TRENTON — If you were hoping to see Pat Venditte on Thursday at Waterfront Park, you’re out of luck.

The Thunder’s preliminary roster was released to the media yesterday, and the celebrated switch pitcher’s name was nowhere to be found.

If you’re interested in laying your eyes on some of the top prospects in the organization, however — Austin Romine, D.J. Mitchell, Brandon Laird and David Adams, to name a few — then you’re in for a treat come Opening Day.

Romine, Mitchell, Laird and Adams are the marquee names, to be sure, but there were plenty of interesting players to be found on yesterday’s roster.

Take Damon Sublett, for instance.

He started last season as a second baseman, but was asked by the organization late in the season to take the Craig Biggio route and move into the outfield, where he will play in 2010.
While he’s adapted nicely enough to his new position, he’s been caught a little off guard by its intricacies.

“It’s harder than I thought it would be,” Sublett said. “I always used to think, ‘Oh, outfield, it can’t be that tough.’ It’s pretty tough out there, especially the corner positions. Center’s not too bad, but it’s fun, though. It’s a lot of fun."

Do you find pitchers more interesting than position players? Then Christian Garcia’s your man.
Garcia, already given the Opening Day assignment, is a right-hander with electric stuff who just can’t stay healthy.

To wit, the 24-year-old right-hander has pitched just 140 2/3 innings since 2006, yet still holds a position on the Yankees’ 40-man roster. It’s an honor that Garcia doesn’t take lightly.

“It’s awesome,” Garcia said. “It just shows that they still care and they’ve never forgotten about me. I’m pretty sure if I was with any other team, they would have dropped me already and said enough is enough. It’s amazing how they’ve stayed with me and stuck by my side.”

Sticking with guys on the 40-man roster, left-hander Wilkin De La Rosa will return to the club, but with a new role.

He and righty Lance Pendleton — both in the Thunder’s rotation last season — will move to the bullpen, instantly giving the team what appears to be, on paper at least, a very interesting collection of arms.

Manager Tony Franklin, who returns for his fourth season with Trenton, explained the move on Saturday at the Yankees Minor League Complex.

“In past years, when injuries occur, and at times when we think we need a spot starter, we’ve always had someone down there who was capable of doing that,” Franklin said. “I think either one of those guys are capable of doing that. In that regard, we’re well protected.”

Indeed, whether due to injuries or rain, the Thunder often found themselves in need of an extra arm in 2009. One man who filled that role more than capably was Josh Schmidt, an Eastern League All-Star and easily the Thunder’s best pitcher in 2009.

Astonishingly, after posting a 1.61 ERA and allowing just 57 hits — including just two home runs — in 83 2/3 stellar innings, Schmidt finds himself back in Trenton this April.

He joins Grant Duff, Wilkins Arias, Noel Castillo and Eric Wordekemper in a group of relievers who each spent time with the Thunder last season. The only newcomer to the bullpen is Cory Arbiso, a 23-year-old righty who spent most of last season with Low-A Charleston.

By spending the morning in minor league camp before heading over to George M. Steinbrenner Field for the Yankees vs. Future Yankees game, I was able to get confirmation on 16 of the 24 available spots on the Thunder's Opening Day roster. After speaking with Tony Franklin, Tommy Phelps and a few of the players, here's what I have so far:

C - Austin Romine
2B - David Adams
3B - Brandon Laird
OF - Edwar Gonzalez
OF - Dan Brewer
OF - Damon Sublett
OF - Austin Krum
SP - Christian Garcia (Will start on Opening Day, per Phelps)
SP - Ryan Pope
SP - Jeremy Bleich
SP - David Phelps
SP - D.J. Mitchell
RP - Wilkin De La Rosa
RP - Lance Pendleton
RP - Josh Schmidt
RP - Cory Arbiso

That's 7 position players and 9 pitchers. Given those numbers, here is what I believe the rest of the team will look like:

C - Jose Gil
1B - Kevin Smith
SS - Walter Ibarra
IF - Luis Nunez
RP - Pat Venditte
RP - Grant Duff
RP - Phil Bartleski
RP - Adam Olbrychowski

Of course, there are some surprises here. Pendleton and De La Rosa in the bullpen is an interesting way to turn seven starters into five. Additionally, it gives them a host of guys who can eat up innings should one of the starters get knocked around, or, as happened so often last year, rain necessitates a doubleheader.

The fact that Schmidt is back in Double-A is positively shocking news. He did nothing but dominate last season, and was fantastic in the Venezuelan Winter League. What more can he do to earn a trip to Scranton?

Additionally, Matt Cusick, last year's second baseman for part of the season, will start in Scranton. Cusick called the promotion "a curveball."

That's all for now, but check back later for tonight's Web chat to wrap up my stay in Tampa.

At my second day in Thunder camp, I spoke with Myron Leslie, Jeremy Bleich, David Adams, Christian Garcia and D.J. Mitchell. Leslie is a probable Thunder catcher, joining Austin Romine and possibly Jose Gil. Adams will be Trenton's second baseman, and Bleich, Mitchell and Garcia are all likely to be in the team's rotation come April 8.

In tomorrow's paper, I have a long feature on Leslie and a notebook with bits and pieces from today's 4-4 tie with the Pirates' Double-A work group. On the Web site, there will also be pictures from today's action, as well as videos of the interview I conducted with Leslie, today's starter David Phelps, and Austin Romine working with Victor Valencia in the batting cages.

The interviews with Adams, Bleich, Garcia and Mitchell will more than likely be used in the Thunder season preview section, which hits newsstands on April 8, the day the Thunder open the season.

There's a good chance the roster will be finalized tomorrow some time, so that could be the big news.

I plan to also speak with Tony Franklin (who was at home today in Los Angeles), Austin Romine, Damon Sublett, Kevin Mahoney and Ryan Pope tomorrow. Also, later tonight (once I get done uploading video) I will post some of best (that term is VERY relative) pictures from the day's action.

Also, remember that there will be a Web chat on Saturday night at 8 p.m. wrapping up my short stay in Tampa.

I made an attempt earlier this offseason to predict the Thunder's opening day roster. Considering that was on December 30, a lot has changed. Myron Leslie has been added to the fold. Edwar Gonzalez and Marcos Vechionacci, minor league free agents, have been re-signed. Kyle Anson has retired. Chris Malec and Seth Fortenberry have been released.

With all those changes in mind, here's my second attempt at predicting the Thunder's Opening Day roster:

SP - Jeremy Bleich
SP - Christian Garcia
SP - Hector Noesi
SP - D.J. Mitchell
SP - Lance Pendleton
P - Ryan Pope
P - Wilkin De La Rosa
P - David Phelps
P - Adam Olbrychowski
P - Philip Bartleski
P - Craig Heyer
P - Pat Venditte
P - Jonathan Ortiz

C - Austin Romine
C- Jose Gil
1B - Kevin Smith
2B - David Adams
3B - Brandon Laird
SS - Walter Ibarra
IF - Marcos Vechionacci
OF - Edwar Gonzalez
OF - Austin Krum
OF - Dan Brewer
OF - Myron Leslie

Once again, per the Thunder via trainer Tim Lentych.

PITCHING

Christian Garcia: 5 shutout innings
Craig Heyer: 3 innings, 2 runs

HITTING

Austin Krum: Double, Single, HBP, 3 runs
Myron Leslie: 2-run HR
Austin Romine: Triple, 2 RBIs
Marcos Vechionacci: 2 singles, 2 RBIs
Brandon Laird: Single, RBI
Walter Ibarra: Single
Eduardo Sosa: Walk, Single, Run