Season opening rosters for Salem, Greenville announced

Today the Salem Red Sox and Greenville Drive announced their respective season-opening rosters for the 2012 season. Each roster contains 27 players, and will thus be trimmed by two before opening day through temporary roster moves.

The Salem roster is highlighted by 19-year-old shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who burst onto the national scene in 2011, hitting 16 home runs in just 265 at-bats with the Drive. Bogaerts will be joined in the Salem lineup by second baseman Sean Coyle, left fielder Brandon Jacobs, and center fielder Jackie Bradley, Jr., all ranked as top-20 prospects in the system by SoxProspects.com. Coyle and Jacobs had strong first full seasons as well for the Drive in 2010, while Bradley, the 2011 supplemental first-round pick, will make his full-season debut in Virginia. On the mound, the pitching staff will be led by hard-throwing lefty Drake Britton, who will try to right the ship after a difficult 2010 season. He will be joined by Keith Couch, the strike-throwing right-hander who will look to show his 2011 breakout was no fluke.

Down in Greenville, the Drive will feature a pair of 2011 first-round picks in right-hander Matt Barnes and catcher Blake Swihart. Former UConn Husky Barnes will be making his professional debut in the South Atlantic League, while Swihart, drafted out of high school in New Mexico, will continue his adjustment to the professional game after getting his feet wet late last season. Other young talent joining them include a couple of surprises in 2011 supplemental first-round pick Henry Owens, a projectable left-hander, and 2011 third-round pick Jordan Weems, who will share the catching duties with Swihart. Third baseman Garin Cecchini, who had his impressive 2011 season cut short due to injury, will get his first taste of full-season ball, as will 18-year-old Dominican shortstop Jose Vinicio, who signed with the Red Sox in 2009 for just under $2-million and has spent the past two seasons in the Gulf Coast League.

Although official announcements of further roster moves for both teams are forthcoming, Drive broadcaster Ed Jensen says that catcher Leonel Escobar will begin the season on the inactive list, and that right-hander Miguel Pena, listed on the release on the Drive website, is not on the team's official roster.

Salem Red Sox

Pitchers

RHP Jeremiah Bayer

LHP Drake Britton

RHP Miguel Celestino

RHP Keith Couch

RHP Marco Duarte

RHP Ruben Flores

RHP Andrew Jones

RHP Michael Olmsted

RHP Ryan Pressly

LHP Manny Rivera

RHP Pete Ruiz

RHP Scott Swinson

Catchers

C Carson Blair

C Adalberto Ibarra

C Christian Vazquez

Infielders

1B/3B Michael Almanzar

SS Xander Bogaerts

2B Sean Coyle

2B Zach Gentile

1B/LF Drew Hedman

IF James Kang

1B/3B Travis Shaw

Outfielders

CF Jackie Bradley, Jr. 

LF Brandon Jacobs

OF Matty Johnson

CF Felix Sanchez

OF Shannon Wilkerson

Greenville Drive

Pitchers

RHP Matt Barnes

RHP Yeiper Castillo

LHP Hunter Cervenka

RHP Luis Diaz

RHP Justin Erasmus

RHP Jason Garcia

RHP Tyler Lockwood

RHP Nefi Ogando

RHP Matty Ott

LHP Henry Owens

LHP Miguel Pena

RHP Charle Rosario

RHP Madison Younginer

Catchers

C Leonel Escobar

C Blake Swihart

C Jordan Weems

Infielders

3B Garin Cecchini

SS Jose Garcia

IF Bryan Johns

1B Boss Moanaroa

3B David Renfroe

SS Jose Vinicio

Outfielders

CF Keury De La Cruz

LF/RF Cody Koback

OF Lucas LeBlanc

LF/RF Matt Marquis

CF/RF Henry Ramos

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