AXE FALLS ON SOME, BUT LA MURA, PASCUCCI, GRUBE GET NEW AFFILIATED CONTRACTS

The axe, sharpened by the usual bevy six-year free agents, has seen a lot of former Atlantic League players cut loose from major league organizations recently. Some of them will benefit from a fresh start in some other farm system while others will call it quits or come back to the Atlantic once more, realizing that any of the 30 teams could take an interest.

The news already is good for several players who have signed new minor league contracts with their major league organizations. This group, some of whom may get major league spring training invitations, includes RHP B. J. LaMura (Long Island) with Toronto, OF Valentino Pascucci (Camden) with the New York Mets and RHP Jarrett Grube (Southern Maryland) with Seattle. Pascucci and Grube started '10 in the Atlantic League.

Cory Aldridge, the Newark outfielder who spent some time with the parent Los Angeles Angels, elected free agency after the Halos took him off their 40-man roster. Others getting released include OF Justin Christian (Southern Maryland) from the New York Yankees, OF Matt Watson (Lancaster) from Oakland, RHP Greg Burke (Atlantic City) and 1B Wily Mo Pena (Bridgeport) from San Diego, RHP Scott Patterson (Lancaster) from Seattle and LHP R. J. Swindle (Newark) from Tampa Bay. All of this group have some major league experience although only Watson played in the majors this season.

Watson had climbed from the Barnstormers to the American League before an appendectomy put him on the shelf for a time. He finished the year in Triple-A.

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