Not official yet, but Syracuse Chiefs roster taking shape

The Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs' roster is taking shape as they get closer to their season opener April 4 at Lehigh Valley. They begin with seven games on the road. The roster is not official and could change before opening day, but this list is a good general idea of what the Chiefs will look like next week. The coaching staff has Tony Beasley as manager, with new addition player/coach Jason Michaels assisting batting coach Troy Gingrich and pitching coach Greg Booker. According to milb.com, the pitching staff includes Jeff Mandel, Pat Lehman, Jeremy Accardo, Brad Meyers, Michael Crotta, Cole Kimball, Matt Torra, Hassan Pena, Chris Young, Tanner Roark, Bill Bray, Brandon Mann, Ross Ohlendorf, Fernando Abad, Erik Davis, Yunesky Maya and Ryan Perry. Young would most likely exercise his opt-out clause today so he can find a job with another major league team. He has pitched well in spring training. The left-handers on this list are Bray, Mann and Abad. Veteran J.C. Romero is trying to make the team and adds considerable depth after a nice showcase run with Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Of those pitchers, three are listed on the Nationals' 40-man roster: Kimball, Davis and Maya. The catchers include Carlos Maldonado and Jhonatan Solano,both of whom are on the 40-man roster. The infielders show Josh Johnson, Zach Walters, recently returned Jeff Kobernus, Melvin Dorta, Mike Constanzo, Brian Bocock, Will Rhymes and Chris Marrero. Outfielders feature Michaels, Erik Komatsu, Eury Perez and Corey Brown. Of the infeld/outfield group, Marrero, Perez and Brown are on the 40-man roster. Hopefully, by next week, I will have the official roster set to distribute. You can expect the Double-A roster to be stacked, as well, with players like Brian Goodwin, Nathan Karns, Sammy Solis and Anthony Rendon.