Guardians & Clippers Announce Opening Day Triple-A Roster
March 29, 2024 - International League (IL)
Columbus Clippers News Release
COLUMBUS, OH - The Columbus Clippers Opening Day roster has been finalized by the Cleveland Guardians for the International League schedule beginning this weekend. Seven players on the active Opening Day roster will be making their debuts at the Triple-A level in 2024, while eight Clippers have already seen time in the Major Leagues including former Guardians and Astros outfielder Myles Straw.
Fans in Columbus are very familiar with the infielders on this season's initial roster. Juan Brito, Raynel Delgado, Kyle Manzardo, Jhonkensy Noel, Micah Pries, Daniel Schneemann, and Jose Tena all suited up for the Clippers during the 2023 campaign. Manzardo and Brito are rated by MLB Pipeline among the top ten prospects in the Cleveland organization. Tena made his big league debut last August for the Guardians, collecting seven hits in 31 trips to the plate.
Roaming the outfield with Straw will be another highly rated prospect, Johnathan Rodriguez, who showed his power last season by hitting 26 doubles, 4 triples and 29 home runs with 88 RBI combined between Double-A and Triple-A. Free agent Lorenzo Cedrola is one of six Clippers new to the Guardians organization in 2024.
The catching contingent will consist of former Colorado backstop Dom Nuñez and returning Clipper in Bryan Lavastida who made his Major League debut in 2022 with Cleveland.
The starting rotation is headlined by up-and-comers. 23-year-old lefty Will Dion gets the Opening Day assignment, bringing a career 2.14 ERA in the minors to Columbus for his rookie season at this level. Also making their Triple-A debuts will be Hunter Stanley and Connor Gillispie. Gillispie is new to the organization this year, same as Zak Kent and Adam Oller.
Making up the bullpen will be right-handers Franco Aleman, Tyler Brown, Jaime Barria, Tanner Burns, Nic Enright, Mason Hickman, and Peter Strzelecki along with southpaws Jaime Arias, Anthony Banda, John Doxakis, Anthony Gose, Randy Labaut, and Erik Sabrowski.
The Clippers will be led by fourth-year manager Andy Tracy, who brings back hitting coach Junior Betances and pitching coach Owen Dew. New to the staff this year are hitting coach Mike Mergenthaler, bench coach Daniel Robertson, pitching coach Andrew Moore.
The 2024 season will begin on Saturday, March 30 in St. Paul, Minnesota when the Clippers will battle the St. Paul Saints. The Columbus home opener is Tuesday, April 2 at 6:15pm against the Omaha Storm Chasers for the world famous Tansky Tuesday Dime-A-Dog Night. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit ClippersBaseball.com.
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