Zephyrs add Pascucci

April 30, 2008 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
New Orleans Baby Cakes News Release

The New Orleans Zephyrs have added right-handed pitcher Claudio Vargas and outfielder/first baseman Valentino Pascucci to their roster, while outfielder Caleb Stewart has been sent to Double-A Binghamton. Vargas was signed by the New York Mets on April 10 after being released by the Milwaukee Brewers at the end of spring training. Vargas, 29, went 11-6 with one save and a 5.09 ERA in 29 games (23 starts) for the Brewers last season and was 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA in five spring starts, but was victim of a numbers crunch in the Milwaukee pitching staff.

Vargas pitched for the Zephyrs in 2005 while on a rehabilitation stint from the Washington Nationals. In five starts with New Orleans, Vargas was 2-2 with a 4.18 ERA. He is expected to start for the Zephyrs on Saturday at Portland, after making his season debut with St. Lucie on Monday when he allowed one earned run and struck out six in five innings against Palm Beach.

Pascucci joins the Zephyrs after being granted his release from the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, earlier in the week. Pascucci was batting .232 with one homer and seven RBI in 25 games for the Iron Pigs.

Pascucci, 29, led the Pacific Coast League in home runs with 34 while playing for the Albuquerque Isotopes last season, and was named the PCL's Star of the Game at the All-Star Game. He finished fifth in the league in on-base percentage (.389), fifth in slugging (.577) and fifth in extra-base hits (62).

Stewart heads to Binghamton after hitting .221 with one home run, five doubles, two triples and nine RBI in 20 games for the Zephyrs. The 25-year-old outfielder was an Eastern League All-Star with the B-Mets last season after hitting .252 with 16 homers and 69 RBI in 125 games.

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