Steve Youngblood, The Fargo Gazette

March 31, 2013: Fargo, ND – The Fargo Dinosaurs have just wrapped up spring training and are preparing to begin the 2013 PEBA regular season.  This is a squad with a lot of anticipation and its fair share of pressure to punch through into the playoffs after back-to-back seasons of watching from the sidelines in October.  With spring training coming to a close, the roster cuts have been completed and announced by the coaching staff today.

The team is rounding into shape, with only one relevant injured player that will have to wait a few weeks before making his debut.  That injured player is starting third baseman Salvador Ruíz.  Ruíz is suffering from bone chips in his elbow and will miss the first two weeks of the season.

Ramón Mendoza has a tired arm that held him out of spring training activities for six days, but he was able to come back at the end of camp and finished well enough that he will be penciled into the starting right field spot.  Mendoza will be counted on for solid defense in right and will be expected to improve on his showing from last year, when he saw a setback in his performance, particularly his power numbers.  Mendoza went from 22 homeruns in 2011 to only 10 in 2012 despite playing in 16 more games.  But without much competition for the four outfield spots that manager Duncan Walker has decided to break camp with, Mendoza didn’t have to worry all that much about getting a chance to make good on statements he made at the conclusion of last season that he would come back this year stronger and in better overall shape.

With Ruíz starting the year on the 14-day disabled list, Walker has said that we’ll be seeing starting shortstop Ken Keddy slide over to his original position at third base, Tsunesaburo Sugimoto moving over shortstop and Ángel Zarate manning second base.  Walker said that left-handed-hitting infielder Vicente Savellano will break camp with the big league squad and will see some time over at third against right-handed starters as well, following a strong spring showing.  Walker said that the team has plans for Savellano to fill an infielder utility role in the near future with the team but that he will need to work on his play at second base down in AAA before that will happen.  In the meantime, he will hold a roster spot on the Dinosaurs until Ruíz returns.

First base and DH look to be set with much anticipation built around the power-hitting duo Mike Arnopp and Ramón Flores.  Last season was Arnopp’s first in the majors and he had quite the showing, as he hit 20 homeruns and drove in 116 runs with an .877 OPS.  All this helped Arnopp win the Sovereign League Wunderkind award as the top rookie player in the league.  First baseman Flores will be 33 years old this upcoming season.  He saw his production take a dip last season but still performed at an elite level with a .955 OPS and 54.3 VORP.

Mendoza wasn’t the only one knowing his spot was secure coming into spring; left fielder Pedro Silva and centerfielder Tommy Fowler were locks, too.  Fowler brings strong defensive skills and excellent range for the position, while Silva will look to repeat his stellar sophomore year (.883 OPS) with the team and avoid repeating his disappointing first year (.748 OPS).  Nick Miller will serve as the team’s extra outfielder, though his play in spring training was uninspiring, to say the least.

Top prospect Brandon Small saw time in left field this spring, a departure from his natural position of first base.  The organization has said they would like to see Small continue to play the outfield position down in AAA and, if possible, force his way onto the big league squad.  That route currently appears blocked at first base by Flores and Arnopp.  If Small can show some progress defensively and Miller continues to show a lack of progress, we may see Small take the role away from Miller as the season progresses.

The catching position saw one of the few additions to the team this off-season, as Ching-hsia Chin was acquired in a trade with the New Jersey Hitman.  The veteran Chin will serve as Raúl Espinoza’s primary backup.  Chin will bring some stability to the role and depth at the position should Espinoza see any DL time this year.