The Rochester Rattlers take the field this season in hope they can find some success in the MLL. Last year, the Rattlers finished with a 6-8 record. The team didn’t reach their full potential, which left many disappointed.
Rochester started making moves early on in the offseason, as in November the Rattlers sent Ned Crotty to New York for Grant Catalino and draft picks. The main focus with this trade was obtaining draft picks to add young talent to the roster. The Rattlers did just that as they had a successful 2014 Collegiate Draft. They added great depth at the Attack position, with the selections of Jordan Wolf (Duke) and Mile Thompson (Albany). Rochester hopes their new acquisitions will give their offense some life and energy. Shortly after the draft, the Rattlers made a trade with Denver to acquire Defensemen MJ Kiekebelt in exchange for Dan Groot. Kiekebelt is a young defender with some great potential. He played at RIT, and is now an assistant coach with the college.
Overall, I give the Rochester Rattlers an offseason grade of a B. They did some great things to improve the team in the needed areas. It may take some time for young players to develop coming right out of the draft, and that’s a risk Rochester is willing to take. Their trades did not shake up the roster, but they did add some depth at key positions. It will be exciting to see what the Rattlers will do in 2014.
