Both right-hander Will Savage and third baseman Corey Smith are in the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system, but at a time when major league organizations often drop players they have signed new contracts. And, both have some time to reach the top. Savage is 26, Smith 28.
Savage, who only pitched twice for Lancaster in 2009 after a longer stint with independent Wichita, KS (American Association), was 10-5 with a 4.32 earned run average split with three Dodgers clubs this season. He ended up with Double-A Chattanooga, where the going was tough (0-1, 10.80 in four starts), but the Dodgers obviously like the upside.
Smith, who we wrote about frequently in our Atlantic League Notebook and Independent Baseball Insider for his all-star year in the Southern League (Chattanooga), was one key factor in Newark winning the AL title in 2007. He drove in 86 runs this season, and Los Angeles has promoted him to Triple-A Albuquerque. Smith also got some at-bats in major league spring training this last season.
Both players are in the Venezuelan League now, Savage 0-0, 0.93 for two starts at Margarita while Smith had a three-run homer in his initial game for LaGuaira.
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New York Yankees minor league outfielder Justin Christian, who was at Southern Maryland briefly before signing early this season, is pounding away at a .400 clip (20-for-50) in the Mexican Pacific League and outfielder Michael Ryan, a Somerset grad who got some time in the majors again this season (Los Angeles Angels) before becoming a free agent this fall, is tied for fifth in the Venezuelan batting race at .378 (17-for-45).
On the mound, lefty Alberto Castillo, a reliever with Baltimore off and on in 2010, threw six innings of two-hit shutout ball this week. The onetime Newark and Road Warriors hurler leads the Venezuelan league early on with a 1.54 ERA and has won his first two decisions.
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