As the season grows closer, the Somerset Patriots lineup is slowly starting to take shape.

Rumors are circulating around the Atlantic League that the Patriots and former Atlantic City Surf first baseman Todd Leathers have agreed to a deal.

If true, the team will have done the impossible and found an adequate replacement for Larry Barnes, currently in Major League spring training with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Like Barnes, the 26-year-old Leathers was an Atlantic League All-Star last season. The indy ball veteran hit .263 with 14 home runs and 67 RBI for the Surf last season.

The team also announced the signings of catcher Travis Anderson and pitcher Tony Mounce, and the acquisition of outfielder Elliott Ayala via trade.

Re-acquiring Ayala is the most puzzling move of them all, and that's saying something when you take into account that Mounce was released by Somerset midway through last season.

In 1,703 professional at-bats, the 28-year-old former Brewers draft pick has exactly five home runs, including just one in the past five years. Can-Am League officials suspended him for fifteen games after bumping an umpire last season, and it looked unlikely he'd have a place to play until this move was made.

Relievers Dave Elder and Saul Solveson and starting pitcher Billy Sylvester are likely to return, and the team has also looked into signing former Yankees hurler Brian Boehringer, who spent the first month of his 2006 season with the Bridgeport Bluefish.

SomerStuff: Keith Ramsey, one of Somerset's best pitchers last season, signed with the Texas Rangers and will likely start the season in Double-A. Ironically, the southpaw was signed by former Patriots teammate Andy Pratt, who retired after the season to become a scout with Texas...Pop sensation Nick Lachey will be performing at Commerce Bank Ballpark on July 13th, headlining the stadium's annual concert. His "Newlyweds" co-star and now ex-wife, Jessica Simpson, sold out the stadium during her October 2, 2004 show. Tickets go on sale at the Patriots box office on April 28th at 9AM.

Around the Atlantic League: After spending his first two seasons in the Atlantic League as a member of the Lancaster Barnstormers, York native Travis Hake is headed home. The 30-year-old infielder officially signed his contract with the Revolution after being selected in the expansion draft.

"The whole newness is cool for me," Hake said in a phone interview. "I already went through it with Lancaster, and it's going to be hard to top that. York's going to be huge, but I'm a little more used to it now."

Despite playing in front of a hometown crowd, he was somewhat disappointed with leaving the Barnstormers.

"(Lancaster manager Frank) Klebe knows my personality, and I know his, and it looked like it was going to be a good fit," Hake said.

Hake was penciled in as Klebe's everyday second baseman, but will now be fighting for playing time behind infielders Rayner Bautista and Vic Gutierrez.

Jeff Scott will return for his second season at the helm of the league's traveling franchise, the Road Warriors. Long-time Patriots nemesis D.J. Boston will hang up his cleats to serve as Scott's hitting coach...Two former big leaguers have signed with Atlantic League clubs; former Blue Jays pitcher Clayton Andrews inked a deal with Lancaster, while former highly touted Texas Rangers infielder Ramon Nivar will be a part of Camden's double play combination.