Loons set opening day roster

by Cory Butzin

Your stars of summer are set. The Great Lakes Loons have announced their roster for opening day of their second season as an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In addition to new manager Juan Bustabad, the Loons will welcome a host of fresh faces, as eighteen new prospects travel to Midland to join nine returning players.

Returning for their second season with the Loons are pitchers Steven Johnson, Thomas Melgarejo, Miguel Ramirez, Miguel Sanfler and Kyle Smit; catcher Kenley Jansen; infielders Brian Matthews and Preston Mattingly; and outfielder Scott Van Slyke.

Joining them are five players rated by Baseball America as top prospects in the Dodgers organization Pedro Baez, Bryan Morris, Andrew Lambo, Justin Miller, and Geison Aguasviva are among the top 30 prospects. Mattingly is listed, as well.

Beginning his second professional season in the United States is Baez. He spent last year with the Gulf Coast League Dodgers where he hit .274 with a .408 slugging percentage, highlighted by a three-run home run off Cy Young award-winner Pedro Martinez, while the pitcher was on a rehab assignment. A 20-year-old third baseman, Baez is rated as the tenth best prospect in the Dodgers’ organization.

Morris, a starting right hander, will take the field again after missing the 2007 season due to Tommy John Surgery. Despite being drafted in the third round out of high school by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, he attended college for a year before signing with the Dodgers. Morris is a top-rated right hander in the organization.

Lambo, a fourth round draft choice of the Dodgers in 2007, saw his draft stock fall due to off the field issues. His play for the GCL Dodgers last year, however, showed that his ability on the field belongs among the elite. He will bring a .343 batting average and .519 slugging percentage to a team that struggled offensively in its inaugural season.

Right hander Justin Miller will help shore up the bullpen after notching 12 strikeouts in only 17 innings last year for the GCL Dodgers.

Aguasviva will be making the jump to the Midwest League after dominating opponents in the Dominican Summer League. He finished with an 8-2 record in 12 outings with a 1.50 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .183 batting average.

Meanwhile, Mattingly will try to make up for a shaky 2007 season and return to the form that saw him hit .290 in his first season as a member of the GCL Dodgers in 2006 after being chosen by the parent club in the first round of the draft.

Eight players on this year’s team were members of last year’s GCL Dodgers, managed by Bustabad. That team finished with a league best record 40-15 and advanced to the GCL Finals.

The Loons open the new season April 3 at Dow Diamond against the Dayton Dragons. Game time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Click here for a link to the Loons’ 2008 roster.