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Gary SouthShore Railcats

RailCats Announce Five Roster Moves

May 26, 2012 - American Association (AA)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release


GARY, Ind. - The RailCats have signed right-handed pitcher Derek Drage, who will be the starting pitcher for tonight's 6:10 p.m. game against Wichita at U. S. Steel Yard. In addition, they announced the retirement of outfielder Jason James and signed outfielder Sean Smith. The club also sent right-handed pitcher Mike Perconte to Joliet (Frontier League) in exchange for left-handed pitcher Chuck Lukanen and traded the rights to right-handed pitcher Derek Johnson to Las Cruces Vaqueros (Pecos League) for Future Considerations.

Drage, a 6-foot-3 pitcher from Bonduel, Wisconsin was a non-roster invite to RailCats spring training. He last played professionally in 2007 for the North Shore Spirit of the CanAm League. Drage posted a 3-4 record with a 1.83 ERA in 54 innings pitched that season. His 13 saves ranked fifth in the league.

Drage is 30 years old and a former 21st round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2004. He spent parts of three seasons in the Pirates organization, advancing as high as Advanced-A Lynchburg in 2006. Tonight will be his fourth career start, and he has a 3.22 ERA in 130 career appearances.

Smith is a 12-year veteran from Beverly Hills, Calif. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 15th round of the 2000 draft and spent five seasons in their organization and three years in the Chicago White Sox system, reaching Double-A. He has spent the last four years in independent baseball and split time between New Jersey and Rockland in the Can-Am League last season, hitting .274 with seven homers and 44 RBI. Smith, 29, is a career .259 hitter with a .341 on-base percentage.

Lukanen is a lefty reliever in his third professional season. In two appearances with Joliet this year, he has allowed a run on three hits in two innings and walked three. He was 4-2 with a 3.91 ERA and struck out 48 in 48 1/3 innings for the Slammers last season.

The 25-year-old split the 2010 season between Southern Illinois and Rockford and combined to go 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in 14 2/3 innings. Lukanen is from Lombard, Ill., and played collegiately at Northern Illinois, where he led the team in starts and strikeouts in his two seasons.

Perconte was 0-1 with a 4.66 ERA in two starts at the time of the trade, while Johnson had given up six runs in 1 2/3 innings in his only start last Sunday at St. Paul. James was hitting .192 with an RBI on the season.

2012 Season Transactions

May 19: Signed RHP Kyle Wilson

May 26: Signed RHP Derek Drage, Signed OF Sean Smith, Announced retirement of OF Jason James, Traded RHP Mike Perconte to Joliet (Frontier League) in exchange for LHP Chuck Lukanen, Traded RHP Derek Johnson to Las Cruces Vaqueros (Pecos League) for Future Considerations

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