Where are the 2011 Durham Bulls?

*** 52 Days! ***

About time to try to sort out what's happened to last year's team. As is often the case, a lot of ballplayers came through Durham. Shown below are just 36 of them. I've left off several who left early or didn't play in very many games (including Cory Wade who is now firmly entrenched in Bulls trivia, to wit: In the final game of the regular ML season, when 2011 Durham Bull Dan Johnson hit the game-tying home run, what 2011 Durham Bulls pitcher was on the mound for the Yankees?). For a complete list of all 57 (!) players who put on a Bulls uniform in 2011, see Baseball Reference.

Thanks to Rays Prospects for tracking most of these guys. Also if anyone knows the exact status of Omar Luna, Jay Buente, Lance Cormier or Daniel Mayora, I'd like to hear. I'm pretty sure they are still under minor league contracts to the Bulls. Also, if anyone's heard if or where the free agents have landed, let me know and I'll update this.

Hitters are listed in order of number of games played as a Bull, pitchers are listed in order of innings pitched. I've made no distinction between players on the Rays 25-man roster and those on the 40 man. The "Non-Roster Invitee" list is based on reports out of Tampa Bay newspapers and the limited listings so far on the Rays website. A Non-Roster Invitee is a player who is invited to spring training, but is not on the 40-man roster of the Rays. Many of the NRIs will end up playing in Durham this year.

For summaries of their 2011 performance, check hitters here and here, and pitchers here and here.

Hitters

Russ Canzler (131 games) - Cleveland Indians
Ray Olmedo (124 games) - Chicago White Sox
Leslie Anderson (121 games) - Probable Non-Roster invitee
J.J. Furmaniak (116 games) - Free Agent
Brandon Guyer (107 games) - 40 man
Dan Johnson (93 games) - Chicago White Sox
Desmond Jennings (89 games) - 40 man
Robinson Chirinos (78) - 40 man
Omar Luna (56) - Minor League Camp?
Jose Lobaton (54) - 40 man
Daniel Mayora (51) - Free Agent
Justin Ruggiano (43) - Houston Astros
John Matulia (36) - Free Agent
Nevin Ashley (26) - Non-Roster Invitee
Stephen Vogt (31) - 40-man
Tim Beckham (24) - Non-Roster Invitee
Matt Carson (22) - Minnesota Twins
Craig Albernaz (8) - Non-Roster Invitee

Pitchers

Alexander Torres, LHP (146 innings) - 40 man
Brian Baker, RHP (104 innings) - Milwaukee Brewers
Dane De La Rosa, RHP (70 innings) - 40 man
Mike Ekstrom, RHP, (68 innings) - Colorado Rockies
Rob Delaney, RHP (67 innings) - Florida Marlins
Alex Cobb, RHP (67 innings) - 40 man
Matt Torra, RHP (61 innings) - Non-Roster Invitee
Dirk Hayhurst, RHP (59 innings) - Italy
Andy Sonnanstine, RHP (56 innings) - Chicago Cubs
Ryan Reid, RHP (55 innings) - Non-Roster Invitee
Matt Moore, LHP (52 innings) - 40 man
Lance Cormier, RHP (47 innings) - Free Agent
Jay Buente, RHP (42 innings) - Disabled List
Joe Bateman, RHP (21 innings) - Free Agent
Adam Russell, RHP (17 innings) - Atlanta Braves
Chris Archer, RHP (17 innings), 40-man
Paul Phillips, RHP, (11 innings), Free Agent
Richard De Los Santos, RHP (6 innings) - Signed
Marquis Fleming (2 innings) - Non-Roster Invitee

Update: Jay Buente will be rehabbing at the beginning of season. Still with Rays system. See Comments.
Update 2: Daniel Mayora is an unsigned free agent. Omar Luna is still in the Rays system.
Update 3: Adam Russell added to list and shown as working for the Atlanta Braves this year.

Hemstitching: Ruggiano, Dan Johnson, Hayhurst, & More

New Durham Bulls Clubhouse

57 Days!

In the weaver’s world the word hemstitching is used for two purposes: to tie up loose ends (literally, because an “end” is a thread in a warp) and for decoration.

• Justin Ruggiano has signed with the Houston Astros. It’s a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. The Astro’s AAA team is in Oklahoma City, so either way we’re not likely to be seeing him unless he makes the team and we’re watching a Rays-Astro game someday when the Bulls are out of town. Sounds like he has a good shot at sticking. Good luck!
• Dan Johnson has signed a similar contract with the Chicago White Sox. That is potentially very bad news for the Bulls. They could could end up facing both Dan and Ray Olmedo (also signed with the White Sox) playing for the Charlotte Knights this year.
• But we won’t be looking at Dirk Hayhurst on an opponent’s mound. He’s off to Italy. He also devoted an entire blog post to Russ Canzler. Worth a read.
• Does anyone remember Edwin Jackson on the mound for the Bulls back in 2006? Of course you do. And he’s bounced around quite a bit since then to include time with the Devil Rays, the Rays, Tigers, White Sox, Diamondbacks, Cardinals, and the White Sox (again). Now with the Nationals. Jonah Keri over at Grantland has a terrific piece about pitching prospects that uses Mr. Jackson as an example.
• Bringing it back to Durham, look at what’s been done to the Bulls locker room. Here’s hoping it’s ready by April. 

Russ Canzler Traded

Russ Canzler Rounding Third Base, July 3, 2011.
Photo by Al Drago, Indy Week

For Durham Bulls fans, this is just about the worst possible news we could have on this last day of January. Russ was our star in 2011 and now the only way we’re going to see him back is if he doesn’t make the Cleveland starting roster and he shows up in a Columbus Clippers uniform. (Good Grief! A Clippers uniform! ).

Here’s what we had to say about Russ at the end of last season:

Played in the most games of any Durham Bull (131) and had the most plate appearances (549). He led the Bulls in batting average (.314), was second in OBP (.401) and was first in SLG and OPS (.530 and .930), and led the team in wOBA (.399). His 83 RBI were way ahead of #2, Leslie Anderson, who had 65. He also led in home runs (18), doubles (40), second in triples (5). He was the team leader in walks (67) and strikeouts (129). The all-around offensive star of the year.

We started to worry when we read that he'd been designated for assignment. Then today we learned that he'd been traded to Cleveland. 

The other side of the coin is that a serious minor league fan really does want the best possible outcomes for the players we get to watch, and this looks like a pretty good deal for Canzler. The folks in Cleveland seem to think a lot of him. He’s been put on the Cleveland 40-man with a solid opportunity to compete in spring training for an opening day slot. 

So, we’ve got to wish Russ the best and hope that we don’t see him back in the DBAP in a Clippers uniform. We’ve had enough of losing to those guys. Would hate to have it come at the hands of a former Bull.

Good luck, Russ!

Ruggiano Declines Assignment

As we guessed the other day, Justin Ruggiano has passed through waivers and has opted for free agency. From a very great distance it sure looks like the right decision for him if he’s ever to get a serious shot at a regular job in the majors.

But he’s been a large part of my Durham Bulls experience. You will see that he’s been mentioned a bunch of times in this blog, which makes sense since he was with the Bulls from before this blog was even started. In fact, he’s logged parts of five years in a Bulls uniform (and 30+ games in Montgomery before then). And he has done a stellar job for the Bulls.

Take a look at his numbers. They are impressive. As a Bull he hit .289/.378/.518 over five seasons. 58 home runs, 300 RBI, 105 stolen bases. If we ever get around to setting up a Durham Bulls AAA All-Star list, Justin is going to have to be on it. 

I think, but am not sure, that he holds a couple of AAA Bulls records. His 119 doubles has to be close to the top.

At 29 Justin certainly has a solid shot of getting on with another team. I worry that he might end up playing against the Bulls at some point in the future. That could be a problem. He’s got a great glove, great speed, and a solid bat. 

Nevertheless, thank you Justin for some real thrills over the last several years and the quality baseball you brought to the Durham Bulls. Good luck!

Hemstitching: Four Bulls (maybe), Ruggiano, Kinas, and More

Justin Ruggiano at the DAP

** 71 Days **

• The Rays recently signed four players to minor league contracts, most of whom have experience in Durham, if not always with the Bulls. 
• Will Rhymes has put in a lot of time with Detroit’s AAA team, the Toledo Mud Hens, the last three years (so he’s probably played at the DBAP). Looks to be a solid 2B. Signed to a minor league contract, probably with an invitation to spring training, you’ve got to think he’s on the hunt for the Rays 2B slot. Good possibility to end up with the Bulls this year. He sounds happy.  Stats.
• Jesus Feliciano, an outfielder, spent most of last year with the Mets’ AAA team, Buffalo. An outfielder, at 32 he might bring some maturity and depth to the Bulls. Trivia: He was in the Devil Rays system back in 2004. Stats.
• RHP Romulo Sanchez is 27 and has some time with Indianapolis and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, so he’s likely to have visited the DBAP as well. He spent 2011 in Japan, so we’ll have to wait and see how he comes out of spring training. Stats.
• Then there’s Matt Torra, whom we know and like from his time with us last year. Glad to have him back.
• Durham Bulls stalwart, Justin Ruggiano, has been designated for assignment. He doesn’t sound too happy about it. Can’t say that I blame him. He spent a good bit of time in Durham last year, but my bet is that if he isn’t picked up on waivers he’ll try free agency. 
• The Bulls have hired well-known local broadcaster Patrick Kinas to fill Neil Solondz's slot as the “voice” of the Bulls. Thirteen seasons in Double-A. Time to get called up. See commentary at a recent post on this blog.
• Catcher Nevin Ashley cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Durham. Good news.
• Dirk Hayhurst, possibly channeling his inner yoda, is offering advice to minor leaguers (here and here) as spring training approaches. His new book, Out of My League, is on the cusp of being published. However, as I recall, that was what he was saying when he showed up here last spring.
• For the stats geeks among you, here is the godfather, Bill James, speaking out on the subject of great pitchers duels.

April Fool's Day Comes Early?

We think that Cork Gaines' "Rays Index" is a terrific blog. We check it out every day. He keeps an eye on the minor league franchises, so we weren't too surprised to see Charlie Montoya's image in a post today.

What surprised us was why. Apparently Cork thinks it would be a good idea for the Rays to have a AAA franchise at the old Al Lang field in St. Petersburg. That would be ... the Bulls???

It's not clear if the idea is to bulldoze the Trop and offer the Bulls in compensation as the Rays move to ... Charlotte? Nashville? Memphis? San Antonio? Raleigh? Or to just have the teams close together.

But what about a swap? The Bulls move to Al Lang and the Rays move to the DBAP. At least we could probably fill the DBAP for them, for a while.

I guess I'll wait until it happens. If Sidd Finch is in the lineup as the starting pitcher for opening day, then I'll know we Bulls fans have been had.

Hemstitching: DJ, EJ, Aging Hitters, and Ashley

In the weaver’s world the word hemstitching is used for two purposes: to tie up loose ends (literally, because an “end” is a thread in a warp) and for decoration.

• Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune did an interesting piece on Dan Johnson, with a nice photo accompanying it. For the first time in the years of running this blog, however, a paper refused permission to reproduce a photo, so you will have to click the link to see it. For Bulls fans who have been following Dan a long time there’s two new bits of info (new to me anyhow). First, he and his wife Holly have a new baby girl (congrats!). Second, he was playing with an injury essentially all of 2011 (he was hit by a pitch on April 15 and never quite recovered). He’s looking for work. Here’s hoping he finds it and does well. He’s brought Bulls fans a lot of pleasure over the years. [Thanks for the tip on this one, DRR]
• I don’t quite know what to make of Adam Sobsey’s adaptingT. S. Elliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock to celebrate (?) former Bull Elliot Johnson’s failure to lay down a bunt. Baseball certainly attracts the literati, but I simply can’t figure out if Sobsey is mocking Johnson, trying to make some obscure point about the difficulty of being a low-roster guy, or just showing off. Seems a bit invasive of EJ’s space to me. But then in my day it was our affectation to scorn expatriate T.S. Elliot in favor of the “new guys” like Alan Ginsberg, Gregory Curso, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, so I probably never quite got the point of Prufrock either.
• And then there’s the chart above copied from fangraphs. Fascinating bit of statistical analysis that seems to show that hitters mature even earlier than may be usually thought. [And thanks to DRaysBay for the hint on this item]
• Lastly, Bulls catcher Nevin Ashley has been "designated for assignment" to take him off the Rays' 40-man roster. We'll have to see if he passes through waivers.