Raptors Acquire SP Jamie Cruz for Two Baby Birds

Antelope Valley, CA -- In an effort to bolster their thin starting staff, the Raptors have acquired career journeyman Jamie Cruz from the Barstow Lizards for minor leaguers Enrique Martinez and Tim Alvarez.  Cruz will join staff ace Jim Walton, along with Joe Sterner and Alan Blessing to complete 4/5ths of the Raptors starting rotation.  Hopefully Sterner can revert to his 2021 form where he threw for 13 wins and to a 3.34 ERA and 1.36 WHIP.  The Raptors have also recently added fireballer Nelson Feliz via the Rule 5 draft to add some depth to the bullpen.  This move should allow Armando Sanchez an extra year in AAA to hone his skills with the Bombers.  Last year the Raptors' much improved offense was done in by their lack of pitching.  Serious injuries to starting pitchers Brasfield and Sterner, along with closer Hone, plus injuries to offensive free agent acquisitions Bruce Parker and Ronald Quijada, dug the Raptors into a hole they could not dig themselves out.  Hopefully the improved pitching will allow the Raptors to outslug a few teams during the year.

Enrique Martinez, the 23 year old first baseman, was the number 5 prospect in the Raptors organization. number 84 overall.   Martinez impressed at AA Quincy last year, batting .312 over 22 games, but struggled slightly at AAA DuBois.  Martinez saw his path forward blocked by Carl Watson and Carlos Fernandez at the ML level, and Jorge Torres (a natural 1B but playing SS at the present) at AAA.  Tim Alvarez was no more than organizational depth at this time.