The Sicilian newcomer in the Italian Baseball League has made a significant step towards the 2010 season. According to Baseball.it, the Catania Warriors Paternò have added three Dominican players to their roster. All three look back at several years in the American minor leagues. Yorkin Francisco Ferreras and Orlando Yntema will strengthen the pitching staff, while Olmo Rosario likely takes over as the new shortstop of the promoted club.
The 29-year-old Ferreras is a left-handed pitcher, who is going to pitch in game one every week. He signed with the Chicago Cubs organization at the age of 17 and made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League, where he played three years. In 2001 he came to the United States and took the mound for various Cubs affiliates between Low-A and Double-A.
In 2006 the southpaw split time between the Tampa Bay Devil Rays Double-A team in Montgomery and the independent San Angelo Colts of the United League. Overall Ferreras had a 23-31 record with an ERA of 4.22 in 181 games through six years. He struck out 413 batters in 419 2/3 innings, walking 162.
Yntama is a 23-year-old right-hander, who was born in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, but also has a passport for the Netherlands, which makes him eligible to pitch in game two each week in the Italian Baseball League. In 2003 he signed with the San Francisco Giants as an amateur free agent. Yntama spent four seasons in that organization between 2004 and 2009, going 13-10 with an ERA of 4.57 in 52 games (34 starts), while striking out 137 (66 walks) in 205 innings.
Rosario is 29 years old and can also be used at second and third base. In 2002 he was signed by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to play Rookie and Low-A ball. He didn’t stick with the organization and played for Rockford, San Angelo and Nashua on the independent league circuit between 2004 and 2007 (262 GP, .340/.379/.508). In 2008 he got another shot at affiliated ball, when he signed with the San Francisco Giants and hit .298 (OBP .333/SLG .469) with eleven homeruns, 58 runs and 51 RBI in 124 for their Double-A club in Connecticut.
The Catania Warriors already had added the Cuban outfielder Rolexis Molina and first baseman Francesco Rosa-Colombo to the 2010 roster earlier this offseason. Additionally they brought back pitcher Arcangelo Cibati, who played for the team in 2007 and 2008, and extended the contract with Venezuelan infielder Jesus Alberto Marquez. Meanwhile manager Benedetto Falcone held the first official workouts of the team last weekend.
Photo by FIBS