Hot Stove: '25th Man' May Assist Naturals in 2012
Published on February 3, 2012 under Texas League (TL1)
Northwest Arkansas Naturals News Release
SPRINGDALE, AR - The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues announced this past week that the active roster limit for both Double-A and Triple-A clubs will be raised to 25 for the 2012 season, matching the roster limits of their Major League and Class-A counterparts.
The roster limit at the Triple-A and Double-A levels had previously been set at 24 players, a tally that didn't include players on the disabled list or inactive list or players on Major League rehabilitation assignments. Those players will continue to not count against the new rule of 25-man active rosters.
With the frequent roster moves that happen over the course of the season, this will give Naturals' skipper Brian Poldberg slightly more flexibility with regard to use of his bullpen, rest for players who are dealing with nagging injuries, and extra coverage for days when a player may be on the active roster, but in transit to another club within the Royals' system. It may also be used for the Naturals to carry a third active catcher at various points during the season, or to allow Poldberg to make strategic defensive replacements more often late in ballgames.
Limited to 24 players in the past, Poldberg has enjoyed some flexibility throughout his tenure in Northwest Arkansas because of versatile players he's usually had on his roster.
The Naturals under Poldberg have relied quite often on 'supersub' type players - such as Irving Falu in 2008, a middle infielder Poldberg frequently deployed in center and right field, and Ed Lucas, who in his two seasons as a Natural (2008 and 2009) played every defensive position except catcher and center fielder and batted in all nine spots in the lineup.
More recently, Anthony Seratelli has taken on a similar role for Poldberg and thrived, emerging as a playoff hero during the Naturals' run to the Texas League Championship Series and breaking into the everyday lineup in 2011, culminating in his being named the Naturals' Player of the Year. Like Lucas before him, Seratelli has found himself in nine spots in the lineup and everywhere defensively besides catcher and center field.
It is possible that this year's version of the 'have glove, will travel' player will be former Springfield Cardinal Eric Duncan. Signed as a minor league free agent in the fall, Duncan is a former first-round pick and highly regarded prospect of the New York Yankees who stalled out at the upper levels of their farm system, but last year hit .274 with 22 homers and 64 RBI's for Springfield. Defensively, Duncan appeared for the Cardinals at every infield position besides shortstop and also played 34 games in left field.
Whit Merrifield, who played for Advanced Class-A Wilmington last season in his first full season of pro ball out of South Carolina, may also fit the bill. Merrifield has already logged time at all three outfield spots and second base during his short career. Either way, Poldberg is likely to take full advantage of the flexibility that the extra roster spot will afford him.
Interestingly enough, prior to the 2007 minor league season rosters at the Double-A level were 'shrinking rosters' - teams would carry 24 active players from the start of the season until May 1st, then shrink to 23 active players until the rosters expanded again to 24 on August 1st.
Naturals/Texas League Notes
Brandon Sisk receives Spring Training invite: The Royals announced this week that former Naturals' lefty Brandon Sisk has been added to the list of spring invites. Sisk becomes the 17th non-roster player to receive an invitation to Surprise and marks the 27th former Natural expected to be among the 57 players in the big league camp. A member of the 2010 Naturals' Texas League Championship team, the 26-year old Sisk opened 2011 with the Naturals with 16 relief outings before moving up to Triple-A Omaha, where he posted a 4-2 mark with a pair of saves and a 1.41 ERA in 25 outings. Originally signed out of an independent league, this will be Sisk's second Major League camp invite. Pitchers and catchers report to Surprise on Monday, February 20th with full squad workouts beginning on Saturday afternoon, February 25th.
Winter League Playoffs: The culmination of the Winter League season - the Caribbean Series - got underway this past week with just one former Natural - former infielder Irving Falu, playing for Mayaguez, who won the Puerto Rican League - but a handful of others competed in their respective league playoffs. For his part, Falu batted .315 for Mayaguez in 13 post-season games, providing a spark as he got on base at a .373 clip. Current Natural Rey Navarro struggled throughout the off-season for Caguas, but rebounded in a short playoff run, recording six hits in 16 at-bats over five games. Mario Lisson hit for the cycle in one playoff game for Magallanes but overall just had the single homer from that effort and eight RBI's in 18 contests, batting .246. On the pitching end, southpaw Marlon Arias, a prospective 2012 Natural, was very busy for Obregon in the Mexican League, making 11 appearances but struggled with control, walking six batters in 6 1/3 innings. Manauris Baez made six appearances and three starts for Estrellas in the Dominican League, posting a 101 record and 3.65 ERA. Also in the Dominican, Elisaul Pimentel struggled, pitching to a 7.36 ERA and getting knocked around for seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. Former Natural Federico Castaneda allowed one run in two frames over two appearances for Culiacan in the Mexican League Playoffs.
Managerial Notes: Stability reigns with the Frisco RoughRiders, who announced in January that manager Steve Buechele will return for a third season, while Mike Micucci, who preceded Buechele as Frisco's manager in 2009 was announced as the new skipper for the Naturals' in-state rival Arkansas Travelers. All told, four of the eight teams in the loop will field new skippers for the 2012 season - two in each division.
Nice to see you?: In the first four seasons of the Naturals existence in the Texas League, no player that has suited up in a Naturals' uniform has ever returned to Arvest Ballpark playing for a different team in the league. That may change in 2012, however, as former Naturals' infielder Ed Lucashas inked a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Lucas, who had two very good seasons for Naturals' skipper Brian Poldberg in 2008 and 2009 and posted very good numbers in Triple-A with Omaha in 2010, received a big league invite last season with the Atlanta Braves and was the last player cut from the Braves' Major League roster prior to the start of last season. But, Lucas struggled at Triple-A Gwinnett (GA), batting just .218, and was subsequently re-assigned to Double-A Mississippi. Lucas' deal with the Angels did not reportedly include a spring invite, so an assignment to the Travelers is possible. They make their first 2012 visit to Arvest Ballpark on Friday, April 27th. Transaction Log: Former Naturals' shortstop Angel Sanchez was outrighted off of the Houston Astros' 40-Man roster. A member of the inaugural Naturals' roster, Sanchez has seen a decent amount of big league time in the past two seasons with the Astros but this year will have to compete for a job as a non-roster invitee...Cory Aldridge, also from the 2008 Naturals squad, signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Aldridge returned to the big leagues with the Angels in 2010 and spent last season in Korea...Right-hander Dan Cortes, who was in the 2008 and 2009 Naturals' starting rotation before being dealt to the Seattle Mariners in the trade that brought the Royals Yuniesky Betancourt, signed a one-year big league contract with the Washington Nationals, where he'll try to win a bullpen role in spring training.
Check nwanaturals.com twice monthly for the Hot Stove Report/Spring Training Report, where we'll continue to follow Royals' minor leaguers in winter ball as well as cover other off-season baseball information that pertains to the Naturals and the Texas League.
The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Texas League affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and play at state-of-the-art Arvest Ballpark, located in Springdale. Visit our website, nwanaturals.com, for information on season tickets and ticket plans.
Texas League Stories from February 3, 2012
- Hot Stove: '25th Man' May Assist Naturals in 2012 - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
