MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Dragons 2013 Preview, Part 8: Bullpen

Published on March 21, 2013 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Of all areas of the 2013 Dragons, the bullpen is the hardest to project, partly because it is difficult to determine how many pitchers from the 2012 Dragons bullpen will advance through the system. Consider that the Reds have typically featured seven relievers in the bullpen for each of their four full-season affiliates. The team one level above the Dragons on the organizational ladder, Bakersfield, could have 15 pitchers battling for those seven bullpen spots. Where will the other eight wind up?

How did we get to 15 candidates? Carlos Conteras, Mike Dennhardt, Ryan Kemp, El'Hajj Muhammad, and Carlos Gonzalez all spent all or most of 2012 with the Dragons and pitched well enough to move up. Lucas O'Rear, Jimmy Moran, Wes Mugarian, and Sean Lucas spent part of 2012 with the Dragons and could move up. Former Dragons Pat Doyle, Daniel Wolford, Kyle McMyne, and Brooks Pinckard spent most or all of 2012 at Bakersfield but all could return there in 2013. Mo Wiley spent the 2012 season at Billings but pitched well enough that he could be in the Bakersfield picture too. Additionally, a starter from the 2012 Dragons could project as a swing man in Bakersfield and begin the year in the bullpen such as Stalin Gerson or perhaps Daniel Tuttle. Cole Green and Eric Miller, both 2012 Dragons relievers, were released earlier this week. What happens to all those extra pitchers?

It is likely that at least two and maybe more of the pitchers from the previous paragraph will start the 2013 season with the Dragons. This preview will profile players coming up from Billings or the Arizona League Reds who could be candidates to fill whatever bullpen spots may be available.

Mo Wiley is mentioned as a candidate to jump to Bakersfield because he was very effective in Billings last season. Wiley, 23, was taken by the Reds in the 28th round of the 2012 draft out of the University of Houston. He pitched in 76 games over a four-year career with the Cougars. As a senior, he was 2-2 with four saves and a 4.67 ERA. Wiley joined the Reds organization after the draft and was outstanding at Billings. He did not give up an earned run over his first 13 relief appearances and finished with nine saves, a 3-2 record, and a 2.45 earned run average. Right-handed batters went 4 for 38 (.105) against him for the year. Wiley pitched a scoreless inning for the Reds in a Major League exhibition game this spring. If he comes to Dayton, he could be the Dragons closer.

David Chacin, 19, has been one of the most effective relievers with the Reds Rookie-level clubs over the past three seasons. He was signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2010 and over three years of relief work, he has gone 9-6 with a 2.09 ERA in 64 games. At Billings in 2012, Chacin went 4-2 with a 3.41 ERA in 20 games, averaging a strikeout an inning.

Jose Amezcua, 21, was the Reds seventh round draft pick in 2010 out of high school in Bellflower, California in Los Angeles. He battled injuries over the first two years of his pro career, pitching just 15 innings in 2010-'11. At Billings in 2012, Amezcua appeared in 15 games, going 3-5 with a 4.65 ERA. He struck out 48 batters in 50 innings, walking 24.

Jesus Adames, 22, was signed as an international free agent in 2007. He played under Delino DeShields at Billings in 2010, then missed all of 2011 with an injury. He returned to Billings in 2012 and worked out of the bullpen, going 1-0 with a 4.39 ERA in 18 games.

Stephen Hunt, 24, is a converted outfielder who has spent the last three years in the Reds organization, reaching the Double-A level as a hitter. He will become a full-time pitcher in 2013. Hunt, a left-hander, pitched in college at the University of South Florida, appearing in 32 games on the mound over his three seasons. He appeared in 24 games as a freshman, holding opponents to a combined average of just .171, but then emerged as one of his team's best hitters and put his pitching career on hold. He was highly-recruited as a pitcher out of high school. Hunt's best year as a hitter in the Reds organization came in 2011 when he batted .291 at Bakersfield in 104 games.

Joel Bender, 21, is a Cincinnati native who played at Oak Hills High School (alma mater of Pete Rose Jr. and other former Major Leaguers Bill Wegman and Scott Klingenbeck). Bender, a left-hander, was a 27th round draft pick in 2010. He pitched at Billings last season, going 3-4 with a 6.75 ERA in 15 games (five starts). He finished strong, making two scoreless starts to end the season covering 11 innings. Bender had signed to play at the University of Louisville before turning professional.

Michael Salter, 21, was the Reds 31st round draft pick in 2012 out of Cisco Junior College in Texas. He spent most of the 2012 season under new Dragons manager Jose Nieves with the Arizona League Reds and was very effective. He pitched in 15 games, going 3-1 with a 2.15 ERA. He struck out 38 and walked only 11 in 38 innings.

Mike Saunders, 22, was taken in the 24th round in 2012 by the Reds out of Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan, a Division II school. Saunders enjoyed a great 2012 college year, setting a school record for lowest ERA in a season at 1.23, which finished second in the country. He went 7-2 in 10 starts, amazingly completing eight of the 10. After turning professional, he was assigned the Arizona League Reds and saw similar results there, going 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA in 13 games.

Carlos Ramos, 22, is a hard-throwing reliever who has drawn comparisons to former Dragons Johnny Cueto and Daniel Corcino because of his ability to pitch in the mid 90's despite standing only 5'11". Ramos was signed as an international free agent in 2009. At Billings last season, he worked in 18 games and went 1-1 with a 7.12 ERA, striking out 30 batters in 30 innings.

Other candidates, all drafted by the Reds last June, could include Nolan Becker, an 11th round pick out of Yale (0-1, 8.44 at Billings); Bennett Klimesh, a 15th round pick out of Trinity University in Texas (0-3, 6.99 at Billings); Jordan Remer, a 21st round choice from the University of San Francisco (0-0, 5.50 at Billings); Luke Moran, a 14th round choice out of Grayson County College in Texas (2-3, 4.75 with AZL Reds); Richard McCaffrey, a 34th round selection out of Santa Barbara Community College in California (1-0, 4.44 with AZL Reds); and Joe Housey, a 27th round pick from the University of Oregon (0-0, 3.09 with AZL Reds).

Notable: Relief pitcher Todd Coffey, who ranks second in Dragons history in career appearances with 77, is one of the most notable free agents still awaiting an opportunity for 2013. Coffey has pitched in 461 Major League games including 213 with the Reds. He played for the Dodgers in 2012...Former Dragons reliever and starter Jeremy Horst quietly enjoyed a tremendous year with the Phillies last season. In 32 games out of the Philadelphia bullpen, Horst allowed a total of four earned runs, going 2-0 with a 1.15 ERA...As former Dragons reliever Chad Rogers gets closer to the Major Leagues, his shark bite story will continue to be repeated. Rogers was bitten by a shark while surfing near Galveston, Texas in 2010.

Where are Recent Dragons Relief Pitchers? From the 2010 Dragons: Donnie Joseph was traded to Kansas City last season as part of a deal that brought Jonathan Broxton to Cincinnati. He is battling to make the Royals club this spring, trying to become the 58th Dragon in the Major Leagues. Blair Carson and Chase Ware retired before the start of the 2011 season. Doug Salinas pitched for the Pirates Advanced-A club, Bradenton, in 2012. Jason Braun played independent ball last season on the same Frontier League team, the Schaumburg Boomers, as his former Dragons teammate Frank Pfister. Ezequiel Infante was out of baseball. From the 2011 Dragons: Drew Hayes made the jump to Double-A Pensacola last season and could be in Triple-A in 2013. Chad Rogers became a starter at Bakersfield and led the California League in ERA, then moved up to Pensacola and pitched well there, too. Blaine Howell, Daniel Wolford, Pat Doyle, and Jamie Walczak all pitched at Bakersfield. Luca Panerati returned home and earlier this month, pitched for Team Italy against the USA in the World Baseball Classic. From the 2012 Dragons: See the list at the start of this preview. All will be competing for jobs with Bakersfield.

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