The Yankees today released their list of non-roster invitees to spring training, and it includes nine players who saw time with the Thunder in 2009. Those eight are:

SP Zach McAllister

RP Kevin Whelan

C Jesus Montero

SP Jeremy Bleich

RP Wilkins Arias

OF Colin Curtis

RP Amauri Sanit

RP Grant Duff

C P.J. Pilittere

Also included is Austin Romine, who will be the Thunder's starting catcher in 2010. Bleich will re-join the Thunder, and Arias may come with him, too.

The other 10 invitees are:

OF Marcus Thames (signed today)

OF Reid Gorecki

OF David Winfree

OF Jon Weber

C Mike Rivera

C Kyle Higashioka

RP Royce Ring

RP Zack Segovia

SP Kei Igawa

SP Jason Hirsh

From March 31 - April 4 (when the Thunder break camp), I will be in Tampa for Thunder spring training. During that time I will be collecting as many interviews (both audio and video) as possible. I have several story lines in mind to pursue, but, because I cater to you, I'm looking for suggestions about what and who you would like to see covered.

Material collected from that trip will go toward The Trentonian's special season preview section (on newsstands April 8), daily coverage, as well as possible in-season features.

So far, here's what I have planned:

- Feature on Jeremy Bleich in re: How he can better himself after last season

- Rosters of all 12 Eastern League teams. Hopefully I'll have the Thunder's roster before I leave.

- Feature on the D'Arnaud brothers, Travis and Chase -- probably an in-season notebook thing

- Sit-down Q&As with Tony Franklin, Frank Menechino and Tommy Phelps regarding how the team is shaping up

- Live report from the Yankees vs. Future Yankees Stars game, to be held April 3 at Legends Field

Send any and all ideas you may have to jnorris@trentonian.com, or leave them in the comments section.

Thanks for all your help.

With opening day (featuring the World Series trophy) just 60 days away -- and pitchers and catchers reporting in just more than two weeks -- now seems as good a time as any to ask a few questions about what the Thunder might look like against the Erie SeaWolves come April 8.

Today marks the fourth of 10 questions about the Yankees Double-A affiliate.

7. Where does Ryan Pope fit in to the mix?

2009 was a year of extremes for starter Ryan Pope. He was the only starter on the Opening Day roster who stayed healthy -- and in Double-A -- all season long. Of course, that means he didn't earn a promotion at all, and there plenty of reasons for that. He gave up 155 hits in 141 innings (nearly 10 per nine innings pitched) and carded a 4.78 ERA and a putrid 5-12 record in the process.

There were, however, some positives.

He walked just 34 men and permitted just seven longballs, good for marks of 2.2 and 0.4 per nine, respectively. The best positive of all, however, came toward the end of the season, when pitching coach Tommy Phelps suggested he speed up his tempo to try to keep hitters off balance.

Boy, did it work. In the span of one bullpen session, Pope went from barely hanging on in Double-A to staff ace -- and he stayed that way until the season's end.

Entering 2009, however, there could be a little confusion about where he might fit. So far, the Thunder staff looks like this: Christian Garcia, Hector Noesi, Wilkin De La Rosa, Jeremy Bleich and more than likely Lance Pendleton.

In theory, Pope could simply move to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but I'm not terribly sure he's earned the right to pitch in the same rotation as the vaunted Kei Igawa, Jason Hirsh, Zach McAllister, Ivan Nova and perhaps Romulo Sanchez, who seems to have taken his triple-digit fastball back and forth between starter and reliever more than a few times over the past two seasons.

If De La Rosa, isn't fully healed come April, Pope should take his spot for a couple of months. However, if he is healthy on opening day, I think there's a good chance Pope begins 2009 as the Thunder's long reliever.

If he does become the long man, it could be a boon for the team, which -- for a few months at least -- will not have to worry about using their typically short relievers in uncomfortable roles, thereby limiting their effectiveness and possibly damaging them long term.

With opening day (featuring the World Series trophy) just 61 days away -- and pitchers and catchers reporting in just more than two weeks -- now seems as good a time as any to ask a few questions about what the Thunder might look like against the Erie SeaWolves come April 8.

Today marks the third of 10 questions in 10 days about the Yankees Double-A affiliate.

8. Can this year's bullpen match the 2009 version?

One of the team's biggest strengths -- especially considering all the upheaval caused by injuries and mass rainouts -- was its bullpen. Time after time, when a starter got bombed or had to be scratched, someone was there to pick up the slack and put the team in a better position to win.

Want proof? Check the numbers. Here's a breakdown of how many spot starts each reliever made last season*:

Kanekoa Texeira - 6

Josh Schmidt - 5

Wilkins Arias - 2

* - I'm not counting Brian Bruney's rehab "start."

Texeira (taken by Seattle in the Rule 5 Draft) and Schmidt (almost certainly will be promoted) will not be back, and the same probably goes for Arias, too. So, who can Thunder fans count on to make the jog in from the right-field corner every night? Let's take a look at a few candidates.

1. Pat Venditte: This is the sexy name. By now, you've probably read all about Venditte and his switch-pitching exploits. If not, you can do so here, here, here (with video) and here.

Sure, the pure spectacle of a pitcher who throws with both hands will put some fannies in the seats, but will those paying customers be happy with what Venditte produces? If he performs like he did last year with Charleston and Tampa, you're darn right they will.

Between the affiliates, Venditte accrued a 4-2 record, a 1.87 ERA, fanned 87 in 67 1/3 innings and walked just 11 men. For a guy who, like Schmidt, struggles to break 90 with his fastball, those numbers are more than impressive.

He got hit around a little bit this winter with Venezuelan League's Aguilas de Zulia -- where he was teammates with Schmidt, but the extremely pitcher-friendly confines of Waterfront Park should help ease the transition to the upper levels.

2. Jonathan Ortiz: This 24-year-old could wind up being next year's closer, something the Thunder really didn't have once Amauri Sanit left early in the season.

With Charleston and Tampa last season, Ortiz posted a 3-4 record with a 2.91 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 55 2/3 frames. He walked just 10 in that span. For those keeping track, Ortiz and Venditte combined to issue just 21 free passes in 120 innings in 2009.

If Ortiz continues at last year's pace, he will give Tony Franklin a very powerful weapon toward the end of games.

3. Philip Bartleski/Adam Olbrychowski: If you paid attention toward the end of the 2009 season, then you know these names already. Both pitchers were called up during the last series of the season -- on the road against the eventual EL North Wild Card winners, the New Britain Rock Cats -- to help in what was ultimately a failed playoff push.

Both men offer something neither Ortiz and Venditte can: an intimidating physical presence on the mound, much in the same manner Grant Duff did for a few months.

Olbrychowski stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 205 pounds. Bartleski checks in at a mammoth 6-foot-7 and 240, both of which should play up in Waterfront Park.

Expect to see them both in the Thunder's late-game arsenal in 2010.

The moment every Thunder fan has been waiting for has finally arrived — the 2010 bobblehead schedule has been released.

This year’s list features six former Thunder players who helped the Yankees win the 2009 World Series — pitchers Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, David Robertson, outfielder Brett Gardner, infielder Robinson Cano and catcher Francisco Cervelli.

After those five are given out, the Thunder will close the season by distributing a bobblehead of the Yankees top prospect, catcher Jesus Montero.

The 20-year-old Montero spent just 44 games with the Thunder, compiling a .317/.370/.909 line with nine home runs and 33 RBIs before suffering a broken finger that ended his season.
Below are the dates for each bobblehead’s release:

Chamberlain — April 23
Hughes — May 14
Gardner — June 11
Cervelli — July 2
Cano — July 16
Robertson — Aug. 6
Montero — Sept. 2

•••

The Thunder have sifted through the applications and demo tapes, and are close to naming a replacement for former broadcaster Steve Rudenstein, who left the team to take a position with Rider University.
An announcement on his replacement should be made by next week, the team said yesterday.

With opening day (featuring the World Series trophy) just 63 days away -- and pitchers and catchers reporting in just more than two weeks -- now seems as good a time as any to ask a few questions about what the Thunder might look like against the Erie SeaWolves come April 8.

Today marks the second of 10 questions in 10 days about the Yankees Double-A affiliate.

9. Who will fill Eduardo Nunez's shoes at shortstop?

Eduardo Nunez spoiled Thunder fans last season. By and large, Nunez was the most consistent offensive producer in Trenton's lineup from Day One until season's close. He produced a .322/.349/.782 line with 26 2Bs, nine HRs and 55 RBIs.

Sure, his 33 errors left much to be desired, but this guy (a four-time Gold Glover) had seasons with 21, 25, 29 and 56 miscues in the minor leagues.

Enough about the past. It's time to look ahead.

When I contacted Mark Newman a few weeks ago, even he couldn't give me a solid answer about who would play short at Waterfront Park in 2010. There are few candidates, but none who really jump out as someone who could play up to Nunez's caliber.

Candidate No. 1, Walter Ibarra: The 22-year-old from Los Mochis Sinola, Mexico played in 18 games with Trenton in 2008, getting 15 hits (including three doubles and a home run) in the process.

This season, with Charleston and Tampa, Ibarra put together .262/.294/.602 with 19 RBIs and swiped 12 bases in 17 attempts. This winter, with the Naranjeros de Hermosillo of the Mexican League, Ibarra compiled 16 hits in 64 at-bats.

The Double-A experience, I believe, gives Ibarra a little bit of a leg up on all the rest when it comes to his odds of being in Tony Franklin's lineup come April 8 against Erie.

Odds to win the job - 5:1

Candidate No. 2, Matt Cusick: Cusick joined the Thunder late last season, and despite his .240 batting average, seemed to hit the ball hard every time. He played second base with the Thunder, but, because of second basemen like Corban Joseph, Damon Sublett and David Adams making their way toward Trenton, Cusick could be asked (forced?) to switch positions.

His defense at second was solid if not spectacular, and I think more of that could be expected if he makes the switch.

Odds to win the job - 8:1

Candidate No.3, Addison Maruszak: This is a long shot, but a good performance in spring training could vault him out of the warm weather in Tampa into what should be a significantly less hospitable Trenton in April.

Maruszak earned a late-season promotion to Tampa last year, but struggled mightily upon arrival. His .148 average with the T-Yanks suggests that he may not be offensively ready for the upper levels. The sheer lack of candidates for that job, however, may necessitate an early promotion.

Odds to win the job - 20:1

Check back tomorrow for a look at the 2010 bullpen.

Photo Credits: Mike Ashmore (Cusick), Steinbrenner Drive blog (Maruszak)

With opening day (featuring the World Series trophy) just 64 days away -- and pitchers and catchers reporting in just more than two weeks -- now seems as good a time as any to ask a few questions about what the Thunder might look like against the Erie SeaWolves come April 8.

Today marks the first of 10 questions in 10 days about the Yankees Double-A affiliate.

10. After a dreadful start, can Jeremy Bleich rebound and make a positive impact on the Thunder's rotation in 2010?

For his first two years, Franklin was blessed with a ton of talent -- especially from the men on the mound. The 2007 and 2008 seasons saw Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Coke, David Robertson, Alfredo Aceves and a host of other skilled moundsmen etch a path through Waterfront Park to The Show.

Last year's crop, although talented, simply could not match the pedigrees of their predecessors.

Probably the biggest name, at least from a long-term prospect standpoint, to pitch for the Thunder in 2009 was Jeremy Bleich. He, to say the very least, was extremely underwhelming -- especially for a first-round pick. His ERA with Trenton was 6.65, and he allowed a ghastly 84 hits in 65 innings.

Despite all those negatives, though, there still were a few positives that lurked behind the numbers.

For one, Bleich -- for all intents and purposes -- was in his first pro season last year. He doesn't turn 23 until midseason and, with the Yankees rotation pretty well-stocked for now, he'll have all the time he needs to develop.

Secondly, scouts still seem to like what they saw from Bleich as far as raw stuff is concerned. Frankie Piliere, a former Rangers scout who traded his JUGS gun for a laptop and now writes for AOL Fanhouse, projects Bleich will bounce back in 2010. He notes an uptick in velocity as a reason for optimism.

Bad 2009 aside, Bleich will be a big part of the Thunder's rotation two months from now. Whether that's a good thing remains to be seen.

Photo Credit: Mike Ashmore