scott Cousins, OF Bryan Petersen and OF Lorenzo Scott.
The starting pitching rotation will feature LHP Graham Taylor, LHP Sean West, RHP Willie Glen, LHP Aaron Thompson and RHP Cristhian Martinez. West and Martinez will make their Double-A debut during 2009 while Glen returns from a Southern League All-Star campaign in which he went 9-4 with a 2.01 ERA over 94 innings of work. Thompson battled shoulder trouble during 2008 with Carolina while Taylor earned a late-season promotion to the Double-A team.
Jacksonville's bullpen features RHP Jay Buente, LHP Gogal, RHP Chris Leroux, RHP Adalberto Mendez, RHP Matt Peterson, RHP Santos, RHP Levale Speigner and LHP Carlos Vasquez. Speigner signed as a free agent with the Marlins during the off-season after spending parts of the last two seasons in the Major Leagues with the Washington Nationals. Leroux, out of Mississauga, Ontario, is protected on the Marlins 40-man roster and will make his Double-A debut in 2009.
Brad Davis will return to the Southern League as catcher, his third season in the Double-A circuit. Catcher Neil Wilson signed with the Marlins as a free agent during the off-season after spending his first seven professional seasons in the Colorado Rockies organization, including 2008 with Double-A Tulsa.
The Suns infield will be packed with returning Double-A players, including third baseman Lee Mitchell and second baseman Kevin Randel, both starting their fourth season in the Southern League. Mitchell was named a 2007 Southern League All-Star while his younger brother Russell played for Jacksonville during 2008 in the Dodgers organization, and is expected to break camp with Chattanooga during 2009. Mitchell batted .370 with a homerun and eight RBI over an eight game postseason in 2008.
Shortstop Ryan Klosterman joins the Marlins organization, a 2008 Rule 5 draft selection from the Blue Jays. Morrison is expected to hold down the first base position throughout the 2009 season. Utility infielder Chris de la Cruz came over to the Marlins organization during 2008 after a trade from the Indians, contributing down the stretch to the Carolina playoff efforts. In the postseason, de la Cruz posted a .444 average with six RBI. Utility infielders Andy Jenkins and Tim Torres will also contribute in 2009, Jenkins returning to the Southern League and Torres in his Double-A and Marlins organizational debut.
Jacksonville will feature an experienced outfield corps during 2009, including Scott Cousins, Bryan Petersen and Lorenzo Scott, who all return from the 2008 Carolina Mudcats. Cousins batted .320 with three homeruns and five RBI during the 2008 postseason. Scott spent most of the 2008 season in Triple-A Albuquerque while Petersen batted .301 and belted 19 homeruns with Low-A Greensboro before seeing Double-A time later in the year.
Brandon Hyde returns to the Southern League as manager in 2009. The former catcher in the White Sox organization managed the 2007 Carolina Mudcats, and enters his fifth season as a skipper. Reid Cornelius will move to Jacksonville as pitching coach while Orange Park resident Theron Todd moves to the Suns as hitting coach. Dustin Luepker is in his first season with the Marlins organization as Athletic Trainer while Elliot Walters joins the Suns as Strength and Conditioning Coach.
The Suns open the 2009 season on Thursday April 9 at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville against the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs) at 7:05 p.m. For tickets call the Suns box office at (904) 358-2846 or visit jaxsuns.com.