LINCOLN — A veteran catcher, as well as two rookie right-handers officially joined the Saltdogs for 2014 as C Angel Flores, RHP Justin Kuks and RHP Jake Meiers signed contracts.
Flores, 27, hit .263 with six home runs, 20 doubles and 38 RBI for the Grand Prairie AirHogs in 2013. He spent the first six-plus seasons of his career in the Detroit Tigers organization, reaching as high as Triple-A Toledo in 2009 and 2010.
The Manati, Puerto Rico native played in the Atlantic League for two seasons prior to joining Grand Prairie, hitting a career-high .311 for Lancaster in 2011.
Kuks began his true rookie campaign in 2013 for White Sands (Pecos League), going 6-3 with 82 strikeouts in 76 1/3 innings. The 24-year old alum of West Texas A&M went 3-2 with a 3.03 ERA in 14 games after joining El Paso last season.
Meiers went 2-2 with a 3.41 ERA in 25 relief appearances for El Paso during his true rookie season last year. A 6-foot-4 hurler, the 23-year old Meiers hails from Lake Worth, Fla. and played collegiately at Florida Atlantic University.
Meiers and Kuks were acquired by the 'Dogs from El Paso in September for cash considerations. Lincoln received Flores from Grand Prairie in November to complete a prior trade between the clubs.