2006 GRASSHOPPERS ROSTER

 

POSITION PLAYERS

 

Name Age H/W Finished '05

 

Util Norberto Batista 22 6-1 155 Jupiter

 

OF Greg Burns 19 6-2 185 Jamestown

 

C Trent D'Antonio 20 5-9 180 Greensboro

 

3B Jon Fulton 22 6-4 200 Greensboro

 

OF Jared Gaston 21 6-2 195 Greensboro

 

2B James Guerrero* 21 5-7 175 Jamestown

 

OF Kris Harvey 22 6-2 195 Jamestown

 

C Brett Hayes* 22 6-1 190 --

 

C Andrew Jenkins 22 6-0 205 Greensboro

 

OF Matt Kutler 24 6-0 185 Jamestown

 

2B Gary Roche 22 5-11 180 VSL Marlins

 

1B Gabriel Sanchez 22 6-2 225 Jamestown

 

SS Agustin Septimo 22 5-11 170 West Virginia (MIL)

 

OF Jeff Van Houten 23 5-10 175 Jamestown

 

Util Justin Webb 23 6-1 175 Greensboro

 

PITCHERS

 

Name Age Throws Ht. Wt. Finished '05

 

Daniel Barone 22 Right 6-2 185 Greensboro

 

Michael Doolittle 23 Right 5-10 175 Jamestown

 

Rafael Galbizo 21 Right 6-1 185 Jupiter

 

David Humen* 24 Right 6-2 210 Greensboro

 

Jason Iehl 21 Right 6-2 185 Jupiter

 

Blake Jones 24 Right 6-5 220 Jupiter

 

Chris Leroux 22 Right 6-6 210 Injured

 

Jarret Santos 24 Right 6-4 215 Greensboro

 

Aaron Thompson 19 Left 6-5 210 Jamestown

 

Ryan Tucker 19 Right 6-3 190 Jamestown

 

Chris Volstad 19 Right 6-7 190 Jamestown

 

Sean West 19 Left 6-8 200 Jamestown

 

Tim Wood* 23 Right 6-1 185 Greensboro

 

Mauro Zarate 23 Right 6-1 180 Jamestown

 

*-On disabled list

 

 

 

Grasshoppers expecting strong rotation

 

By Jeff Carlton

Staff Writer

Saturday, April 1, 2006

 

GREENSBORO -- When the Florida Marlins lost Armando Benitez, Carl Pavano and Mike Redmond through free agency two years ago, a bushel of compensatory picks in the 2005 amateur draft was their reward.

 

Now, it's Greensboro's reward.

 

The Marlins had five draft picks before the second round and seven of the first 79 selections in June '05. Six have graduated to the Grasshoppers' roster for the start of the South Atlantic League season.

 

The organization used its extra picks to stockpile young pitching talent. Led by Chris Volstad, several of those gifted arms will be firing baseballs at First Horizon Park when the Grasshoppers open a homestand Thursday against the Hagerstown Suns.

 

"It's going to be really fun to watch," said Brandon Hyde, who arrives with the team Sunday for his second season as Greensboro manager. "They're all different. They all have different deliveries and they're all different shapes and sizes. But they've got bright futures in front of them, and I'm looking forward to having them to start the season."

 

The starting rotation is likely to feature four promising 19-year-olds taken between 16th and 44th in the draft. They represent the upside of the Marlins' massive major-league salary dumping.

 

Volstad, a 6-foot-7 right-hander, is rated the No. 4 prospect in the Marlins' farm system by Baseball America. Aaron Thompson, a lefty, and Ryan Tucker also are ranked in the top 10 by the magazine. Tucker and left-hander Sean West, both hard throwers, were supplemental picks.

 

All four spent time in the Gulf Coast League and with short-season Jamestown (N.Y.) before earning promotions to low Class A Greensboro coming out of spring camp in Jupiter, Fla.

 

"They did get used to the college guys a little bit, and I think they've thrown a lot of innings down here also," Hyde said from Florida. "I think all of them are ready. Now it's going to be about getting game experience."

 

How long will they stick around? That's hard to say, but probably longer than Jason Vargas, who pitched five games for Greensboro last year, dominated and moved up, reaching the big-league level by July.

 

Volstad and Thompson would be the most likely to make a quick jump because they've developed reliable secondary pitches to complement their fastballs and have shown tremendous command.

 

"We've always just kind of reacted to players," said Jim Fleming, the Marlins' director of player development. "If they seem like they've accomplished in the league that they're in, then we try to move them. We'll do the same thing here. It's a little more crowded, but we won't hold a guy back because of other guys in front of them."

 

Brett Hayes, a second-round "sandwich" pick out of the University of Nevada, will catch the Grasshoppers' young hurlers once he recovers from a broken bone in his left wrist.

 

Also of note:

 

? Power-hitting outfielder Kris Harvey, a second-round pick out of Clemson, is the son of pitcher Bryan Harvey, who saved 45 games for the Marlins in their inaugural 1993 season.

 

? Miami (Fla.) alum Gaby Sanchez, a fourth-rounder, led the New York-Penn League with a .355 batting average last summer. He'll primarily play first base in Greensboro, but will also see time at third and behind the plate.

 

? Right-handed reliever Rabael Galbizo is a Cuban defector.

 

? Nine players who finished their '05 seasons in Greensboro will return, including former UNCG pitcher Jarret Santos.

Can't wait to see what Volstad has to offer....