The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Professional Baseball Club
has acquired the Atlantic League negotiating rights to seven
players, including former Orioles pitcher John Halama and four
other former Major Leaguers. The transactions were made during
Tuesday’s Atlantic League expansion draft by Blue Crabs
Manager and Director of Baseball Operations Butch Hobson.
Halama, a left-handed pitcher, has nine years of Major
League experience with the Orioles, Houston Astros, Seattle
Mariners, Oakland Athletics, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Boston Red Sox
and Washington Nationals. In 262 Major League games, he has
compiled a 56-48 record and 4.65 ERA. Halama was originally
drafted by the Astros in 1994 and picked up ten or more wins with
the Mariners in three straight seasons, 1999-2001. With the
Orioles in 2006, Halama went 3-1 in 17 appearances. The
35-year-old pitched in the Atlantic League with the Long Island
Ducks last season and went 8-10 with a 4.14 ERA.
“This
is an exciting start to the process of putting together our
first-ever roster,” said Hobson. “I am excited about
the level of experience that these players have and I am hopeful
that we will be
able to sign several guys before spring
training begins in April.”
RHP Frank Castillo, who
pitched for the York Revolution last season, has 20 years of
professional playing experience, including 13 seasons at the
Major League level with the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies,
Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Florida
Marlins.
In 297 big league games (268 as a starter),
Castillo, 38, has gone 82-104 with a 4.56 ERA. He notched
ten-plus wins in 1992 and 1995 (Cubs), 2000 (Blue Jays) and 2001
(Red Sox). He went 8-4 with a 3.75 ERA in York last season.
LHP
Anthony Ferrari was second in the Atlantic League with 13 wins
for the Camden Riversharks last season. He went 13-5 with a 4.82
ERA in helping Camden to a first-half division title and playoff
berth. The 29-year-old was originally drafted by the Montreal
Expos on 2000 and pitched in four Major League games for Montreal
in 2003. Ferrari has a career ERA of 3.74 in 268 minor league
games.
1B/OF Eric Crozier spent part of the last two
seasons with the Lancaster Barnstormers and helped the club to a
2005 Atlantic League championship. Originally drafted by the
Cleveland Indians in 2000, Crozier worked his way through the
organization before being claimed on waivers by the Toronto Blue
Jays in 2004. That season, the 29-year-old played 14 games in the
big leagues for Toronto. He had a career high 20 homers for
Triple-A Buffalo in 2004.
RHP Eric Junge was drafted by
the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 11th round of the 1999 draft and
spent time in the Majors with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2002
and 2003, going 2-0 with a 2.21 ERA in ten games. Last season,
Junge split time with the Bridgeport Bluefish and in Triple-A
Scranton.
The Blue Crabs also acquired the negotiating
rights to OF Mike Lockwood from Somerset and LHP R.J. Swindle
from Newark during the expansion draft. Lockwood was originally
selected by the Oakland Athletics in 1999 and has four seasons of
Triple-A experience with Sacramento and Pawtucket. He has a
career average of .277 and hit a career-high 23 homers (5th in
Atlantic League) for Somerset last season. Swindle was drafted by
the Boston Red Sox in 2004 and has a record of 20-11 with 16
saves and a 2.45 ERA in 98 games over the last four seasons.
“I
am encouraged by the possibilities that exist in starting to
build our roster as a result of this expansion draft,” said
Hobson. “We have an opportunity out of the gate to sign
some high-quality ballplayers, five of which have Major League
experience.”