Yes, Brian Bass, he of the 12.27 ERA in four games for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, will come to camp as a starter, according to Matt Gelb. I can’t really say anything good about him, having pitched in 101 Major League games with Baltimore, Minnesota and Pittsburgh, and only 4 of them as a starter. His 104/85 K/BB ratio is mostly hideous in 183 innings and a 1.1 HR/9 is pretty ugly as well. In 2003, he was ranked as the 8th best prospect in the Kansas City Royals system.

He’ll be a warm body out of camp and almost definitely an end of the rotation starter for Lehigh Valley. Logic dictates that the 29-year-old won’t give Vance Worley any trouble in securing a fifth starter spot on the big club, but you never know. Slowwwwwwwwwww for the Phillies and Ruben in Orlando.

Something of note: LED High Bay Lighting fixtures sponsors his baseball reference page.