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A bevy of moves at the GBL transaction deadline

August 17, 2005 - Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Yuma Scorpions News Release


(Yuma, AZ) - The Yuma Scorpions announced today that they have released one player, signed 4 pitchers, and placed two players on the disabled list just prior to Tuesday night's GBL transaction deadline. Just hours after the Scorpions' roster shrunk to 22 players after relief pitcher Jose Espinal headed overseas to play for the Uni-President Lions of the China Professional Baseball League in Taiwan, Scorpions' Manager Benny Castillo fortified his pitching staff with 4 different pitchers. The Scorpions have signed former major league southpaw Carl Sadler, longtime AAA pitcher Rafael Pina, and rookie pitchers Tom Spille, and have also traded for rookie left-handed pitcher Billy Zbacnik. The Scorpions also placed ailing starting pitcher Dustin Kupper on the 7-day disabled list, and moved catcher/first baseman Jacob Guzman from the inactive list to the 7-day disabled list. They have also released rookie pitcher/3rd baseman Bo Cogbill. The moves put the Scorpions at the 24-man roster limit for the final two weeks of the regular season.

The signings help bolster a pitching staff that has been ailing in recent days from flu and nagging injuries. Sadler is a 10-year pro who was originally drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 1996 MLB Draft, but was released after getting injured before the 1998 season. The Cleveland Indians took a flyer on Sadler, and despite missing the entire '98 season due to the injury, rewarded the Tribe by climbing the ladder all the way to the parent club in '02 and '03. At the major league level, Sadler was 1-2 in 42 relief appearances with a 3.60 ERA before spending last season bouncing between the Indians' AA & AAA affiliates. He was granted free agency after last season, and spent the first part of '05 in the independent Atlantic League with the Somerset Patriots (0-1 in 2 games) and the Long Island Ducks (1-3, 6.75 ERA in 11 games). Meanwhile, Pina becomes second only to Scorpions' Pitching Coach Rusty Meacham in experience on the Scorpions' staff, having been drafted by the Minnesota Twins in '91 right out of East Los Angeles JC. Pina spent two seasons at the rookie level before moving south of the border to pitch in the AAA Mexican League for the next 5 seasons. He then played one season in Taiwan before returning to the States, and has since spent time in the Diamondbacks and Orioles' organizations in the U.S., and the Mexican League teams of Oaxaca, Tijuana and Veracruz in Mexico. He also pitched briefly for the Sonoma County Crushers of the Western Baseball League in '01, throwing twice against the Yuma Bullfrogs-once in Sonoma, and once at Desert Sun Stadium in Yuma. This season, Pina was 2-5 for Veracruz in 13 games. Zbacnik was acquired late last night from the Sioux Falls Canaries of the Northern League for a player to be named later. Zbacnik's first season was spent at the San Francisco Giants' rookie league affiliate-as a first baseman. Then, last season, the Giants converted the Florida native to a pitcher, where he went 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA in just 20 innings of work, but Zbacnik hasn't pitched yet this season. Spille is a true rookie, having just completed his senior season at NAIA power Shawnee State in Portsmouth, Ohio. After having spent 2004 on the shelf due to ‘Tommy John' surgery on his right elbow, the Cincinnati native bounced back strong this spring, going 6-3 for the Bears with 5 complete games, a team-leading 3.63 ERA, and earning 2nd Team All-American Mideast Conference honors.

Cogbill was signed July 21st as a rookie utility man just weeks after graduating from Texas Christian University. Cogbill mostly played 3rd base as a Horned Frog, but had pitched some in college, and Castillo moved him immediately into the Scorpions' bullpen. Cogbill also spent time as a defensive replacement at third base and second base, and was also inserted several times as a pinch-runner and pinch-hitter. Unfortunately, Cogbill struggled on the mound, going 0-0 with a 12.10 ERA in 5 games. His last two performances seemingly sealed his fate-against the San Diego Surf Dawgs and the Chico Outlaws, where he gave up 11 earned runs in only 7 innings combined. Cogbill was also hitless in 5 at-bats. Meanwhile, Kupper has continued to pitch well over the last month, winning four of his last five decisions, yet has been fighting a deep lower ankle sprain suffered July 7th in Mesa running out a ground ball. ‘Kup' was scratched from his last start this weekend in Chico to let the ankle rest, but Scorpions' officials determined that he will need to rest it longer. And, the move on Guzman-who's been out since late June with a hand injury-allows the Scorpions to activate him before the end of the season if Jacob is healthy enough.

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