Blue Crabs Sign Four Pitchers
Published on March 5, 2009 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Southern Maryland Blue Crabs News Release
The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs have announced the signing of four pitchers, the first players to have official contracts announced by the club for the 2009 season. Familiar faces Ryan Bicondoa and Jason Blanton will return to Southern Maryland for a second season. The team also signed veteran left-hander Jason Navarro, and traded for Mark Woodyard. Woodyard reached the Major Leagues briefly in 2005 with the Detroit Tigers.
The right-handed Bicondoa was a durable workhorse for the Crabs in 2008, making 29 starts and pitching an Atlantic League best 196.1 innings. Bicondoa tossed two complete games while going 13-8, striking out 129 while walking just 53. Bicondoa is entering his eighth professional season, after turning pro with the Yankees out of Western Kentucky University in 2001. Since, Bicondoa has also spent time in the Mets and Cubs organizations. Last season was his first in the Atlantic League, moving up after four seasons with the North Shore Spirit of the Can-Am League. On the career, Bicondoa sports a 50-30 record with a 3.24 ERA, with over 600 strikeouts.
The re-signing of righty reliever Jason Blanton will also help the Blue Crabs in their effort to lead the Atlantic League in wins for a second straight year. A season ago, Blanton appeared in 55 games, all in relief, going 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA and three saves. Like Bicondoa, the eighth year veteran was incredibly dependable for Manager Butch Hobson in '08. Selected by the Cubs in the 12th round of the 2001 draft out of North Carolina State, Blanton spent three years in that organization through 2003. In addition to his time with the Blue Crabs, Blanton has prior Atlantic League experience with the Nashua Pride and Long Island Ducks.
Southern Maryland has also acquired the rights to Mark Woodyard in a trade for a player to be named later from the Grand Prairie Air Hogs of the American Association. Woodyard, who did not pitch in 2008, had yet to appear in a game for Grand Prairie. He last appeared professionally for the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League in 2007, making three starts at the tail end of the season, going 2-1. Woodyard spent the bulk of the '07 season with the St. George Roadrunners of the Golden Baseball League, where he made 16 starts and tossed over 100 innings. After turning pro with the Tigers out of Bethune-Cookman University in 2000 after they drafted him in the fourth round, he enjoyed a long stint in Detroit's farm system through the 2006 season. Woodyard reached Triple-A Toledo on two occasions in '05 and '06, and earned a cup of coffee in the Majors in 2005. In three games with the Tigers that summer, he allowed just one earned run in six innings of work. In his eight seasons, Woodyard has tossed nearly 750 innings, amassing over 500 strikeouts as both a starter and reliever.
The club continued by signing veteran southpaw Jason Navarro, a St. Louis Cardinals farm hand from 1997 through 2001. A fifth round draft pick of St. Louis in '97, the 33-year-old Navarro also has considerable Atlantic League experience with the Nashua Pride and Long Island Ducks, from 2002 through 2005. In that period he also had short stints with the Seattle Mariners Double-A squad in San Antonio ('02), and the Mesa Miners of the Golden Baseball League ('05). In nine seasons, Navarro has 285 appearances on the hill, including 96 starts. He's accumulated 587 strikeouts in 740.2 career innings pitched.
"We have total confidence in how Butch Hobson puts a ballclub together," said Blue Crabs General Manager Chris Allen. We're pumped to have Bicondoa and Blanton back, that's huge. We also look forward to what the newcomers can bring us. There's no doubt the guys we bring in will make us highly competitive all season long," Allen continued.
More announcements on player signings, specifically additions to Blue Crabs offense, will be forthcoming.
Atlantic League Stories from March 5, 2009
- Aaron Herr Rejoins Barnstormers - Lancaster Stormers
- Blue Crabs Sign Four Pitchers - Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
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.
