Minors, Draft Notes

 A quick hit at some minor league news and draft notes:

• Indy's Doug Slaten has pitched 24 innings straight without surrendering an earned run. The 32 year old LHP has 8 saves and a 0.36 ERA. The Pirates have one lefty in the pen. A match made in heaven? Not quite - the vet (206 MLB games; 3.60 ERA) has an opt-out clause that kicks in June 1st. To complicate things a bit more, he's not on the Pirates 40-man roster. So unless there's some movement via trade or injury in the next week, he'll be moving on.
• RHP Duke Welker, sorta the mystery man on the 40-man roster, has been promoted to Indy. The 26 year old RH closer had a 2.31 ERA at Altoona with 19 K in 23-1/3 IP, and can buzz the radar at 98.
• LHP Jo-Jo Reyes of Indy was palced on the minor league DL  with a strained hammy.
• Indy, btw, is leading the International League's Western Division with a 26-20 slate, 3-1/2 games ahead of Toledo.
• Bradenton's CF Mel Rojas celebrated his 22nd B-Day in style. He went 3-for-3 with a 2B, 3B & HR and collected 3 RBI.
• Jim Callis of Baseball America says OF Josh Bell would be "...a top 10 pick, battling Albert Almora to be the first high school outfielder selected" in this year's draft. The 2011 second round pick was signed for way over slot at $5M last year, and is out now after knee surgery for a torn meniscus.
• Yesterday, Jonathan Mayo in his mock draft for MLB.com had the Bucs selecting high school LHP Max Fried; the other gurus so far have been unanimous in picking Arizona State SS Deven Marrero, who has to tools to stick at the position but has some issues at the dish. The Pirates pick in the eight hole this year.