01/26/2007 9:29 AM - Two big reasons for Winnipeg’s success in 2006 are heading in different directions.

Goldeyes manager Rick Forney announced today the return of southpaw starter Glenn Bott and the sale of pitcher Luis Villarreal’s contract to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Bott, 25, went 7-7 with a 3.79 earned run average in his first year of independent ball. He was a model of consistency from opening day, going 3-2 with a 3.78 earned run average and 49 strikeouts over 64-plus innings in 10 first-half starts and 4-5 with a 3.80 ERA and 47 strikeouts over 66-plus innings in 10 second-half starts.

"Glenn’s a great competitor and he was a very big part of our club last year," Forney said. "He’s definitely somebody we were interested in bringing back and having an arm like his at the top of our rotation is a very important arm to have."

The club leader in starts, innings pitched and strikeouts, Bott’s strikeouts-to-walks ratio of 3.2-1 led all Northern League starters. His signing brings the number of players on the roster to 11, seven of whom are pitchers.

A late-season acquisition from Joliet, Villarreal went 6-5 last year with a league-best 2.71 ERA. He becomes the fifth member of the 2006 squad to be picked up and brings to 47 the number of Goldeyes that have moved on to organized ball after playing in Winnipeg.