The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Bridgewater, NJ- The Somerset Patriots have re-signed eight-year Major League veteran left-handed pitcher Aaron Laffey for the 2018 season.
“I am very excited to come back to Somerset,” said Laffey. “If I am going to play anywhere, it would be here. The professionalism with the Patriots is second to none. The Atlantic League is the best league to be in, and Somerset is the best place to play in here.” 
Laffey enters his second season with the Somerset Patriots and second in the Atlantic League. The southpaw carried a 1-1 record with a 2.82 ERA over four starts with the Patriots last year, including five shutout innings with seven strikeouts in his first start of the year. He struck out 19 batters over 22 innings before his contract was purchased by the Arizona Diamondbacks organization on May 15. He went 5-3 over 21 appearances (13 starts) with Triple-A Reno to finish his 2017 season.
The Ridgeley, West Virginia resident has eight years of service in the big leagues, including four seasons with the Cleveland Indians (2007-10), half of a season split between the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees (2011) and time with the Toronto Blue Jays (2012-13), New York Mets (2013) and Colorado Rockies (2015). Over 156 games in the majors (68 starts), Laffey recorded 26 wins with a 4.44 ERA in 494.1 innings of work.
“We are extremely excited to be joined again by Aaron,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “Laffey is a tremendous person first and a great leader in our clubhouse. Aaron also brings a lot of experience to our staff with eight years in the big leagues. Anytime you can add a guy with the combination of high character and ability, you do it. Laffey is that person and we are fortunate to have him with us.”
Laffey has pitched exclusively in the majors, Triple-A level or with the Patriots over the last seven seasons. In 2016, Laffey went 6-6 with a 3.82 ERA over 29 games (14 starts) with Triple-A Syracuse in the Washington Nationals organization. The year prior, he went 5-4 over 27 games (12 starts) with Triple-A Albuquerque before earning a promotion to the majors with the Rockies. Laffey carries a 47-38 record over 157 games (114 starts) at the Triple-A level.
The Somerset Patriots led the Atlantic League in attendance and made their 14th appearance in the playoffs last season. The Somerset Patriots will welcome their 7,000,000th fan in their 20th season at TD Bank Ballpark in 2018. Tickets are now on sale for the 2018 Season presented by Ford beginning at home on Friday, April 27th. For more information, please visit www.somersetpatriots.com.
About The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
The Atlantic League has been a leader in professional baseball and a gateway to Major League Baseball since 1998. Over 38 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 900 players and 50 managers and coaches have joined MLB organizations directly from the ALPB. The Atlantic League emphasizes winning baseball games, showcasing the talent of top-caliber players and offering affordable family entertainment.
For more information, please visit www.atlanticleague.com.
