By Jerry Del Priore
The independent New Britain Bees announced the signing of ex-Brooklyn Cyclone and New York Met Darrell Ceciliani on Monday. Ceciliani joins the Bees for his Atlantic League debut and 10th season of professional baseball in 2018.
The former big leaguer spent last year with the Toronto Blue Jays organization, including three games with the parent club, in which he recorded two hits and three RBI. Ceciliani also appeared in a combined 28 contests with Triple-A Buffalo and Single-A Dunedin.
The Mets selected Ceciliani in the fourth round of the 2009 MLB amateur draft and shipped him to rookie-level Kingsport, where the then-teenager batted .234 with two homers, 13 RBI, and 24 stolen bases in 158 at-bats in 42 games.
But it was in short-season Single-A Brooklyn, where the Californian shined, posting impressive numbers in 2010, which were tops in the New York-Penn League in average (.351) and triples (12). Ceciliani also collected two dingers and 35 RBI in 271 tilts, to go along with 21 base thefts. Ceciliani’s stellar stats helped him earn him an All-Star nod that year.
In addition to 2017, the Columbia Basin College product reached the Major Leagues in both the 2015 and 2016 campaigns. The 27-year-old lefty has appeared in a total of 55 games during his MLB career, smacking two home runs, seven RBI, and scoring nine runs while swiping five bases.
Ceciliani has amassed a .284 batting average with 41 home runs, 126 doubles, 275 RBI, 384 runs scored, and 137 stolen bases in 641 minor league games.
Brooklyn Sports World/NY NJ Sports World 