Sea Dogs Opening Day Roster Set
April 6, 2009 - Eastern League (EL1)
Portland Sea Dogs News Release
Portland, Maine- The Boston Red Sox have announced the 2009 Opening Day roster for the Double-A affiliate Portland Sea Dogs. Highlighting the 2009 roster are Lars Anderson, Josh Reddick, and Junichi Tazawa, three of Boston's top ten prospects according to Baseball America. The Sea Dogs open the season on Thursday, April 9th against the Connecticut Defenders (Giants) at 6:00 PM at Hadlock Field.
Eastern League rosters consist of 24-man rosters for the entire season. The 2009 Sea Dogs roster includes 16 players who played for the Sea Dogs in 2008, a team that reached post-season play for the fourth straight season. Seven of Boston's top 30 prospects according to Baseball America will open the season in Portland; Lars Anderson # 1, Josh Reddick # 5, Junichi Tazawa # 7, Argenis Diaz # 17, Richie Lentz # 26, Felix Doubront # 27, and Mark Wagner # 30. Diaz, Doubront, Tazawa, and Wagner are members of the Red Sox 40-man roster.
The starting rotation will consist of Tazawa, Adam Mills, Ryne Lawson, Travis Beazley, and Doubront. Tazawa was signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent on December 11, 2008. The 22 year-old joins the Red Sox organization after a four-year amateur career with the Nippon Oil ENEOS of the Japan Industrial League. Tazawa posted a 13-1 record with five saves and 0.80 ERA in 2008. Mills (0-5, 4.00) and Lawson (1-1, 4.06) both spent time with the Sea Dogs in 2008. Beazley and Doubront will both get their first taste of Double-A ball. Beazley spent the 2008 season at Single-A Lancaster where he notched a 7-10 record with a 4.68 ERA. Doubront, the lone lefty in the starting rotation, led all Red Sox farm hands with 138 strikeouts in 2008. He combined to go 13-9 with a 3.69 ERA between Single-A Greenville and Single-A Lancaster in 2008.
The bullpen will feature four returning players from 2008; TJ Large, Richie Lentz, Chad Rhoades, and Dustin Richardson. Large ranked fifth in the organization with 10 saves in 2008. Richardson makes the conversion to the bullpen in 2009 after starting in 2008 where he posted a 7-10 record with the Sea Dogs. The bullpen will also feature Bryce Cox, Blake Maxwell, and Chris Province. Maxwell ranked sixth among Red Sox minor leaguers with a 3.38 ERA while posting a 5-9 record with one save at Single-A Lancaster.
The outfield is compromised of Aaron Bates, Bubba Bell, Josh Reddick, and Reid Engel. Bates makes the switch to an outfielder in 2009 after previously playing first for the Sea Dogs. Bell returns to Portland after having his 2008 campaign cut short due to injury. Bell was the 2007 California League MVP. Reddick is rated by Baseball America as having the "Best Outfield Arm" in the organization.
Lars Anderson, the Red Sox 2008 Minor League Offensive Player of the Year and top prospect according to Baseball America, will be the starting first baseman. Anderson hit .317 with 18 home runs and 80 RBI between Single-A Lancaster and Double-A Portland in 2008. Ryan Khoury will get the nod at second base. Argenis Diaz, rated by Baseball America as the "Best Defensive Infielder" in the organization will start at shortstop, while Jorge Jimenez will handle the duties at third base. Two-time Sea Dogs' Citizen of the Year award winner Iggy Suarez returns for his fourth season in Portland.
Mark Wagner returns for a second season behind the plate. Juan Apodaca will join Wagner handing the catching duties. Wagner is rated by Baseball America as the "Best Defensive Catcher" in the Red Sox organization.
Jon Still will serve as the team's designated hitter. Still can also catch and play first. Still hit .265 with 22 home runs and 83 RBI with Single-A Lancaster in 2008 and was a California League All-Star.
Infielder Zach Borowiak will start the season on the Sea Dogs' disabled list. Borowiak is returning to professional baseball after voluntarily retiring at the end of the 2007 season. Borowiak has spent parts of four seasons with the Sea Dogs. When he appears in a game for the Sea Dogs in 2009, he'll become the third player in franchise history to spend parts of five seasons with the Sea Dogs, joining Bobby Rodgers (1998-2002) and Charlie Zink (2003-2007).
The 2009 roster is a team filled with homegrown talent, 23 of the 24 active players were originally signed by the Boston Red Sox. Only Apodaca was acquired from outside the organization. Apodaca was originally signed by the Dodgers in 2003 and was traded to the Red Sox on December 6, 2007 for cash considerations.
Arnie Beyeler returns for his third season as the manager of the Portland Sea Dogs. Last season Beyeler led the Sea Dogs to a 74-66 record and a fourth straight playoff appearance for the club. Mike Cather also returns for his third season as the teams' pitching coach. Dave Joppie is back for a second season as the clubs' hitting coach. Jon Jochim joins the club as the Sea Dogs' athletic trainer in 2009. Jochim spent the 2008 season as the athletic trainer for the Single-A Lancaster JetHawks.
The 2009 season in the Sea Dogs' 16th season in Portland and the Sea Dogs are looking to make their fifth straight playoff appearance. "The Drive for Five" is sponsored by Northeast Delta Dental. Tickets for the 2009 season are now on sale and can be purchased by calling the Sea Dogs Ticket Office at 207-879-9500 or on-line at www.seadogs.com.
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