By Bob Wirz, Independent Baseball Insider
The New York Yankees have added catcher Jose Gil to their major league spring training camp as a non-roster invitee. He spent years climbing through their farm system before ending up for a brief time last season in the Baltimore chain, and eventually needed a jump start back with a seven-game stint at Lincoln, NE (American Association) in mid-season last summer. He went 4-for-25 (.160, one homer) with the Saltdogs, then went back into the Yankees system.
Meanwhile, another American Association (Laredo, TX) graduate, Chaz Roe, who was up and down between the Arizona Diamondbacks and their top farm club in Reno, NV last season before ending up with Texas over the winter, has been designated for assignment before getting a chance to pitch for the Rangers. Roe should get another chance, perhaps even with Texas, after other teams have a chance to pick him up because the 27-year-old strikes out at least a batter per inning wherever he is. He fanned 24 in 22.1 innings in 21 appearances for Arizona, winning his only decision and posting a 4.03 earned run average. The right-hander was brilliant at Laredo in 2012, fanning 69 in 55 innings spread over 49 appearances and he had a 1.47 ERA.
ANOTHER INDY UMP REACHES MAJORS
A fourth Independent Baseball umpire can now call himself a major leaguer. American Association and Can-Am ump boss Kevin Winn tipped us that Anthony Johnson has been assigned to wear No. 48 and will get major league assignments this year in addition to continuing in the International League. Johnson’s trail started in Pensacola, Florida where he worked for Winn as an area umpire for Pelicans games..
He joins Adam Hamari and Will Little (both Can-Am grads) and the All-American Association’s Lance Barrett in getting major league work, which is quite a feat.
