LEAGUE NEWS: RedHawks Re-Sign Salazar, Trade For Cotton Salazar, 29, returns to Fargo after being named the Northern League All-Star third baseman in 2006. He finished second in the league with 75 RBIs and helped guide Fargo-Moorhead to the Northern League title. Salazar batted .295 with 21 doubles, two home runs and 52 runs scored in 93 games. Salazar led all Northern League third basemen with a .967 fielding percentage. He committed just eight errors in 91 games at the hot corner. In his first four seasons with the RedHawks, Salazar has batted .300 with 67 doubles, two triples, 25 home runs, 231 RBIs and 203 runs scored in 315 games. Salazar began his professional baseball career in 1997 after signing with the Minnesota Twins as a free agent in his native Venezuela. He advanced as high at Triple-A in the Twins organization before joining the RedHawks for the 2003 season. The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks also traded C Allen Mottram to the Nashua Pride of the Can-Am League for former Schaumburg Flyers All-Star closer RHP Nate Cotton, the Northern League club announced today. Cotton, 27, was 1-1 with a 0.68 ERA and was second in the Northern League with 17 saves. He pitched 26.2 innings, allowing five runs (two earned) on 12 hits. Cotton struck out 32 batters, walked nine and held opponents to a .135 batting average against him. He was selected to pitch for the East Division at the Northern League All-Star Game. Cotton was traded to Nashua in November. Cotton originally signed with the Cincinnati Reds organization in 2000 after completing his college career at Kennesaw (Ga.) State University. He signed with Schaumburg in June of 2005 and in two seasons with the Flyers he posted a 4-2 record with a 1.81 ERA and 28 saves. Cotton has held the Northern League to a .154 batting average against him. Mottram, 25, hit .302 with 24 doubles, one triple, eight home runs and 50 RBIs in 90 games with Fargo-Moorhead in 2006. He was selected as a reserve to the Northern League All-Star Game. |