Local Sports

Cutters’ outfielder Prince picked up by Pirates in free agency

At this stage in the MLB Draft League season, rosters for the six teams in the league are as close to concrete as they are going to get.

With the professional half of the season entering its final weeks, the 25 or so members of each squad, barring injury, are expected to feature for the rest of the season as teams chase the MLB Draft League Championship game on Sept. 2.

But exceptions are made, and for the Williamsport Crosscutters, two new names replaced two familiar ones as the Cutters returned to Bowman Field on Saturday for a weekend home series.

Technically still on the Crosscutters’ roster going into Saturday night's contest against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, outfielder Carson Bayne has had a potentially stalwart spot on the Cutters' batting order derailed due to a nagging wrist injury that has since suffered a flare up. A speedy prospect that has spent a majority of his appearances at centerfield, the UNC Charlotte graduate mustered a .298 batting average with a pair of home runs in 12 appearances before the wrist of the outfielder became too much to contend with in last week's home series vs. the West Virginia Black Bears. Since then, Bayne has made just a cameo as a pinch runner while a potential return to the lineup this summer seems to have been all but diminished.

But the latest exit from the Crosscutters, despite also occurring in the outfield, was just as abrupt as it was happier.

This past week, Williamsport fans learned that a late free agency signing was rare, but not impossible when outfielder Owen Prince was picked up by the Pittsburgh Pirates this past Tuesday. A two way player that has captured the hearts of Crosscutter fans this season, Prince's 37 appearances in Williamsport colors saw a .282 average with four extra base hits, 24 stolen bases, and 30 runs scored.

With two outfielders now absent, Williamsport were forced to face the dilemma of playing an athlete out of position to field a proper defense, a fact that newcomer AJ Soloman had to adjust to quickly on his debut.

Expected to dress and rest in Tuesday's contest against the Aberdeen Ironbirds, a late call elsewhere forced the typical middle infielder into the green grass.

"I got a message from MLB to play (Prince) on Tuesday," echoed Williamsport Crosscutter manager Kenny Thomas on the decision. "Then in the third inning, I guess things changed somewhere and he had to be pulled. So I had to put Soloman out there in left and then I DH'd him the next day."

In spite of the unfamiliar territory, Solomon would have a warm start to his Cutter career. Going into Saturday, the Georgetown graduate has recorded three hits in eight at bats with three walks drawn, a pair of stolen bases, a run batted in, and three runs scored himself as he jumped from the top of the lineup to the middle of the set. When the dust settles expect Soloman, Jack Kail, and Sam DeCarlo to battling it out for the middle positions in the field.

Solomon was able to return to the second base bag due to Williamsport's second acquisition in less than a week.

Making his debut at Bowman Field Friday night, outfielder Santino Panaro has already had a cross country journey before making his appearance in Williamsport. After applying his trade with UNLV and Utah across four collegiate seasons before being signed by the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association of Professional Baseball, and Independent League that comprises teams from the Mid-West. After a short stint with the Saltdogs that saw the outfielder in two games, Panaro will end his summer at Williamsport as a reserve outfielder.

On his debut at Bowman, Panaro would go 0-2 at the plate with a pair of walks and a run scored.

After the weekend series at home, the Cutters will hit the road for a nine game stand that sees visits to State College, West Virginia and Aberdeen.