GARY, Ind. — Record-setting Gary SouthShore RailCats left-hander Tony Cogan is heading south for the winter, signing a contract to play for the Criollos de Caguas in the Puerto Rican Winter League.

A RailCat since 2007, Cogan has produced a pair of record-setting seasons, nailing down 25 saves as the closer on the RailCats’ 2007 Championship team before carrying a team-record 2.08 ERA as a starter this past year.  The 31-year-old will depart for Puerto Rico later this week, with the 42-game season set to being November 7.  Cogan will play for a team filled with major league-caliber talent, including perennial All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who signed with Caguas Tuesday.  Former New York Mets infielder and current Joliet JackHammers skipper Wally Backman, Jr. will manage the team.

The Puerto Rican Winter League (Liga de Beisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico) is one of six major winter offseason baseball leagues.  The leagues are highly-scouted and are comprised mostly of players affiliated with major league clubs.

Cogan, who also played in Puerto Rico following the 2001 season, has spent the last four years in independent baseball after being released by the Kansas City Royals in 2002.  A product of Stanford University and native of suburban Chicago, Cogan began his professional career in 1999 and reached the major leagues in 2001, appearing in 39 games out of the Royals bullpen.

Cogan will be blogging about his experience in Puerto Rico for The (Rail)Cats Meow beginning in mid-November.  Fans can also track Cogan’s progress by visiting http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/.

The RailCats have established a Tradition of Excellence, winning the Northern League Championship in 2005 and 2007, and advancing to a league-record four straight championship series.  The RailCats begin the 2009 season at beautiful U. S. Steel Yard in May.