Northwest Arkansas Naturals Roster and 2013 Schedule

SURPRISE, AZ – Former University of Arkansas Diamond Hog Brett Eibner is among the 27 players included on the Northwest Arkansas Naturals preliminary roster. The Naturals will open the 2013 All-Star Season on Thursday against the Midland RockHounds at 6 p.m.

The preliminary roster includes 12 players who wore the Naturals uniform at some point in 2012. Joining these players are a group that spent last season with Class-A Advanced Wilmington, a former collegiate player at the University of Arkansas, an infielder who was the Carolina League Player of the Year two seasons ago and a pair of minor league veterans that are new to the Royals organization, but not to the Double-A level.

The Kansas City Royals have sent the Naturals five of the Royals top prospects according to MLB.com. This includes pitchers Yordano Ventura(3rd Royals, 59th overall), Jason Adam (11th), and J.C. Sulbaran (19th). The Royals have sent top infield prospect Orlando Calixte (4th) to Springdale, along with outfielder Brian Fletcher (17th).

In 2012, Ventura went 3-5 with a 3.30 ERA in 16 starts with Wilmington before a promotion to Northwest Arkansas late in the season. Ventura was Wilmington’s Pitcher of the Year and was also the starting pitcher for the World team in the 2012 SiriusXM Futures game, held at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Adam went 7-12 with a 3.53 ERA and was among five Carolina League pitchers that led the league with 27 starts last season. Sulbaran was acquired by the Royals at last year’s trade deadline in the Jonathan Broxton deal with the Cincinnati Reds. A Southern League All-Star with Pensacola prior to being traded, Sulbaran was 0-4 with a 7.62 ERA in six starts for the Naturals.

Noel ArguellesSugar Ray Marimon and Andy Ferguson are also candidates for the Naturals starting rotation. Arguelles made a team-high 25 starts in 2012 with a 4-14 record. After earning the win in the California-Carolina All-Star Game, Marimon was promoted to the Naturals and went 3-6 in 12 Double-A starts. Ferguson, a Benton native and Arkansas State attendee, spent 2012 with Rookie-Advanced Idaho Falls, Class-A Kane County and Class-A Advanced Wilmington. In 16 starts, Ferguson was 6-3 with a 2.42 ERA and struck out 87 batters in 96.2 innings.

The Naturals bullpen is a mix of familiar faces and players making the move up from Wilmington. Sam Runion, the Royals’ second round selection in 2007, pitched in 37 games last season with Wilmington and the Naturals. Runion was 4-1 and recorded nine saves with a 2.34 ERA in just over 65 innings. Nick Rogers made 29 appearances with Wilmington, recording eight saves along with a 3-4 record. In 9.2 innings with the Naturals, Rogers gave up 11 runs on 10 hits. Left-hander Jon Keck also split 2012 with the Blue Rocks and Naturals, making 39 appearances with a 4-3 record. New arrivals from Wilmington include Edwin CarlSantiago GarridoBrooks PoundersMatt Ridings and Cole White.

Carl threw 114 innings for Wilmington and Class-A Kane County, posting a 7-4 record with a 2.90 ERA. Garrido was 6-2 with a 1.73 ERA in 17 games with Surprise, Kane County and Wilmington. In his first season with the Royals organization, Pounders was 9-6 with a 3.96 ERA. Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the December 2011 Yamaico Navarro trade, Pounders struck out 132 batters in 134 innings for Kane County and Wilmington. Ridings spent 2012 with Kane County and Wilmington, posting a 10-5 record with a 2.63 ERA in 36 games. White, the Royals’ sixth round selection in the 2009 draft out of New Mexico, went 4-1 with a 4.71 ERA in 23 appearances with Rookie-level Surprise, Kane County and Wilmington. White is also an accomplished musician, receiving Grammy nominations in 2008 for Song of the Year and Best Rock Song with “Fight a Storm.” The song was written by White and performed by Turning Point, a band that White was a member of while at New Mexico.

Naturals fans will see a familiar name behind the plate with the return ofManny Pina. Pina has spent portions of the last three seasons with the Naturals. In 2010, Pina batted .259 with 16 doubles, seven home runs and 44 RBI in 74 games. Pina played in three games with the Naturals in 2011 with two hits in eight at-bats. After an injury during Spring Training, Pina first joined the Naturals in 2012 on a major league rehab assignment on July 5 before spending the rest of the season with the Naturals. In 43 games, Pina batted .260 with 34 hits and 20 RBI. Pina has appeared in five major league games with the Royals, recording two doubles and a single in 16 at-bats.

Veteran catcher Mitch Canham arrives in Springdale for his first season with the Naturals. Canham, a free agent signee over the winter, spent last season in an independent league but has over 450 games of minor league experience behind the plate. Juan Graterol, who spent 2012 with Wilmington, is also on the roster. Graterol batted .301with 12 doubles in 61 games. Graterol has also played in 67 games at first base during his seven minor league seasons.

Minor league veteran Matt Fields will start at first base. Fields, who hit 17 home runs in 67 games with Wilmington after having his contract purchased from an independent league, will make the move up to Double-A. Fields is no stranger to this level, as he played in 164 games for Montgomery in the Tampa Bay organization in 2009 and 2010.

Angel Franco will see time at second base for the Naturals in 2013. Franco batted. 266 with 16 doubles and 35 RBI in 106 games with Wilmington in 2012. Franco was the 2008 Player of the Year for Rookie-Advanced Burlington.

One of the Royals top position prospects will start the season at shortstop.Orlando Calixte, the No. 4 prospect, split 2012 at both Class-A levels and also participated in the prospect-filled Arizona Fall League. Calixte batted .262 with 30 doubles in 125 games, but committed 46 errors. Alex McClurewill return for his first full Double-A season and provides depth at shortstop. McClure had a.968 fielding percentage in 119 games with Wilmington and Northwest Arkansas and was honored last week as the 2012 Mike Sweeney Award winner, given to the player who best represents the Royals organization on and off the field.

Rey Navarro, a 2012 Natural, will return for another season at third base. Last year, Navarro played in 109 Double-A games, batting .250 with 14 doubles and 39 RBI before being promoted to Triple-A Omaha on August 18. Navarro finished second in the Puerto Rican league with a .333 batting average in 114 at-bats this winter.

Utility player Whit Merrifield can play all three outfield positions as well as second base. Merrifield, the 2012 Wilmington Player of the Year for Wilmington, made 24 starts for the Naturals late last season. Merrifield batted .258 with 20 doubles, eight home runs and 36 RBI in 101 games with Wilmington.

Outfield prospect Brian Fletcher will start the season with the Naturals. Fletcher, the No. 17 prospect in the Royals system, hit .272 in 132 games with Wilmington and the Naturals. Following the conclusion of the regular season, Fletcher participated in the Arizona Fall League and was named a Rising Star.

Eibner was an All-American at Arkansas before being drafted by the Royals in the second round of the 2010 draft. In 196 professional games, Eibner has 39 doubles, 27 home runs and 85 RBI, but has struck out 255 times. While at Arkansas, Eibner led the Razorbacks to the 2009 College World Series.

Yem Prades will return for his second Double-A season. Prades batted .269 with 30 doubles and 44 RBI in 118 games last season. Eibner, Fletcher and Prades are joined by Roman Hernandez. Hernandez, a Cuban defector, signed in February 2012 with the Royals and batted .223 with 74 hits in 51 games with Wilmington.

 

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