Trio Signed by Bridgeport
Published on April 13, 2015 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Bridgeport Bluefish News Release
(Bridgeport, Conn. - April 13, 2015 ) - The Bridgeport Bluefish today announced the signings of pitcher Greg Smith, and outfielders Prentice Redman and Matty Johnson.
"All three of these players can make a significant impact on our club," says Bluefish manager Ricky VanAsselberg. "Prentice returns after having a very strong season for our club in 2014. Greg can be an ace starter on our pitching staff and Matty adds many intangibles, including speed and defense."
Smith enters his eleventh season in professional baseball and first in the Atlantic League. The left-hander spent last season with Lehigh Valley, a Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, where he recorded nine wins with a 4.40 ERA and 92 strikeouts over the course of 157.1 innings pitched.
Greg made two appearances in the Major Leagues, pitching for the Oakland Athletics in 2008 and the Colorado Rockies in 2010. In 40 appearances, he recorded a 4.51 ERA and 142 strikeouts in 229.1 innings. The 31-year-old began his professional career in 2005 with Missoula of the Pioneer League after being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the sixth round of the 2005 MLB Amateur Draft. He has also spent time with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Angels organizations. In 193 career minor league outings (177 starts), the pitcher has a 72-56 record with a 4.00 ERA, four shutouts, and 722 strikeouts in 1050.1 innings. Before beginning his professional career, Greg attended and played ball at Louisiana State University.
Redman returns to Bridgeport for his fifth season in the Atlantic League and 17th of professional baseball. The outfielder appeared in 132 games for the Bluefish last year recording a .270 batting average while tallying 137 hits and 25 doubles. Prentice also smacked 16 home runs, scored 57 times, and collected 65 RBI. He currently ranks second all-time in Bluefish history with 109 doubles and third with 166 extra-base hits.
The 35-year-old has made one stop at the Major League level as a member of the New York Mets in 2003. In 15 games, he recorded three hits, including one home run in 24 at-bats. The slugger posted his best season as a professional in 2008 when he split time between Double-A West Tennessee and Triple-A Tacoma of the Mariners organization. In 454 combined at-bats, he batted .295 with 76 RBI and set career-highs in home runs (25), runs scored (97) and walks (61). In 1,683 career minor league games, Prentice has a .277 batting average with 436 doubles, 208 home runs, 936 RBI, 1,009 runs scored and 216 stolen bases. He is also the younger brother of Tike Redman, who has spent six seasons in the big leagues and was a member of the Bluefish in 2010. Redman was selected by the New York Mets in the 10th round of the 1999 amateur draft.
Johnson will make his Atlantic League debut during his sixth year of professional baseball. Last year, the 26-year-old saw action in 132 games for Salem of the Carolina League, hitting .277 with 104 runs scored, 55 RBI and 40 stolen bases.
Matty began his baseball career in 2010 with the Gateway Grizzlies of the independent Frontier League. There, he hit .313 with 19 RBI and 43 runs scored in 47 games. At the end of the 2010 season, he signed with the Boston Red Sox as an undrafted free agent and spent the next four seasons playing within the Red Sox organization, reaching as high as the Triple-A level in 2013. In 381 career minor league games, Johnson owns a .277 batting average with 77 extra-base hits, 252 runs scored, 133 RBI and 111 stolen bases. Before beginning his professional career, Matty attended and played ball at Bellevue University in Nebraska. During his senior year in 2010, he was named second-team NAIA All-American as well as first-team All-MCAC and won a MCAC Gold Glove award.
The Bridgeport Bluefish are members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and play their home games at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard. For further information, call 203-210-BLUE (2583) or visit BridgeportBluefish.com.
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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.
