ANOTHER TRIO OF ATLANTIC LEAGUERS GET INTO MAJOR LEAGUE SPRING GAMES WHILE NEARLY A DOZEN HURLERS AWAIT NEW OPPORTUNITIES

It seems unlikely this far into spring training that very few of the former Atlantic League players who had major league organizational jobs at the end of last season and did not get a new contract earlier in the offseason will be asked back for 2011. As a result, the following 11 pitchers appear to be available (unless they have opted to retire):

Jason Anderson, Federico Baez, Steve Bray, Travis Chick, Brendan Donnelly, Derrick Ellison, Ryan Houston, Tom Mastny, Josh Muecke, Oneli Perez and Patrick Ryan.

If anyone has seen that someone on this list has signed either with an organization or an Independent team, I invite you to pass that information along to RWirz@aol.com.

We will have a list of unsigned position players in a day or two.

THREE MORE SHOW UP IN MAJOR LEAGUE SPRING TRAINING GAMES

A heavy portion of today's Independent Baseball Insider column, our subscription newsletter that is weekly from now through September, will be devoted to how former Independent players who are in major league spring training camps are doing.

One of the nuggets we have uncovered includes a trio of onetime Atlantic League players not originally on either 40-man rosters or non-roster invitees who have appeared in at least one major league exhibition game.

They are Baltimore pitchers Alberto Castillo (Newark, Camden, Road Warriors) and Nick Bierbrodt (Bridgeport, Somerset) and New York Mets first baseman-outfielder-designated hitter Valentino Pascucci (Camden). Hurler Brian Sweeney, who trained with Somerset last spring but signed before the regular season started, has appeared with his newest organization, the Arizona Diamondbacks.

More are likely to show up.

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