Dayton Dragons 2014 Roster
Catchers: Joe Hudson, Brendan Dailey
Infielders: Daniel Mateo (1b), Sammy Diaz (2b-ss), Jamodrick McGruder (2b), Carlton Daal (ss), Tanner Rahier (3b), Sean Buckley (1b/dh)
Outfielders: Phillip Ervin, Beau Amaral, Jeff Gelalich, Sebastian Elizalde
Starting Pitchers: Nick Travieso, Ismael Guillon, Sal Romano, Amir Garrett, Junior Morillo
Relief Pitchers: Joel Bender, Alejandro Chacin, Scott Brattvet, Pedro Diaz, Evan Mitchell, Layne Somsen, Zack Weiss, Daniel Wright.
Dayton Dragons 2014 Roster
Catchers: Joe Hudson, Brandon Dailey
Infielders: Daniel Mateo (1b), Sammy Diaz (2b-ss), Jamodrick McGruder (2b), Carlton Daal (ss), Tanner Rahier (3b), Sean Buckley (1b/dh)
Outfielders: Phillip Ervin, Beau Amaral, Jeff Gelalich, Sebastian Elizalde
Starting pitchers: Nick Travieso, Ismael Guillon, Sal Romano, Amir Garrett, Junior Morillo
Relief pitchers: Joel Bender, Alejandro Chacin, Scott Brattvet, Pedro Diaz, Evan Mitchell, Layne Somsen, Zack Weiss, Daniel Wright.
The Dayton Dragons revealed their roster on Tuesday, and it’s stocked with players who have been here before.
Fifteen of the 25, including the Reds’ last two-first round picks, played in Dayton last season or in 2012.
The Dragons, working on the longest sellout streak in North American pro sports history (983 games), open the season at 7 p.m. Thursday against West Michigan at Fifth Third Field.
Starting pitcher Nick Travieso and outfielder Phillip Ervin were first-round selections by the Reds in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
Travieso was the 14th selection in the 2012 draft. He was 7-4 with a 4.63 ERA in 17 starts with the Dragons. He walked only 27 batters in 82 innings.
Ervin was the 27th selection in the 2013 draft. He hit .326 in 34 games at Billings with eight home runs, 29 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. Ervin hit .349 in 12 games with Dayton before a wrist injury ended his season.
Other returnees from last season are starting pitchers Ismael Guillon, Sal Romano, and Amir Garrett, relief pitchers Joel Bender, Alejandro Chacin, and Pedro Diaz, catchers Joe Hudson and Brandon Dailey, infielders Sammy Diaz and Tanner Rahier and outfielders Beau Amaral and Jeff Gelalich. Infielder Sean Buckley played for the Dragons in 2012 but missed most of last season with an injury.
Gelalich, Amaral, Hudson, Rahier and Diaz were starters for most of the 2013 season. Buckley was a starter in 2012 and Ervin was a starter in his short stint in Dayton. Amaral, son of former major leaguer Rich Amaral, stole 40 bases last season.
Dayton also returns four-fifths of its starting rotation, including Guillon, who led the Midwest League in strikeouts. Chacin had nine saves and a 2.91 ERA as the Dayton closer.
The Dayton roster features seven of the Reds’ top 30 prospects, according to Baseball America. Ervin (No. 3) and Travieso (No. 8) are top 10 prospects. Others in the top 30 are Guillen (No. 12), Garrett (No. 18), Romano (No. 25), outfielder Sebastian Elizalde (No. 26) and Rahier (No. 27). Romano and Chacin were Midwest League all-stars in 2013.
In addition to Elizalde, other new faces are starter Junior Morillo, relievers Scott Brattvet, Evan Mitchell, Layne Somsen, Zack Weiss and Daniel Wright and infielders Carlton Daal, Daniel Mateo and Jamodrick McGruder. Weiss was the set-up man on UCLA’s national championship team in 2013.
The Dragons are managed by Jose Nieves. Tony Fossas is the pitching coach and Luis Bolivar is the hitting coach.
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