The Rockers have resigned 6 veteran players for the 2022 season. Logan Moore, Mike Gulino, Jay Gonzalez, Quincy Latimore, J.R. DiSarcina and Cooper Casad will all be joining the team along with possible other veterans.
NOTE: The following quotes are from https://www.highpointrockers.com/news_article/show/1215625 but they are valid for this type of article since it's the thoughts from Jamie Keefe the Manager of the High Point Rockers
Jamie Keefe on Casad:
“Cooper came into last year wanting to make the team as a starter and he did just that. He came in at the back end of the rotation at the start of the year and wound up being one of the top arms on the team. He had a great first year with us and I think he learned a lot. I’ve been able to watch him all winter (in Florida) as he gets ready for this season. He is really throwing the ball well right now and I look forward to getting him back in a Rockers uniform.”
Jamie Keefe on DiSarcina:
“J.R. was a bit green when he got here last year but his eyes were wide open. He didn’t know the competition would be as good as it was. He proved us correct by going out there each and every day and competing the way he did. To come in as a true rookie from a Division III (UMass-Dartmouth) school and go out there and hit .257 with five homers and 28 RBI, and get the job done defensively, was a credit to him. He was just fantastic as a utility guy for us. Any time he was called on offensively, he was able to get the job done. I’m excited to see what he can bring to us this year.”
Jamie Keefe on Gonzalez:
“Jay didn’t get a chance to play every day with us last year until towards the end of the year. Players put up good numbers when they get a chance to play every day and Jay did just that. I think the world of him, he can play center field and left field as well as anybody. He runs really well, and he is one of the best teammates you will ever have. Whenever he was called on, he was ready to play and he produced. You can’t replace a guy like Jay.”
Jamie Keefe on Gulino:
“Michael did everything and more of what we asked him to do last year. He continually got better throughout the year and learned a lot from Logan (Moore) when he came back late in the year. Michael knows he’s going to catch a couple times a week and anytime there is a doubleheader, he’s going to catch one of those games as well. He’s going to get some playing time and he’s going to get leaned on quite a bit. He had some big hits for us last year and he just kept getting better every time he went out on the field.”
Jamie Keefe on Latimore:
“The 2019 season was a fantastic year for Quincy. The first half of last year he spent playing in Italy and was excited to come back. He just didn’t have what he felt was his best swing when he came back but that has driven him to go back and put in the work this offseason. He will report to camp in in the best shape of his life and I am looking for big things from Q this year. We’re going to lean on him a lot. He’s coming up on 250 career home runs and 1,000 RBI and I’m glad he’s going to do it in a Rockers uniform. He may be one of those guys who slides into an organization as well and puts some numbers up.”
Jamie Keefe on Moore:
“We know what Logan can do behind the plate and that is call the best game of any catcher in an MLB Partner league. It doesn’t get any better than what he can do behind the plate. He has proven himself at the AAA level for six years and we look forward to having him take this staff to where it needs to be. He didn’t have a great year offensively in 2021 but this year, with him in the lineup regularly, we’ll see his offense come back to what it was in 2019.”