Red Wings announce Opening Day roster
A mix of young, talented prospects and proven veterans make up the Rochester Red Wings 2014 Opening Day roster which was released by the club Sunday. The initial roster includes the presence of Red Wings veterans OF Chris Parmelee and LHP Scott Diamond as well as exciting, upstart players like SS Danny Santana and RHP's Alex Meyer and Trevor May. The Wings Opening Day roster includes 12 pitchers, three catchers, six infielders and four outfielders.
The 2014 Red Wings return to Rochester on Monday, March 31 before opening the regular season on Thursday, April 3 with a 2:05 p.m. game against the Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays) at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo, NY. Two days later, Saturday, April 5, the Wings open Frontier Field for an 18th season with a 2:05 p.m. matinee against the Bisons.
The initial 25-man roster features 13 returning Red Wings from last year's squad, 13 players with Major League experience - including 10 who appeared in the Majors last season - and nine players on the Twins 40-man roster.
As announced in October, manager Gene Glynn, will return for his third season in Rochester after leading the Wings to a 77-67 record in 2013 and a wild card berth in the Governors' Cup playoffs - the first postseason trip for Rochester since 2006. After a 72-72 mark in 2012, Glynn, 57, has posted a 149-139 record over his first two seasons in the Flower City. Prior to his arrival in Rochester in 2012, the Wings had gone just 102-186 over the previous two seasons.
Glynn will again be joined on the bench by pitching coach Marty Mason and hitting coach Tim Doherty. Both Mason and Doherty are entering their second season with the Red Wings.
Here's a look at the Red Wings 2014 Opening Day roster:
PROJECTED STARTING ROTATION (ALPHABETICAL):
LHP Logan Darnell begins a season at the Triple-A level for the first time in his career after finishing the 2013 campaign with the Red Wings. The southpaw combined to go 10-10 with a 3.22 ERA in 27 games (26 starts) between Double-A New Britain and Rochester last year and was rewarded by being placed on the Twins 40-man roster following the season. The reliable, durable 25-year-old has won at least 10 games and made at least 26 starts over the last three seasons. Darnell, a 6th round pick by the Twins in the 2010 First Year Player Draft out of the University of Kentucky, owns a career 34-31 mark with a 4.08 ERA over his first four professional seasons.
LHP Scott Diamond will pitch for the Wings for a fourth consecutive season after being outrighted off the Twins 40-man roster and accepting his assignment to Triple-A. After a career year in 2012, the southpaw went just 6-13 with a 5.43 ERA in 24 starts for Minnesota last season. Diamond did go 4-0 in six starts for the Red Wings in 2013. Over the last two seasons at Triple-A, the Guelph, Ontario native is a combined 8-1 with a 2.50 ERA (21 ER/75.2 IP) in 12 starts.
The Wings add the reigning International League ERA champion to their rotation in 2014 in the form of lefty Kris Johnson. Johnson, 29, spent most of 2013 with Triple-A Indianapolis where he went 10-4 with a 2.39 ERA in 26 games (21 starts). The former first round pick of the Red Sox in 2006 (40th), Johnson also finished in the top 5 in the IL in WHIP (4th, 1.17), average against (4th, .234) and fewest base runners per 9 innings (4th, 10.51). The Twins acquired the southpaw in November from the Pirates in exchange for RHP Duke Welker. Johnson made his Major League debut last season going 0-2 with a 6.10 ERA in four games (one start).
RHP Trevor May, 24, enters his first season at the Triple-A level after spending the last two full years at Double-A where he led the Eastern League in strikeouts both seasons. The 6-5, 215-pound right-hander went 9-9 with a 4.51 ERA and a Double-A best 159 strikeouts in 27 starts for New Britain in 2013 before making his Triple-A debut in the International League playoffs for Rochester. The Twins 8th-ranked prospect in the organization and the pitcher with the best changeup in the system per Baseball America, enters his 2nd season in the organization after coming over from Philadelphia in the Ben Revere trade in December of 2012. A former 4th round pick by the Phillies in 2008, May has won at least nine games and made at least 25 starts in each of the last four seasons.
RHP Alex Meyer, the top pitching prospect in the Twins organization and 28th-rated prospect in all baseball by MLB.com, opens the season at Triple-A for the first time in his career in 2014. The lanky, 6-9, 220-pound right-hander went 4-3 with a 3.21 ERA in 13 starts for New Britain last season however he missed over two months with a right shoulder injury. The 24-year-old acquired from Washington in the Denard Span deal following the 2012 season, enters 2014 with the best fastball and curveball in the Twins system per Baseball America. Meyer, the 23rd overall pick in 2011 by the Nationals, has struck out 239 in 207.1 career minor league innings (10.4 SO/9IP) over his first two pro seasons.
PROJECTED BULLPEN (ALPHABETICAL):
The lone holdover from the Johan Santana trade, RHP Deolis Guerra begins a season at the Triple-A level for the first time in his career in 2014 - in this his 9th pro season and 7th in the Twins organization. The 6-5, 245-pound right-hander missed all of last season after suffering a blood clot in his right shoulder during spring training. In 2012, his first full season as a reliever, Guerra went 2-3 with a 4.87 ERA in 29 outings. Guerra also made five appearances (4 starts) with the Wings in 2010.
LHP Matt Hoffman begins his 7th pro season and first in the Twins organization after signing as a free agent this offseason. The southpaw has made at least 40 relief appearances in each of the last three seasons for Triple-A Toledo posting a combined 3.07 ERA. Last season, ranked as the 14th best prospect in the Tigers system, he posted a 2.06 ERA over 40 relief outings. Only 3 of 27 inherited runners scored off the Owasso, Okla. native in 2013. Drafted by Detroit in the 26th round of the 2007 draft, Hoffman has a career 3.90 ERA in 218 career minor league outings but has yet to make his Major League debut.
After making his Triple-A debut with the Wings in 2013, LHP Edgar Ibarra will start the 2014 season in Rochester - in this his 9th professional season. Ibarra was added to the Twins 40-man roster in November after posting a combined 1.93 ERA in 47 appearances with Double-A New Britain and Rochester in 2013. The lefty allowed just nine hits in 18.1 Triple-A innings last year and opponents combined to hit just .194 (41-for-211) off him in 2013.
RHP Yohan Pino returns to the Twins organization in 2014. The 6-2, 190-pound right-hander was signed by the Twins as an undrafted free agent in 2004 and spent six seasons in the Minnesota organization - including an eight-start stint with the Red Wings in 2009 (2-2, 2.82) - before being traded to Cleveland in the Carl Pavano deal. Pino spent much of the 2013 campaign playing for Louisville (Reds) where he posted a 3.26 ERA - the 6th best ERA in the IL - in 31 games (16 starts). The Venezuelan native has a career 3.60 ERA in 291 minor league games but has yet to make his Major League debut.
After spending all of 2013 in the Twins bullpen after being acquired in the 2012 Rule 5 draft from Boston, RHP Ryan Pressly will make his Triple-A debut in 2014. Pressly, who had just 14 games of experience at the Double-A level before making his Major League debut last season, posted a 3.87 ERA in 49 appearances for the Twins. His 76.2 innings pitched led American League rookie relievers and ranked 3rd-best in the Major Leagues. The Dallas, Tex. native was originally drafted by the Red Sox in the 11th round of the 2008 draft out of high school.
Newly acquired southpaw Brooks Raley joins the Twins organization in 2014 after Minnesota claimed him off waivers from the Chicago Cubs in mid-February and added him to the 40-man roster. The 6th year pro out of Texas A&M, had three separate stints in the Major Leagues in 2013 but spent the majority of the year with Triple-A Iowa where he went 8-10 with a 4.46 ERA in 27 games (25 starts). Raley has made 14 Big League appearances (5 starts) over the last two seasons going 1-2 with a 7.04 ERA. The San Antonio, TX native owns a career 3.92 ERA over 107 career minor league games (102 starts).
Lefty Aaron Thompson, a former first round pick of the Marlins in 2005, enters his 10th pro season and third in the Twins organization in 2014. Thompson went a combined 3-3 with a 2.76 ERA in 42 games between Double-A New Britain and Rochester last season. The New Mexico native has a career minor league ERA of 4.35 in 225 games (157 starts) but has fared better at the Triple-A level with a career 3.18 ERA in 37 games.
PROJECTED CATCHERS (ALPHABETICAL):
Catcher Eric Fryer returns for his second season with the Red Wings after hitting .215 with 5 home runs and 31 RBI in 65 games last season. The Wings were 36-22 in the regular season when he started behind the plate and just 41-45 when he wasn't. The 28-year-old backstop threw out 12-of-31 (.387) base stealers and caught eight of the 12 complete games turned in by Red Wings hurlers in 2013. Fryer received a September call-up from Minnesota, the third straight year he has appeared in the Major Leagues (Pittsburgh, 2011-12). The Brewers 10th round pick in the 2007 draft out of Ohio State is a career .267 hitter in 544 minor league games.
Catcher Chris Herrmann breaks camp with the Red Wings for a second consecutive season after hitting .227 in 69 games with the Wings in 2013. The University of Miami product also played in 57 games for the Twins where he hit four home runs. Over his first five pro seasons, Herrmann has thrown out 39% (88-of-223) of would-be base stealers. Highlights of Herrmann's 2013 campaign include a career-long 11-game hit streak, his first career Major League home run (Jun 2 vs. SEA), first career grand slam (Jul. 23 at LAA), a pinch-hit walk-off single (Aug. 15 vs. CWS) and he broke up a Yu Darvish no-hitter (Aug. 30 at TEX).
After setting career-highs in games played (112), runs (47), hits (100), HR (3), RBI (42) and batting average (.267) between New Britain (AA) and Rochester a season ago, catcherDan Rohlfing opens the season at Triple-A for the first time in his career. Rohlfing, the Twins 14th round pick in 2007, had a short but impactful 26-game stint for Rochester in 2013. The 25-year-old hit .314 - including batting 17-for-35 (.486) at Frontier Field - with two homers and 12 RBI with the Red Wings. Rohlfing also delivered one of the Wings' five walk-off hits in 2013 - a two-out, two-strike, two-run, walk-off single on Jun. 15 vs. Gwinnett that capped a 5-run 9th inning rally.
PROJECTED INFIELDERS (ALPHABETICAL):
In his 8th pro season since signing as an undrafted free agent out of Australia, James Beresford opens a season at the Triple-A level for the first time in his career. After his June 10promotion to Rochester in 2013, the 6-1, 170-pound second baseman hit .298 with 21 RBI in 58 games in his Triple-A debut. Beresford tied a career-high with four hits in Game One of the Red Wings playoff series with Pawtucket, becoming the first Red Wing with four hits in a postseason game since Quinton McCracken in 2006. A contact hitter, Beresford has struck out just 351 times in 2,775 plate appearances but has just one career home run.
Combined between Rochester and Minnesota in 2013, Doug Bernier set career highs in games played (125), hits (101), doubles (18), triples (5) and RBI (46). The 13-year pro made his second-ever trip to the Major Leagues, and first since 2008, a season ago after hitting .295 with the Red Wings over the first-half of the season. At the time of his promotion, Bernier led all IL shortstops with a .985 fielding percentage (six errors in 397 chances). The 33-year-old hit three home runs in 92 games with Rochester after hitting just one homer over the previous four seasons.
Eric Farris is in his 8th pro season and 2nd in the Twins system after signing as a minor league free agent on Mar. 30, 2013 following his release from Seattle's organization. The Sacramento, Calif. native ranked second on the Red Wings 2013 club in games played (117) and stolen bases (23). Farris, 28, played the first six years of his pro career in Milwaukee's organization after the Brewers selected him in the 4th round of the 2007 draft out of Loyola Marymount University.
Signed as a minor league free agent in February, 1B Brad Nelson will make his International League debut in a Red Wings uniform after spending parts of the last nine seasons playing in the Pacific Coast League. The 13-year veteran has hit 201 minor league home runs - 148 of them at the Triple-A level - including at least 20 in each of the past three seasons. The Algona, Iowa native spent last season playing for the Cubs Triple-A affiliate in Iowa where he hit .271 with 20 home runs and 71 RBI in 126 games. Since being drafted by the Brewers in the 4th round of the 2001 draft, Nelson has made stops in the Seattle, Texas and Chicago-NL systems over the past five seasons. The 6-2, 255-pound slugger played in 28 games with the Brewers from 2008-09 and was on Milwaukee's postseason roster for the 2008 NLDS against Philadelphia.
Deibinson Romero returns to Rochester for a second season after hitting .266 with 10 homers and 50 RBI in 86 games for the Red Wings in 2013. Despite committing a team-high 14 errors in 76 starts at third base, the Wings went 47-29 when Romero manned the hot corner a season ago. The 10-year minor league veteran has hit 43 of his 70 career home runs over the last three seasons - including a combined 13 between Double and Triple-A in 2013. This marks the first time that the 27-year-old has opened a season at the Triple-A level. Last year, Romero missed the first month of the season due to Visa issues in the Dominican Republic and reported to Double-A to begin his season.
Shortstop Danny Santana, the 9th ranked prospect in the organization per Baseball America, will be making his Triple-A debut in 2014 after spending all of last season with Double-A New Britain where he set career highs in batting average (.297), games played (131), hits (160), doubles (22), triples (10) and stolen bases (30). The 23-year-old was an Eastern League mid- and post-season All-Star after ranking among EL leaders in average (6th), hits (1st), triples (2nd), stolen bases (3rd) and sacrifice bunts (11, 1st). Santana was also tabbed the Best Defensive Shortstop in the league despite making a league-high 32 errors. The switch-hitter, who signed as an undrafted free agent in 2007, is a career .274 hitter in 521 minor league games.
PROJECTED OUTFIELDERS (ALPHABETICAL):
Darin Mastroianni is expected to be Gene Glynn's everyday centerfielder this season after an injury-plagued 2013 saw him play in just 51 games between Minnesota and Rochester. After making the Twins Opening Day roster for the first time in his career a season ago, he played in just eight games before landing on the disabled list and undergoing left ankle surgery in mid-May. Mastroianni, who was claimed off waivers from Toronto before the 2012 season, was outrighted to Triple-A in December. The 28-year-old had a great first season in the Twins organization in 2012 when he hit .346 in 20 games with the Red Wings before being recalled by Minnesota and spending the rest of the season in the Major Leagues.
After making the Twins Opening Day roster the last two seasons, Chris Parmelee will begin 2014 with the Red Wings. The left-handed slugger was outrighted to Triple-A Rochester late in camp after batting .195 in 18 spring games. Parmelee, 26, hit .231 with three homers in 45 games for the Wings in 2013 following a season where he hit 17 homers in just 64 games for Rochester. The former first round pick of the Twins in 2006 has a career .246 average with 17 home runs and 58 RBI in 186 Major League games over the last three seasons.
After signing with the Twins as a minor league free agent during the offseason, Chris Rahl will open his 10th pro season with the Red Wings after spending the entire 2013 campaign playing down the thruway in Syracuse. With the Chiefs, the 30-year-old, New Jersey native hit .293 - good for 10th best in the IL - with 8 homers and 42 RBI. He was also the only player in the IL last season to record two, five-hit games. Rahl has raked against left-handed pitching in recent years hitting .339 (146-431) against lefties since 2010. The former 5thround pick of Arizona in 2005 owns a career .281 average with 67 home runs and 403 RBI in 965 minor league games.
Wilkin Ramirez returns to Rochester after an injury-plagued 2013 season saw him play in just 49 combined games between the minor leagues and Minnesota. After making his first Major League Opening Day roster, Ramirez, 28, would suffer both a concussion and a fractured fibula in 2013. The 12-year pro led the Red Wings with 54 RBI in 2012 - his first season in the Twins organization.
Right-handed pitchers Matt Guerrier, Kevin Thomas and Virgil Vasquez will open the season on the Red Wings disabled list.
You can find the Wings' official roster pdf file, updated throughout the season, on this page in our Roster section
Red Wings single-game tickets for the 2014 season are available now by clicking here, by calling (585) 423-WING (9464) or at the Frontier Field ticket windows during normal business hours.
Check out RedWingsBaseball.com/Fun for complete home game promotions information.
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The Rochester Red Wings are entering their 12th season as the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. The Red Wings are operated by Rochester Community Baseball, Inc. and have been a community-owned pro baseball franchise since 1957. Rochester's pro baseball history dates back to 1885.