Goldeyes add power bat and pitcher, release Houle, Panas, Seabrooke

The Winnipeg Goldeyes released Canadian outfielder Connor Panas (Toronto, Ont.) as part of a series of transactions on Thursday. Photo: Twitter

June 18, 2020

By Steve Schuster

Winnipeg Goldeyes

WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Goldeyes signed outfielder Logan Hill and right-handed pitcher Nicholas Economos on Thursday.

Hill hit a combined .250 with 14 home runs and 72 RBI across 127 games in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ organization last season. The Pensacola, Florida native saw time with the double-A Eastern League’s Altoona Curve and the triple-A International League’s Indianapolis Indians. Hill’s 31 combined doubles ranked tied for 42nd among all players at all levels of the affiliated minor leagues.

Hill was drafted by the Pirates in the 25th round in 2015 out of Troy University (Troy, Alabama), and is entering his sixth season of professional baseball. The 6-foot-3, 226-pound Hill has a career .439 slugging percentage in 507 career games, while averaging 80 runs scored, 32 doubles, 23 home runs, 95 RBI, and 62 walks per 162 contests. The 27-year-old Hill finished in the top-10 in his league’s home run race three times in a four-year stretch from 2015-18. During the 2017 campaign, Hill ranked second in the High-A Florida State League with 16 homers despite playing just 71 games in the circuit before earning a promotion to double-A. A right-handed batter and fielder, the Pirates assigned Hill to the prestigious Arizona Fall League’s Glendale Desert Dogs in late-2017.

Economos (pronounced ee-KAHN-uh-miss) also played in the Pirates’ organization last season, reaching as high as double-A Altoona. The Worcester, Massachusetts native combined for a 10-9 record with a 3.42 ERA in 22 starts and four relief appearances. Economos totalled 130 strikeouts against just 44 walks over 134 1/3 innings. Economos pitched for the High-A Florida State League’s Bradenton Marauders and the Low-A South Atlantic League’s Greensboro Grasshoppers in addition to his time with Altoona.

Economos heads into his sixth season of professional baseball, and was drafted by Pittsburgh in the 21st round in 2015 out of Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, New Jersey. The 24-year-old right-hander is 18-19 lifetime with three saves and a 3.96 ERA in 85 games, 48 of them as a starting pitcher. Economos has averaged 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings over 313.2 career frames.

The Goldeyes announced several other transactions Thursday. The club agreed to terms with seven of the nine players selected in Tuesday’s American Association dispersal draft, including infielder/outfielder Darnell Sweeney (Round 1, Kansas City), right-handed pitcher Frank Duncan (Round 2, Kansas City), outfielder Jordan George (Round 3, Kansas City), infielder Thomas Walraven (Round 4, Gary SouthShore), catcher Roy Morales (Round 5, Kansas City), right-handed pitcher Kent Hasler (Round 6, Sioux City), and catcher John Nester (Round 9, Cleburne). All seven players will be returned to their outgoing clubs at the conclusion of the 2020 season.

Additionally, the Goldeyes placed outfielder Willy Garcia and infielder Darren Seferina on the reserve list, and will retain their rights heading into 2021.

Finally, the following players were placed on irrevocable waivers for the purpose of granting their release: Right-handed pitcher Ryan Flores (dispersal draft), catcher Adam Gauthier, catcher Dustin Houle, right-handed pitcher Jordan Kurokawa, left-handed pitcher Mason Melotakis (dispersal draft), outfielder Connor Panas, left-handed pitcher Travis Seabrooke, and right-handed pitcher Andrew Vernon. Flores and Melotakis will be returned to Sioux City and Cleburne respectively, while the Goldeyes retain the 2021 rights of the remaining players.

The Goldeyes now have 23 players under contract for the 2020 season. American Association clubs may carry up to 30 players during spring training (increased from 28 in previous years), which begins June 25th.

2020 Winnipeg Goldeyes Signings

RHP Nate Antone

RHP Victor Capellan

IF Wes Darvill

RHP Frank Duncan

RHP Nicholas Economos

OF Jordan George

RHP John Gorman

RHP Garrett Harris

RHP Kent Hasler

OF Logan Hill

RHP Kevin Hilton

LHP Jose Jose

LHP Justin Kamplain

IF Kevin Lachance

LHP Mitchell Lambson

1B Kyle Martin

LHP Kevin McGovern

C Roy Morales

OF Jonathan Moroney

C John Nester

IF/OF Darnell Sweeney

IF Thomas Walraven

3B Eric Wood

OF Willy Garcia (reserve list)

IF Darren Seferina (reserve list)

The Winnipeg Goldeyes open the 2020 season on July 3rd on the road against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.