(November 2, 2023, New York) – The Atlantic League on Thursday held a dispersal draft for the rights to players whose rights were held by the Spire City Ghost Hounds.  Spire City will take a one-year hiatus from the Atlantic League in 2024.

The drafting club now owns the rights to negotiate with each of the players it drafted.

Hagerstown had the first pick and selected outfielder Leobaldo Cabrera. Cabrera was named to the 2023 Postseason All-Star team after hitting .294 and finishing second in the league with 34 home runs and third with 100 RBI. He was also on the Ballpark Digest Mid-Season All-Star team

Lexington selected infielder Jose Marmolejos with the second pick. Marmolejos hit 28 homers and drove in 90 runs while adding a .303 average. Marmolejos was the utility player on the Ballpark Digest Mid-Season All-Star team and the DH on the Postseason All-star club.

Outfielder Craig Dedelow was the third pick by Staten Island. He hit .281 with 26 homers and 78 RBI while adding 34 stolen bases. Dedelow is one of just 11 players in league history in the 20-30 club.

After Charleston and Lancaster passed, Southern Maryland selected catcher Raudy Read (.305, 20 HR, 53 RBI) while Long Island drafted infielder Luke Becker (.231, 16, 41) with the seventh selection.

York had the eighth pick and took RHP Donald Goodson who was 1-2 with a 7.63 ERA in 45 appearances with Spire City and Lancaster, compiling four saves on the year.

The ninth pick went to Gastonia which selected infielder Eddy Diaz (.295, 1, 10) while High Point made infielder Osvaldo Abreu (.269, 13, 43) the 10^th and final pick of the first round.

The Atlantic League’s 2024 season will open on Thursday, April 25. The 126-game schedule will run through September 15. The ALPB line-up in 2024 will include a number of changes with the introduction of the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars who will join the North Division. The Southern Maryland Blue Crabs will move to the South Division.

ALPB DISPERSAL DRAFT

FIRST ROUND

1          Hagerstown      OF Leobaldo Cabrera

2          Lexington         INF Jose Marmolejos

3          Staten Island    OF Craig Dedelow

4          Charleston        pass

5          Lancaster         pass

6          So. Maryland    C Raudy Read

7          Long Island       INF Luke Becker

8          York                 RHP Donald Goodson

9          Gastonia           INF Eddy Diaz

10        High Point         INF Osvaldo Abreu

SECOND ROUND

11        Hagerstown      RHP Max Povse

12        Lexington         RHP Dustin Beggs

13        Staten Island    RHP Matt Reitz

14        Charleston        pass

15        Lancaster         pass

16        So. Maryland    pass

17        Long Island       RHP Dovydas Neverauskas

18        York                 pass

19        Gastonia           RHP Theo McDowell

20        High Point         pass    

THIRD ROUND

21        Hagerstown      pass

22        Lexington         pass

23        Staten Island     RHP Brendan Medoro

24        Charleston        pass

25        Lancaster         pass

26        So. Maryland    pass

27        Long Island       RHP Victor Capellan

28        York                 pass

29        Gastonia           RHP Nate Peden

30        High Point         pass

FOURTH ROUND

31        Staten Island    pass

32        Long Island       pass

33        Gastonia           pass

About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)

Entering its 26th season, the Atlantic League is Major League Baseball’s first Professional Partner League, a player gateway to the major leagues, and a leader in baseball innovation. ALPB has sent over 1,300 players to MLB organizations while drawing over 47 million fans to its family-friendly ballparks throughout its 25-year history. Please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com.