(February 7, 2018) — The York Revolution have announced the first three player signings for the 2018 season, inking infielder Jose Cuevas, right-handed pitcher Frank DeJiulio, Jr., and catcher Tyler Clark to contracts. The agreements were made official by Revolution manager Mark Mason during Tuesday evening’s airing of “Revs Hot Stove Weekly presented by Shipley Energy” on SportsRadio 1350 WOYK.
Cuevas’ rights were originally acquired from the Bridgeport Bluefish in the player dispersal draft. The 29-year-old played for Bridgeport the past two seasons as a corner infielder and one of the league’s better defensive third basemen. He’s also seen time at every infield position throughout his career. Cuevas finished 2017 with a solid .279 average and seven home runs, following an All-Star season in 2016 during which he batted .286 with 10 home runs. Cuevas previously played in the San Francisco Giants organization, where he was the Arizona League MVP early in his career, and the Can-Am League prior to coming to the Atlantic League.
“I was really happy to get Jose,” said Mason. “He’s a solid defensive player. He plays really hard. He’s a talented hitter that can hit the ball all around the ballpark. He can be an added weapon in the middle of our lineup and play multiple positions in the infield.”
DeJiulio, Jr. also joins the Revs after having his rights acquired from Bridgeport. He has pitched in the Atlantic League over the past three seasons as both a setup man and long reliever. DeJiulio went 3-1 with a 2.87 ERA for Long Island in 2015, combined to go 4-0 with a 1.44 ERA between Long Island and Bridgeport in 2016, and was 4-5 with a 3.93 ERA in 59 games for Bridgeport last season. The 28-year-old Fort Lauderdale native began his pro career in the Angels farm system in 2011 after being drafted out of the University of Tampa. He has spent time on the international scene over the past year, pitching for Team Italy at the 2017 World Baseball Classic and pitching in Taiwan last fall.
“Frank has been out there every night,” commented Mason. “He’s a wonderful guy to have out of the bullpen. He can give you a lot of innings and be effective. We’re really happy to have him, and he’s very excited to come in here. I see him as a big part of what we’re going to do out of our bullpen this year.”
Clark joins the Revs after playing in 52 games for the Lancaster Barnstormers last season. The six-foot-five switch-hitter totaled 26 hits, including four doubles, one triple, and one home run, and drove in 11 runs. The New Haven, CT native first signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014 to begin his pro career, advancing as high as Triple-A Reno, where he appeared in a game during his first professional season. Having also played in the Frontier League and Can-Am Association, the 25-year-old begin his fifth pro season and second in the Atlantic League in 2018.
“I thought he called a really good game,” stated Mason. “Defensively, he caught and threw the ball well. He knows the hitters. He swings the bat pretty well. I think he can be a good addition for us.”
The Revs will unveil more signings during the next edition of “Revs Hot Stove Weekly presented by Shipley Energy” with a special airtime of Thursday, February 15, at 6 p.m. Show archives including, Tuesday’s season premiere, can be heard at www.woyk1350.com.