FOUR ATLANTIC LEAGUERS GET PLAYER-COACH DEALS WITH PIRATES; PASCUCCI, SAVAGE BACK IN FOLD

I was able to confirm today that the four former Atlantic League players I identified in yesterday's Independent Baseball Insider column have indeed been signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as player-coaches, enabling them to begin transitioning from being fulltime players to coaching opportunities.

This would seem to represent nice career steps.

The four are standout York third baseman Vince Harrison, who hit .327 for the league champion Revolution this past season; outfielder Jason Cooper, who had a brief stint at Lancaster; popular former York infielder Keoni DeRenne, who already has some two-way experience in the Philadelphia farm system; and onetime Somerset outfielder Michael Ryan, who has considerable major league experience including 2010 with the Los Angeles Angels after leaving the Atlantic League. Ryan is the only one of the quartet who has played in the majors or has been in the Pittsburgh system (Indianapolis, 2007).

PASCUCCI, SAVAGE SIGN NEW PACTS

First baseman-outfielder-DH Valentino Pascucci (Camden) and right-hander Will Savage (Lancaster) have signed contracts to remain with their 2011 organizations.

Pascucci was primarily with the New York Mets' Triple-A club in Buffalo in '11 although he got 11 at-bats (three hits, one homer) with the parent club in September. The 6-foot-6 slugger had 29 doubles, 21 homers and 91 RBI while hitting
.264 at Buffalo. He turned 33 yesterday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Savage to Triple-A Albuquerque, which is one classification above Chattanooga, where he was a mid-season Southern League All-Star this season. The 27-year-old Savage was 12-6 with a 3.95 ERA in 25 games, including 23 starts. He was in two games with Lancaster (1-0) in 2009 although he spent most of that year in another Independent league, pitching for Wichita, KS in the American Association.

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