Seth Conner got himself noticed last season with Bluefield. (Scott Mapes Photography)

After logging time at both corner infield positions as well as behind the plate in his first two years as a pro, 21-year-old Seth Conner has been catching exclusively this season with the Lugnuts. As a result, the Missouri native has seen a drop in playing time, sharing the catching duties with teammate Aaron Munoz, but that hasn’t affected Conner’s positive and upbeat personality in the clubhouse.

“I think the way you carry yourself is important. I think actions speak louder than words,” Conner said. “This is my third year in the organization and I hope I can make an impact with this young group of guys. Hopefully we’ll all advance and I can help them learn the ropes along the way. I really pride myself on that; it’s a big part of the game.”

Drafted by the Blue Jays in the 41st round of the 2010 MLB draft, Conner signed in the closing minutes of the signing deadline.

“As a young kid you’re excited to be drafted,” he said. “It was definitely interesting that it was from the Toronto Blue Jays, because I didn’t really watch them or know much about them growing up, but it was still very exciting to be drafted by them!”

Beginning his professional career in 2011, Conner reported to the Blue Jays’ Gulf Coast League club. There, he hit .276 with nine doubles, four home runs and 23 RBI in 174 at bats, while also managing a .395 on-base percentage. In addition to learning the ins and outs of hitting professionally, it was while playing in the Gulf Coast League that year where Conner started becoming a catcher.

“I started the transition to catching my first professional year. I have a lot of respect for catchers,” Conner said. “They have to call a good game and take care of the pitchers, and then they have to get up there and hit as well. A lot of credit goes to those guys.”

Splitting time with the GCL Blue Jays and the Bluefield Blue Jays the following year, Conner continued to hit, as he managed a .291 batting average with nine doubles, two home runs, and 30 RBI in 158 combined at-bats between the two teams. Conner’s .414 on-base percentage last season also stood out, as his eye at the plate helped him string together quality at-bats and help him continue to get on base.

“Bluefield was great. It was my first exposure to playing under some lights,” he said. “After Art Charles was moved up to Vancouver it opened up an opportunity for me to play first base, so I did that every day. I enjoy playing in the infield so it was a great opportunity for me.”

In 15 games with the Lugnuts this season, Conner has managed a .200 average and .524 OPS at the plate. More importantly, though, he has been working with a new pitching staff and been getting accustomed to playing full-season baseball. In the end, Conner just wants to continue to improve his game and do whatever he can to help his team win games.

“I hope to be on a winning team and whatever I can do to help the team be better; that’s really the goal this year,” he said. “I have a few personal goals, which are play well when I’m in there and move up. You always want to move up so that’s what I’m going to work on.”

The post Seth Conner Enjoying His Time With Lugnuts appeared first on Jays Prospects.

“It’s a long season,” he said. “I want to stay consistent in Lansing and be the best I can be. I know I will have a few things exposed, but I know as I work through them I’ll get better and I hope at the end of the year I can say I’m a better pitcher then when I started here.”

Another aspect Cole likes about being in Lansing is the opportunity to work with his new pitching coach, Vince Horsman. Horsman, a Nova Scotia native who appeared in 141 major league games, was praised for his work all-around work with the Lugnuts’ successful pitching staff last season.

“Vince Horsman has a great coaching and baseball mind,” Cole said. “He’s always going to get on you on what it takes to be a major league pitcher. I’ve already learned a lot from him and I look forward to learning more as the season goes on!”

Growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada, Cole excelled in baseball and basketball at Bishop Gorman High School. After graduating in 2007, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 26th round of the MLB draft, but it was an opportunity he wound up passing on due to timing.

“When I was drafted by the Dodgers, it wasn’t the right time in my life,” Cole said. “I was just out of high school and felt I still had a lot to prove before jumping into professional baseball.”

Choosing to attend the College of Southern Nevada instead, Cole appeared in 22 games, going 9-3 with a 1.40 ERA to go along with 75 strikeouts and 33 walks in 77 innings of work.

“Southern Nevada was a good experience for me, mainly because it was my first full year pitching,” he said. “In high school I split time between shortstop and pitching, but at CSN I just pitched and it was a good year to learn how to pitch better.”

Cole’s time at CSN got him drafted by the Arizona Diamonbacks in the 31st round of the 2008 MLB Draft, but again, he chose not to sign, this time for religious reasons. Cole is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and like many young men in this faith, the young prospect chose to go on a mission which required him to hang up his cleats for two years.

“When I was drafted by the Diamondbacks I was getting ready for my church mission. It was something I always wanted to do,” he stated.

Cole returned to baseball two years later, playing for Brigham Young University in Utah. There, he posted a 5-5 record with a 2.99 ERA and 67 strikeouts for the Cougars.

“Brigham Young was a good place to go before playing professional baseball,” Cole added. “It really helped with the transition from college baseball to professional baseball.”

Again, his success on the mound was recognized. In 2011, the Toronto Blue Jays  selected Cole in the 29th round of the MLB draft.  Cole was excited by this opportunity, as Toronto was the location where he fulfilled his church mission during his break from baseball.

“I was very excited to be drafted by Toronto and to get a chance to play professional baseball,” he said. “I really liked the idea of Toronto, because I spent two years there on a mission for my church.”

After signing with the Blue Jays, Cole joined the Vancouver Canadians for the 2011 season. In 2011, Cole went 1-3 with a 5.88 ERA to go with 25 strikeouts and 18 walks in 33 2/3 innings of work in 11 games which featured eight starts.Fatigue was likely the culprit for his numbers, though, as Cole had already thrown 93 1/3 innings for BYU earlier in the year.

Returning to Vancouver for the 2012 season, Cole was a force on the mound, going 6-0 with a 0.81 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings of work. In addition to being named Topps Northwest League Player of the Year for his standout season, Cole won two League championships with the Canadians and said he loved every moment in Western Canada.

“Being named Topps Northwest League Player of the Year was a huge honor,” Cole said. “It was something I worked hard for and I share it with my team. My teammates were great and I couldn’t have done it without them.”

“My two years in Vancouver were amazing. We won two championships. We played in a great venue with great teammates in a great city. I have nothing but good things to say about Vancouver.”

Now, after a successful 2012 short-season campaign and an offseason that saw him return to BYU to take classes with his wife and get ready fro spring training, Cole credits his success to date to his pitch repertoire.

“I throw four-seam and two-seam fastballs; one of them sinks,” the 23-year-old said. “I also use a changeup and a slider. In my last game my fastball was between 90 to 93 mph which was good for me, but I hope it goes up later in the season.”

Even last summer, when Jays Prospects caught up with Cole’s pitching coach at the time, Jim Czajkowski, he was praised for the progress he had made with his pitch arsenal.

“His off-speed pitches, they are phenomenal—they’re good to go,” Czajkowski said at the time. “His changeup is dead on right now, it’s a pitch that he really trusts and he’s going to be a good one, I think.”

Some say that Cole is making up for lost time in his baseball career right now, but by the sounds of things, he’s on the right track and doing just that.

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With Todd Redmond on the DL in Buffalo, Batista could pitch as either a starter or reliever. (Uli Seit/New York Times)

According to CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter), the Blue Jays have signed 42-year-old right-hander Miguel Batista to a minor league contract. Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos confirmed the move soon after while doing an interview on Prime Time Sports.

A veteran of 18 major league seasons, Batista started last season with the Mets, where he amassed a 4.82 ERA in 30 appearances (46 2/3 innings), including five starts. He was then picked up by the Braves in the summer after being released by New York, and only tossed six major league innings for Atlanta while logging 24 innings for their Triple-A affiliate, the Gwinnett Braves. Batista was signed to a minor league deal by the Rockies in January with an invite to spring training, but was released on March 25 after surrendering 13 runs (seven earned) on 14 hits in just seven spring innings.

The signing might seem to have come out of nowhere, but Batista should slot nicely into a newly-created void in Buffalo’s starting rotation as Todd Redmond, Buffalo’s projected No. 5 starter prior to Opening Day, was recently transferred to the disabled list. With Toronto’s commitment to ensuring Buffalo is a competitive club, the Blue Jays looked outside the organization for a replacement instead of finding a solution internally once again. With a handful of pitchers on the disabled list at Double-A New Hampshire, the Blue Jays promoted right-hander Casey Lawrence to Buffalo from Dunedin to start last night, and he gave up six runs (five earned) on 10 hits in just four innings of work in his Triple-A debut.

There’s also the possibility that Batista pitches out of the bullpen, as Dave Bush, pegged as a starter for the Bisons prior to his call up by the Blue Jays, cleared waivers following being designated for assignment and will return to Buffalo.

Batista, a native of the Dominican Republic, owns a career 4.29 ERA in 902 minor league innings.

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After tossing an inning of relief on Thursday, lefty Daniel Norris makes his first start of the season tonight. (Sportsnet.ca)

With High-A Dunedin enjoying their first day off of the 2013 season, the three remaining affiliates make up tonight’s minor league slate of games.

Triple-A: Buffalo (3-1) vs. Syracuse (3-1) at 6:05 p.m. ET

Probable starter: Casey Lawrence

Making the first Triple-A appearance of his career, right-hander Casey Lawrence takes the mound for the Buffalo after being promoted from Dunedin this afternoon when the Bisons transferred Bobby Korecky to the disabled list. Having to constantly prove himself and overcome the odds, Lawrence has been promoted to a higher level in each of his three minor league seasons, most recently to New Hampshire in 2012 after being a stalwart in Dunedin’s rotation. The 25-year-old is far from a power pitcher, but instead uses his command of his pitches to find success. Lawrence owns a career 3.22 ERA in 379 2/3 minor league innings.

Double-A: New Hampshire (2-2) vs. Trenton (2-1) at 6:35 p.m. ET

Probable Starter: Ryan Tepera

Tepera spent the bulk of the 2012 season with New Hampshire, where he made 15 starts and managed a 4.84 ERA. He struggled with command last year, as he allowed more hits and saw his walk rate spike to 4.5 per nine innings with the Fisher Cats. The Blue Jays opted to get Tepera extra work after the regular season by sending him to the Arizona Fall League, where he faced some of the top players in the minor leagues. Back with New Hampshire this year, Tepera can be effective on the mound when he locates his two-seam fastball.

Low-A: Lansing (3-1) @ Bowling Green (2-2) at 8:05 p.m. ET

Probable Starter: Daniel Norris

After unexpectedly falling to the Blue Jays in the second round of the 2011 draft, all eyes have been on Norris since his name was called. The young left-hander hasn’t had the start to his pro career that he would have liked–a 7.97 ERA in 35 innings at rookie-level Bluefield last year–but he’s definitely one to watch this year with Lansing. Norris struggled with mechanics last year down in Bluefield, specifically repeating his delivery, but two evaluators I talked to said that his stuff is definitely there and he needs to work out mechanical kinks. After making a relief appearance in Lansing’s season opener on Thursday, Norris will make his much-anticipated first start of the season tonight.

The post Minor League Schedule: April 8, 2013 appeared first on Jays Prospects.

Triple-A: Buffalo (2-0) @ Rochester (0-2) at 1:05 p.m. ET

Probable starter: Claudio Vargas

One of the few remaining active players with ties to the Montreal Expos, Claudio Vargas made his major league debut with the former National League club in 2003. Since then, he’s bounced around the league with stops in Arizona, Milwaukee, New York and Los Angeles. After returning to the Brewers organization last season, Vargas made 20 starts for their Triple-A affiliate in Nashville before making a brief appearance in the Mexican League, finishing 7-2 with a 3.74 ERA on the year overall.

Double-A: New Hampshire (1-1) vs. Reading (1-1) at 1:35 p.m. ET

Probable Starter: Deck McGuire

After a promising start to his professional career, things didn’t exactly go according to plan for McGuire, the Blue Jays’ first round pick in 2010. After producing good results in 18 starts for Dunedin in 2011, McGuire was promoted to New Hampshire mid-season and performed well in 20 2/3 innings there. Returning to New Hampshire last year, though, McGuire finished 5-15 with a 5.88 ERA in 28 starts, including a drop in strikeout rate and a 1.556 WHIP. The reason? Command. Fisher Cats pitching coach Tom Signore said to me last year that McGuire’s stuff was certainly still there, but that his command was way off throughout the year. With a new year, it will be interesting to see if McGuire can take that next step in 2013.

High-A: Dunedin (2-0) vs. Clearwater (0-2) at 6:30 p.m. ET

Probable Starter: Aaron Sanchez

The pitching jewel of Toronto’s farm system, Sanchez made himself known to the mainstream crowd this past season pitching alongside the other two members of Lansing’s famed pitching trio, Noah Syndergaard and Justin Nicolino. With his two friends traded away, all eyes are on Sanchez in 2013, and with good reason. The 20-year-old can dial up a plus fastball to high 90s and can touch 100 mph, while his free and easy curveball brings new meaning to the term. After learning the importance of a changeup under Lugnuts pitching coach Vince Horsman last season, Sanchez is more well rounded heading into 2013 and can focus on commanding his pitches even more. Unsurprisingly, I’ve been high on Sanchez since draft day and named him as the prospect to watch at Dunedin in the Toronto Star minor league primer.

Low-A: Lansing (1-1) @ Lake County (1-1) at 1:00 p.m. ET

Probable Starter: Alonzo Gonzalez

Drafted by the Blue Jays in the 18th round last year, Gonzalez signed quickly enough to make 10 appearances (seven starts) in the Gulf Coast League. Rookie ball stats should always be taken with a grain of salt, but Gonzalez’s 5.15 ERA and 22 strikeouts in  36 2/3 innings didn’t exactly suggest he’d be a candidate for a promotion to Bluefield. That’s exactly what happened to Gonzalez, though, as he got called up to Bluefield late in the season and scattered only three hits in 12 shutout innings in two starts there. I like Gonzalez and was able to see him pitch in both the GCL and in Bluefield, and will have more in our Lugnuts season primer coming next week.

The post Blue Jays Minor League Schedule: April 6, 2013 appeared first on Jays Prospects.

Triple-A: Buffalo (1-0) vs. Rochester (0-0) at 1:05 p.m. ET

Probable starter: Ramon Ortiz

Ortiz might be the oldest player on the Bisons’ 2013 roster at 40 years of age, but he’ll eat innings and bring a wealth of experience to the club after 11 years and 1423 innings in the big leagues. The right-hander spent the 2012 season with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees and went 13-6 with a 3.45 ERA in 27 starts. He managed only 5.5 strikeouts per nine innings last year, which was well below his career norm of eight and his lowest mark in a season since 2008, so it will be interesting to see if he can bring that back up with Buffalo this year.

Double-A: New Hampshire (1-0) vs. Reading (0-0) at 6:35 p.m. ET

Probable Starter: Marcus Walden

A ninth-round pick by the Blue Jays in 2007, Walden had his 2009 season cut quite short and was forced to miss the entire 2010 campaign as well. After returning to baseball and logging innings as both a starter and reliever with Lansing in 2011, Walden quietly produced results for the Lugnuts in 2012 as well. He was rewarded with promotions a promotion to Dunedin where he fared even better, managing a 2.85 ERA in 72 2/3 innings with only 18 walks and without surrendering a home run. Walden doesn’t have overpowering stuff by any means, but as 24-year-old now at Double-A, he could continue to produce and get himself noticed further.

High-A: Dunedin (1-0) vs. Clearwater (0-0) at 6:30 p.m. ET

Probable Starter: Scott Copeland

After posting an ugly 6.88 ERA and .330 opponent batting average in the first half of 2012 for High-A Frederick, Copeland was released by the Orioles and picked up by the Blue Jays shortly after on a minor league deal at the end of July. He made seven appearances (six starts) for Dunedin last year with decent results (2.70 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings), so the Jays rewarded him by bringing him back on another minor league deal in January. The 25-year-old attended the University of Southern Mississippi.

Low-A: Lansing (0-1) vs. Lake County (0-0) at 6:30 p.m. ET

Probable Starter: Taylor Cole

After stepping away from baseball in 2008 to fulfill a two-year Mormon mission, Cole finally made his pro debut with Vancouver in 2011. After logging 93 1/3 innings for BYU, Cole tossed 33 2/3 frames for the Canadians, giving up 35 hits and issuing 17 walks en route to a 5.88 ERA/4.74 FIP; fatigue was likely the culprit. Last season he turned to Vancouver and limited opposing hitters to a mere .161 clip in 66 1/3 frames en route to a 0.81 ERA. Now in full-season ball with Lansing, Cole could really make up for lost time with a strong showing.

The post Blue Jays Minor League Schedule: April 5, 2013 appeared first on Jays Prospects.

The Buffalo Bisons play their first game as an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays tonight at Coca-Cola Field. (Sportslogos.net)

The Buffalo Bisons play their first game of the season this afternoon, and in doing so, officially begin a new era of Triple-A baseball in the city of Buffalo and under the Toronto Blue Jays.

After the Syracuse Chiefs, Toronto’s longtime Triple-A affiliate, cut ties with the organization at the end of the 2008 season, the Blue Jays had been eagerly looking for a way to return to the International League. Instead, the Jays were forced to play minor-league-affiliate musical chairs and settle for a pair of two-year player development contracts with the Las Vegas 51s—a less than ideal location over 2200 miles from Toronto.

Up in New York, the Bisons were having a tough time in those same four seasons as the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets, failing to make the playoffs and finishing over .500 in a season just once. The Bisons were looking for a change after a dismal  260-313 record over that span, and with Toronto having completely revamped their farm system into one of the best in baseball under general manager Alex Anthopoulos, a new contract between the Blue Jays and Bisons made sense from both baseball and location standpoints.

After the Buffalo signed a two-year player development contract with Toronto this past fall, the Blue Jays have been doing everything in their power over these last few months to make a good impression on their new affiliate, as members of the Blue Jays front office have attended every press conference held by the Bisons this offseason, for example. But a long relationship between the two clubs will only come with winning on the baseball field, which is why the Blue Jays have done their best to make sure that happens as well.

While this year’s Bisons roster might only feature three younger, up and coming players in Anthony Gose, Moises Sierra and Ryan Goins, it’s made up of an impressive group of experienced veterans. In fact, 23 of the 25 players on the Bisons’ Opening Day roster have reached the majors and combined for 3,299 big league games. The Blue Jays are hoping that this unique and talented group of players carries the Bisons to their first playoff berth since 2005 and restore a winning culture around the team.

22-year-old Anthony Gose will continue to refine his game with the Buffalo Bisons this season. (Original photo)

Lineup

2B – Jim Negrych

CF – Anthony Gose

RF – Moises Sierra

1B – Luis Jimenez

3B – Andy LaRoche

C – Josh Thole

LF – Ryan Langerhans

DH – Eugenio Velez

SS – Ryan Goins

The Bisons entered the offseason anticipating the contributions of catcher Travis d’Arnaud and shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria in 2013, but even though both players were traded over the winter, there will still be some exciting young players to watch in Buffalo this year.

Leading the way is the young center fielder Gose, who Jays fans got to see for 56 games last season. Prior to his call-up, the 22-year-old made strides at Triple-A Las Vegas last season, cutting down his strikeout rate and seeing more pitches in at-bats, all while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense and being active on the base paths. Armed with a to-do list in 2013 of working on his bunting and continuing to refine his approach at the plate, among other things, Gose will surely be a fan favorite this season and it will be fun to watch him take the next steps in his development.

Another position player returning to Triple-A that spent time with the Blue Jays last season is right fielder Moises Sierra. Blue Jays fans were able to see exactly what I saw from Sierra while down in Las Vegas, which is that he plays the game hard all the time. Sierra will obviously take his time with the Bisons to work on his defense, as his miscues in Toronto were well documented, but his cannon of an arm will surely win over some new fans in Buffalo. 51s hitting coach Chad Mottola (now with the Blue Jays) told me last June that he feels Sierra has the most raw power in the entire Blue Jays organization. Sierra is still working on translating that into games, as well as his overall approach at the plate. Entering only his age-24 season, though, 2013 could be a big year for him.

Rounding out the top of the Bisons’ batting order is second baseman and Buffalo native Jim Negrych. Negrych, 28, was a pleasant surprise to Buffalo media at the Bisons’ logo unveiling in November, when he was on site to sign his new minor league contract with the Blue Jays with an invite to spring training. After a 2012 season with Triple-A Syracuse that earned him an all-star appearance, Negrych had a fine spring camp with the Jays, hitting .412/.487/.676 in 34 at-bats.

The two players entrusted with the bulk of RBI opportunities are the Bisons’ corner infielders, as first baseman Luis Jimenez and third baseman Andy LaRoche make up the heart of the Bisons’ batting order.

A veteran of 962 minor league games across 11 minor league seasons, Jimenez made his major league debut as a 30-year-old with the Seattle Mariners last season. He raked for Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League last season—to the tune of a .310 average, .907 OPS and 54 extra-base hits in 125 games—but owns a career minor league .287/.371/.474 slash line so his numbers shouldn’t fall off too much returning to the International League.

LaRoche, 29, gives the Bisons an experienced option at the hot corner, as the Fort Scott, Kansas native has logged 818 games at third base between the major and minor leagues. Coming off a 2012 campaign that he spent entirely at the Triple-A level with Columbus (Indians) and Pawtucket (Red Sox), LaRoche saw a power increase and will look to continue that with the Bisons this season.

Getting the bulk of catching duties for Buffalo will be 26-year-old Josh Thole, who caught R.A. Dickey‘s Cy Young Award-winning season last year with the New York Mets. Outside of a two-game stint last year, Thole hasn’t played in the minors since 2010 when he was with, you guessed it, the Buffalo Bisons. After seeing his major-league slash line decrease for three consecutive seasons, Thole finds himself back at Triple-A to work on his offensive game as an everyday catcher; an opportunity he would not have had had he gone north with the Blue Jays out of spring training.

Joining youngsters Gose and Sierra in the outfield is 33-year-old Ryan Langerhans, who’s appeared in 593 major league games and another 1124 in the minors. Langerhans slots in as the Bisons’ everyday left fielder after spending the 2012 season with Triple-A Salt Lake in the Angels organization, hitting .250 with an .816 OPS in 96 games. The 2013 season marks Langerhans’ return to the International League, where he last played for Triple-A Syracuse in 2009.

Signed by the Blue Jays to a minor league deal in December, 30-year-old Eugenio Velez gives Bisons manager Marty Brown versatility in his lineup, as the switch-hitter can play every outfield position as well as second base, shortstop and third base. Velez returns to the minor league system where he began his professional career, as he was signed as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic by the Blue Jays in 2001. Velez spent the entire 2012 season with Triple-A Memphis in the Cardinals organization, where he hit .280 with an .807 OPS in 136 games. Velez also brings an element of speed to the lineup and as a pinch runner, as he went 37-for-46 in stolen base attempts last year—his highest stolen base total since 2007.

Making his Triple-A debut and rounding out the Bisons’ batting order is 25-year-old Ryan Goins, who quietly put together a solid season offensively at Double-A New Hampshire last year. In addition to hitting over .280 and managing a .340 on-base percentage for the second consecutive season, Goins set new career highs in doubles (33), home runs (7), RBI (61), walks (47) and stolen bases (15). Goins will probably put on more of a show defensively at shortstop this season, though, as aspects of his game that you don’t see on a website, like his arm and range, are underrated. After seeing Goins first-hand last year on a trip to New Hampshire, then-Fisher Cats manager Sal Fasano had some kind words for me about his shortstop. I walked away from New Hampshire impressed with Goins, and recently chose him as the Bisons’ prospect to watch in the Toronto Star’s 2013 minor league primer.

Bench

Adam Loewen, Munenori Kawasaki, Mike McCoy, Mike Nickeas

Listed as a first baseman, Canadian Adam Loewen will back up Jimenez at the position, but he’s also an option to play the odd game in the outfield, considering he’s logged 318 games between the three outfield positions since the Blue Jays converted him from a pitcher to a position player in 2009. After Lars Anderson was traded to the White Sox shortly after clearing waivers, Loewen was promoted to Buffalo from Double-A New Hampshire.

Joining Loewen as potential outfield depth is frequent flyer Mike McCoy, who’s listed as a second baseman and will also see backup time in the infield as well. Rounding out the fielding reserves is Kagoshima, Japan native Munenori Kawasaki, who the Jays signed to a minor league contract last month. Kawasaki, 31, signed a minor league contract with the Mariners last January after playing in Japan, playing 61 games with Seattle before being released in October.

Backing up Thole at catcher is Canadian Mike Nickeas, who came to the Blue Jays organization in the Dickey trade. He’s not listed on the Jays’ 40-man roster, meaning that he should be in line to catch a chunk of Bisons games should Thole be required at the major league level for any reason.

Dave Bush returns to the organization that drafted him back in 2002, the Blue Jays. (J. Metric/Getty Images)

Starting Rotation

Justin Germano, Ramon Ortiz, Claudio Vargas, Dave Bush, Todd Redmond

Named the Bisons’ Opening Day starter on Tuesday, right-hander Justin Germano will pitch in the International League for the fourth consecutive season in 2013. Armed with a four-pitch mix of fastball, slider, curveball and changeup, Germano joins the Bisons after dazzling for Triple-A Pawtucket last season and eventually making 12 starts at the big-league level for the Cubs. Germano, 30, threw a perfect game for Triple-A Columbus in 2011 and was signed to a minor league contract by the Blue Jays back in November.

Ramon Ortiz might be the oldest player on the Bisons’ 2013 roster at 40 years of age, but he’ll eat innings and bring a wealth of experience to the club after 11 years and 1423 innings in the big leagues. The right-hander spent the 2012 season with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees and went 13-6 with a 3.45 ERA in 27 starts.

One of the few remaining active players with ties to the Montreal Expos, Claudio Vargas made his major league debut with them in 2003. Since then, he’s bounced around the National League with stops in Arizona, Milwaukee, New York and Los Angeles. After returning to the Brewers organization last season, Vargas made 20 starts for their Triple-A affiliate in Nashville before making a brief appearance in the Mexican League.

A name very familiar to Blue Jays fans, Dave Bush returns to the organization that drafted him in the second round back in 2002. Last year was the first season where Bush failed to make an appearance in the majors since his big-league debut back in 2004, having spent the entire 2012 campaign with Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the Phillies organization. Bush, 33, only logged 11 starts for the IronPigs last season, so it will be interesting to see if he can give the Bisons a full season’s worth of innings this year.

27-year-old right-hander Todd Redmond rounds out the Bisons’ rotation, returning to the International League for the for the fifth consecutive season. Splitting time with Triple-A Gwinnett (Braves) and Triple-A Louisville (Reds) in 2012, Redmond managed an 8.2 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and 3.63 ERA in a combined 148 2/3 innings. The St. Petersburg, Florida native was a shrewd pickup by Blue Jays assistant general manager Andrew Tinnish, as Redmond has made at least 24 starts and logged 145 innings in each of the last seven minor league seasons. He’s the only member of the Bisons’ rotation currently listed on the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster.

Bullpen

Alex Burnett, Buddy Carlyle, Alex Hinshaw, Brad Lincoln, Juan Perez, Mickey Storey, Neil Wagner

While their roles are up in the air, the Bisons have a nice mix in their bullpen with five right-handers and a pair of lefties.

Hinshaw, the first lefty, has balanced his spotty command with his ability to rack up strikeouts, as evidenced by his career 6.2 BB/9 and 11.1 K/9 in eight minor league seasons. After spending the last five seasons in the Pacific Coast League while making major-league appearances for the Padres and Giants, Hinshaw, 30, will make his International League debut with the Bisons this year.

Perez, another lefty and much like Hinshaw, can rack up the strikeouts and will also his share of free passes, as evidenced by his 165 strikeouts to 65 walks in 124 innings over the last three seasons. Perez, 34, last pitched in the International League in 2011 with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Drafted as a starter in the Twins organization, Alex Burnett started pitching exclusively as a reliever in 2009 before making his major league debut for Minnesota in 2010 as a 22-year-old. He’s logged 170 big league innings over the last three seasons with so-so results, but as one of only two relievers on the Bisons’ roster that is on the Jays’ 40-man roster, he provides depth.

As a 34-year-old last season, right-hander Buddy Carlyle had his best year since returning from Japan, logging a career-high 76 relief innings for the Gwinnett Braves. He improved both his walk and strikeout rates and should be a dependable piece for his manager this season.

The bullpen arm I’m most intrigued about is Brad Lincoln, who was acquired by the Blue Jays from the Pirates for Travis Snider last season. Lincoln was a nice piece for Pittsburgh, providing starts when needed but also eating high-leverage relief innings as well. The third and final member of the Bisons’ pitching staff on the Jays’ 40-man roster, Lincoln will likely be the first pitcher called up in the event someone is needed.

After spending his first full season in the Astros organization in 2012, Mickey Storey got himself noticed with a 3.05 ERA and 5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 65 innings (two starts) for Triple-A Oklahoma City. The then 26-year-old was called up and made his major league debut when Francisco Cordero went on the 15-day disabled list. He stuck with the Astros for the remainder of the season and held his own, compiling a 3.86 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings. Going by just stats alone, Storey looks to be a favorite for a late-inning role in Buffalo this year.

A veteran of seven minor league seasons, 29-year-old right-hander Neil Wagner will look to regain his strikeout prowess with the Bisons this season, having managed a 3.77 ERA and 10.2 K/9 over the course of his minor league career. In a 2012 campaign split between Triple-A Tucson and Triple-A Sacramento, Wagner’s strikeout rate dropped to eight batters per nine innings en route to a combined 5.46 ERA.

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The Bisons’ season gets underway at 2:05 pm today at Coca-Cola Field against the Rochester Red Wings. Get your tickets over at Bisons.com; they start at only $9!

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