(New Britain, Conn., Nov. 1, 2017) – The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball Clubs held a Player Dispersal Draft on Wednesday, November 1 to obtain the 2018 negotiating rights to players whose rights were controlled by the Bridgeport Bluefish. The New Britain Bees selected eight players from the Bluefish roster.

Round 1 - IF Luis Hernandez
Round 2 - IF Tony Abreu
Round 3 - IF/OF Jonathan Galvez
Round 4 - P Manny Delcarmen
Round 5 - P Reinier Roibal
Round 6 - IF Angelys Nina
Round 7 - P Rainy Lara
Round 8 - OF Ozney Guillen

CLICK HERE to view the full draft.

“We were able to acquire the rights to a lot of talented ball players through this draft, including three former big leaguers and two World Series Champions,” says Bees General Manager Brad Smith. “This is a step in the right direction toward creating a championship caliber team in New Britain for the 2018 season.”

Luis Hernandez played 120 games with the ‘Fish in 2017, finishing the season with a .280 batting average, five home runs, 43 RBI, 58 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases, while being named to the Liberty Division All-Star Team. The former big leaguer was also chosen as the Atlantic League Red, White, & Blue All-Defensive Team in 2016 after recording a .967 fielding percentage at shortstop, while also collecting 200 put outs and a league-leading 389 assists. Luis made his Major League debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2007, where he spent two campaigns before being traded to the Kansas City Royals in 2009 and then the New York Mets in 2010. He also made a brief appearance with the Texas Rangers in 2012.

Tony Abreu appeared in 96 games for Bridgeport, posting a .315 batting average with 26 extra base hits, 47 RBI, 46 runs scored, and a .974 fielding percentage as second base. The 32-year-old has played six seasons in the big leagues, appearing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Kansas City Royals, and San Francisco Giants. In 2014 as a member of the Giants organization, he spent most of the season with Triple-A Fresno of the Pacific Coast League but also made three appearances with the World Champion big league club.

Jonathan Galvez led the Bluefish with 16 home runs, 27 doubles, 68 runs scored, 77 RBI, and 48 walks, while batting .277 over the course of 126 games. He made his Atlantic League debut in 2015, and also represented the ‘Fish and the Liberty Division in the 2016 Atlantic League All-Star Game. The 26-year-old began his professional career in 2008 within the San Diego Padres organization. He spent seven years in the Padres farm system, reaching Triple-A in both 2013 and 2014.

Manny Delcarmen appeared in 59 contests for Bridgeport during his Atlantic League debut, posting a 3-2 record with 4.39 ERA, 54 strikeouts and nine saves in 57.1 innings of work. The Massachusetts native was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the second round of the 2000 MLB draft, and made his professional debut the following year with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast Red Sox of the Gulf Coast League. He spent ten seasons with the Red Sox organization, making his big league debut in 2005 after being called up from Triple-A Pawtucket of the International League. He went on to win a World Series ring with the Red Sox in 2007. That year, he was an integral member of the team, tossing 44.0 innings and striking out 41 batters with a 2.05 ERA. In 2010, he joined the Colorado Rockies, and has also spent time with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and Washington Nationals organizations. In 298 career Major League games, the pitcher owns a 3.97 ERA with 249 strikeouts across 292.2 innings.

Reinier Roibal made 10 appearances (eight starts) for the ‘Fish, collecting a 4-2 record with a 2.52 ERA and 50 strikeouts over the course of 46.1 innings pitched. The Cuban-born Roibal has spent time with the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies organizations, reaching as high at the Triple-A Level with the Phillies.

Angelys Nina played in 76 games for the Bluefish, batting .264 with five home runs, 36 RBI, and 28 runs scored. The utility infielder/outfielder began his professional career in 2007 after being signed by the Colorado Rockies as an undrafted free agent. Nina has spent the majority of his career with the Rockies organization, reaching the Triple-A level in 2014 and 2015, before joining Bridgeport in 2016.

Rainy Lara was also named to the Liberty Division All-Star team in 2017 and finished the year with the ‘Fish by making 25 starts and collecting nine wins, with a 4.30 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 142.0 innings pitched. The 26-year-old made his professional debut with the Mets organization in the Foreign Rookie-level Dominican Summer League in 2010. Prior to making his Atlantic League debut last year, Rainy has been in the Mets farm system for the entirety of his career, reaching the Triple-A level in both 2015 and 2016.

Ozney Guillen appeared in 86 games with Bridgeport, recording a .253 batting average with 14 extra base hits, 29 RBI, and 30 runs scored. The 25-year-old was originally drafted out of high school by the Chicago White Sox in the 22^nd round of the 2010 MLB draft. He made his professional debut in 2014 with Normal of the independent Frontier League. He spent two seasons with Normal before joining Sioux Falls in 2016. Ozney is the son of former Chicago White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen.

About the New Britain Bees
The New Britain Bees are members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, and play their home games at New Britain Stadium. For information on tickets packages, group outings and sponsorships call 860-826-BEES (2337) or visit NBBees.com.

About The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
The Atlantic League has been a leader in professional baseball and a gateway to Major League Baseball since 1998. Over 38 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 900 players and 50 managers and coaches have joined MLB organizations directly from the ALPB. The Atlantic League emphasizes winning baseball games, showcasing the talent of top-caliber players and offering affordable family entertainment to metropolitan markets serving nearly 15% of the US population. For more information regarding the Atlantic League, please visit www.atlanticleague.com.

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