Former Nevada Wolf Pack players Lyle Overbay, Chad Qualls and Chris Dickerson all signed with major league baseball organizations within the last two weeks.
Overbay, a 12-year major league veteran, signed with the Boston Red Sox last Thursday. Qualls signed with the Miami Marlins on Jan. 25 and Dickerson hooked on with the Baltimore Orioles last Tuesday.
Overbay, a .270 career hitter with 133 home runs and 581 RBI, is hoping to make the Red Sox roster as the backup first baseman behind Mike Napoli. Overbay hit .259 last year over 116 at-bats with the Atlanta Braves and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Qualls, a nine-year veteran, has appeared in 597 major league games with seven different teams. Qualls was 1-1 in 52 games last year and a 5.20 ERA with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees.
Dickerson, who has 518 major league at-bats and a career average of .266 with 11 homers and 47 RBI, is hoping to find a spot in a crowded Orioles outfield that includes Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Nate McLouth and Nolan Reimold. Dickerson was 4-for-14 for the New York Yankees last year with two home runs and five RBI.
Catching up with a few other former Wolf Pack players . . .
- Catcher Konrad Schmidt will be in the Texas Rangers' camp this spring. Schmidt, who was claimed off waivers by the Rangers from the Arizona Diamondbacks last November, is 1-for-15 in his big league career.
- Pitcher Eddie Bonine, who spent all of 2012 in the minor leagues, signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks last November and could find himself pitching for the Triple-A Reno Aces this summer. Bonine is 7-3 in his major league career over 62 games and 10 starts. He was 3-4 at Lehigh Valley last summer in the Philadelphia Phillies organization with a 5.16 ERA in 11 games.
- Catcher Corky Miller, a 10-year major league veteran, signed with the Cincinnati Reds. Miller his .235 in 243 at-bats last year at Triple-A Louisville.
- Catcher Brett Hayes signed with the Kansas City Royals last November and is on the Royals' 40-man roster. Hayes has been in the big leagues for parts of four seasons, all with the Marlins, and has hit .217 over 332 at-bats.
- Catcher Chris Gimenez remains with the Tampa Bay Rays. Gimenez, a .198 career big league hitter over 328 at-bats, is competing for regular time behind the plate in Tampa with Jose Molina and Jose Lobaton.
- Third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff signed with the Marlins in November. Kouzmanoff, a six-year major league veteran with 85 homers and 361 RBI, hit .262 at Triple-A Omaha and .300 at Double-A Northwest Arkansas last season in the Royals' organization.
