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SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake Bees opened up spring practices Tuesday, with an entirely new look to its roster.
The Bees opened up practices with a new team manager: 10-year MLB veteran Dave Anderson, who was hired in December to fill the vacancy left by former team manager Keith Johnson after he accepted a job with the Los Angeles Angels after four seasons.
Although only the first day of spring practices for the Bees, Anderson said he’s impressed with his team thus far.
“These guys have been around each other for a little while now and seem to get along and enjoy being around each other. They’re very competitive,” he said. “We’ve got some guys that had some opportunities to make a big league club. They didn’t do it right from the season start. But I think you’re going to see a lot of these guys move up to the big leagues and play for the Angels this year.”
The Bees pitching roster is highlighted by top prospect Andrew Heaney, a left-handed pitcher and 26th overall prospect according to MLB.com. Heaney is the highest-rated prospect for the Bees since Mike Trout suited up for the Bees in 2012 and is the highest-rated pitcher since Nick Adenhart in 2008.
“I’m going to come here and some things straightened out,” Heaney said. “I made a good impression and I want to build on that.”
Pitchers Nick Tropeano and Cam Bedrosian are also highly-ranked members of the bullpen, entering the 2015 season as the fifth and sixth-ranked Angels prospects, respectively. Tropeano was acquired from the Houston Astros in a trade in the offseason, where he pitched in four games and finished with a 4.57 ERA and a 1-3 record. Bedrosian pitched eight games for the Bees last season, but was called up to the Angels for 17 games. He finished the season with a 6.52 ERA, 20 strikeouts and a 0-1 record.
Everything is about the right now, you can't really look too far in the future. I'm just going to come out here and work hard every day and win some games.
–Kyle Kubitza
The Bees feature the Angels’ seventh-ranked prospect in Kyle Kubitza at third base. Kubitza is a heavy hitter and a viable candidate to be called up to the Angels. Last season, Kubitza led the Southern League in on-base percentage (.405) with the Braves’ Double-A affiliate Mississippi.
“Everything is about the right now, you can’t really look too far in the future,” Kubitza said. “I’m just going to come out here and work hard every day and win some games.”
Kubitza said the Bees are already on the same page and have a common goal, and have a great mindset going into the regular season.
Another top prospect for the Bees this season is power hitter Alex Yarbrough, who is the Angels’ 14th-ranked prospect coming into the season. Yarbrough played last season with Arkansas — a Double-A affiliate in the Texas League — and was named the league’s MVP with a .285 batting average, five home runs and 77 RBIs.
The Bees will take part in the league’s new initiative to increase the pace of play, and have installed three new clocks to give the players and fans an idea of the game pace. However, Anderson said he doesn’t see the new pace of play affecting the players or the overall game.
“I don’t think you’re going to see it affect the game much,” he said. “These rules have been in place for a long period of time, they just haven’t enforced them. I think it’s good for baseball. I think it’s great for the players to get the game going and off the field.”
The Bees begin play Thursday in a four-game series at Sacramento. The first home game of the season is Friday, April 17 at 6:35 p.m. against Sacramento.
