Freedom Continue To Make Off-Season Moves
Published on April 8, 2008 under Frontier League (FL)
Florence Y'alls News Release
Florence, Ky. - The Florence Freedom have acquired three pitchers and an infielder in three separate off-season deals. The Freedom picked up LHP Demetrius Banks from the New Jersey Jackals (Can-Am League) in return for a player to be named later. RHP A.J. Montano and 2B Jeff Landry came over from the River City Rascals (Frontier League) in exchange for INF/OF Greg Stone and LHP Scott Fogelson. In the third deal, Florence sent outfielder Nate Yoho to Laredo (United League) to get RHP Henry Lozado from the Broncos.
The Freedom also signed four free agents to contracts for the 2008 season: SS Christian Lopez, LHP Nate Nance, 1B/3B Matt Betsill and 2B/SS Jonathan Santos.
Banks, 25, spent the 2007 season with New Jersey in the independent Can-Am League following five seasons in the Chicago White Sox organization. With the Jackals, the 6-0, 170-pound southpaw went 2-0 with a 5.37 earned-run average in 23 appearances. Banks made just one start while he was in the White Sox' system, but the Jackals moved him into the rotation for seven starts last season. The Austell, Ga., resident worked 58.2 innings and allowed 67 hits with 55 strikeouts and 35 walks. He gave up only four home runs. Banks, who was selected by the White Sox in the 13th round of the 2002 MLB draft, has a career record of 5-3 with a 4.76 ERA to go with 210 strikeouts in 188.0 innings pitched. The Freedom expect Banks to contend for a spot in the starting rotation.
Montano, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound Arizona native was tops in the independent South Coast League last season with 24 games finished and ranked second in saves with eight. The former Mesa (Ariz.) Community College standout signed with River City as a free agent during the off-season. The 24-year old spent the 2006 season with Johnson City (Appalachian) in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization. Montano went 3-0 in nine relief appearances with a 2.57 ERA and held opposition hitters to only a .170 average. He is a leading candidate for the vacant closer role in the Freedom bullpen.
Landry, 24, will battle for the starting second base position when camp opens in early May. The 5-foot-8, 165-pound right-handed hitter split the 2007 season between River City and Aiken (South Coast). The former Arizona State infielder batted .298 in 17 games with Aiken before being released in June. After signing with River City two days later, Landry went on to hit .291 in 265 Frontier League at-bats with four home runs and 28 RBIs. Landry primarily played shortstop with Aiken but was moved to second base after being acquired by the Rascals.
Lozado, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound Puerto Rico native, is a veteran of five minor league seasons. He signed with the Baltimore Orioles in 2003 after being selected as a draft and follow prospect in the 39th round of the June, 2002 draft. Lozado appeared in 68 games (all but one as a reliever) in his four seasons in the Orioles' system. Despite compiling impressive numbers with a 3-1 record and a 2.82 ERA in 2006 with low Class A Aberdeen (South Atlantic League), Lozado was released by Baltimore prior to the 2007 campaign. Signed by Laredo to bolster the Broncos' bullpen, Lozado earned a selection to the United League All-Star Game last season. In his introduction to independent league baseball, Lozado went 4-5 with a 5.37 ERA and 10 saves while recording 64 strikeouts in 53.2 innings. He'll join the competition for the closer's role in pre-season camp with the Freedom.
Lopez will be the favorite to take over the starting job at shortstop, which was vacated when Stone was included in the trade to River City. Lopez, who turned 21 in January, was the starting shortstop for the West squad in last season's Class A Midwest League All-Star Game. The native of Puerto Rico was released following the season by the St. Louis Cardinals. The 6-0, 165-pound right-handed hitter was a 31st round pick of the Cardinals in the June, 2005 MLB amateur draft. He batted .224 in three seasons in the Cardinals' system, including a .219 mark at Quad Cities last season along with a career-best four home runs and 27 RBIs.
Nance, an Oklahoma native, will be making his professional debut. The hard-throwing lefty played the last two seasons at the University of Central Oklahoma, leading NCAA Division II in strikeouts per nine innings (12.7) as a senior. Nance posted a 5-2 record last season with a 3.65 ERA, and compiled an 11-4 overall mark in his two years at COU. His performance in training camp will determine whether the Freedom will use Nance as a starter or out of the bullpen.
Betsill, who played in the Minnesota Twins' organization the past three seasons, is a corner infielder who could end up at third base or first base. The 23-year-old Griffin, Ga., native is a switch-hitter who starred at Furman University. Betsill has compiled a .223 batting average in 620 professional at-bats with 21 doubles and seven home runs.
Santos is a 21-year-old from Puerto Rico, who spent the 2006 and '07 seasons in the New York Mets' organization. The 5-11, 165-pound switch-hitter split his playing time between shortstop and second base in rookie ball and at low Class-A Savannah in the South Atlantic League. The St. Petersburg (Fla.) College product has had only 229 professional at-bats with a .227 average, no homers and 15 RBIs. Santos has stolen 13 bases while being thrown out just twice. Santos will vie for the role of utility man.
Three other members of the 2007 Freedom ballclub have also been dealt away during the off-season. RHP Zach Gray was traded to the Gateway Grizzlies (Frontier) to complete a deal consummated at last season's trade deadline in which the Freedom acquired RHP Matt Rainey and INF Jesse Acosta. Rainey is on the move again after being shipped to Corpus Christi (Continental League) for a player to be named later. Additionally, RHP Mike Honce was sent to Kalamazoo (Frontier) to complete a trade from last season that sent LHP Jon Troop to the Kings in exchange for Fogelson and INF Andrew Smith. Also missing from last season will be first baseman Collin Martin. The Florida native has been added to the coaching staff and will serve as the Freedom's first base coach. Frontier League All-Star first baseman Beau Blacken completed his playing career last season when he surpassed the league's maximum age limit of 27.
The Freedom begin the 2008 season at home on Wednesday, May 21 against the Kalamazoo Kings. Ticket packages and group outings are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting Champion Window Field or by calling the Freedom office at (859) 594-HITS.
Florence Freedom is a member of the Frontier League, a 12-team Independent Professional Baseball League established in 1993. The Freedom plays a 96 game schedule with 54 home games between late May and early September.
Frontier League Stories from April 8, 2008
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