Expansion May Include Area Players

Several players from the region could be taken in today’s expansion baseball draft, if mock drafts held by various publications can be believed.

Baseball America magazine has the Arizona Diamondbacks taking Baltimore Orioles double-A infielder David Lamb (Newbury Park High) and the beat writers for the Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Devil Rays selected Boston Red Sox right-hander Jeff Suppan (Crespi) and Cincinnati Reds first baseman Dmitri Young (Rio Mesa).

Others eligible for the draft who are coming off of strong seasons include Expos outfielder Ryan McGuire (El Camino Real) and Detroit Tigers double-A right-hander Bryan Corey (Thousand Oaks, Pierce).

Lamb and Corey are playing in the talent-rich Arizona Fall League, which was swarmed over the weekend by major league executives in Phoenix.

“I’m as anxious about this as I was before I was drafted out of high school,” said Lamb, a second-round pick of the Orioles in 1993. “I’m happy with the Orioles but a change of scenery might be good too.”

Corey is last week’s AFL pitcher of the week, and putting together three strong outings in a row could not have come at a better time.

“I know the (Diamondbacks) have followed me all season,” Corey said. “At my last start there must have been 25-30 scouts, general managers and major league managers. The bottom line for me is to be on a big league roster.”