1. Chicago – Zeke Lawton
The top power hitter in the draft goes #1. He has an awesome combination of power, splits, and batting eye. Two concerns of mine are his durability and his position. How many games can he play at 100%? Also, some would argue it makes sense to choose a top of the rotation SP or a guy with a good bat who plays a premium position since they are harder to come by. However, if Lawton’s production can be maximized to full efficiency he will be one of the top hitters in the world statistically each season. Hard to pass up.
2. Philadelphia – Vernon Black
Black is a top of the rotation SP prospect. He could have gone #1 and it at least could have been justified. Nothing wrong with this pick.
3. Cincinnati – George Reid
Reid is a solid, if not spectacular SP prospect. I think allright is a little hard on him as I think he will do ok. He isn't worth a top 3 pick, but still a nice SP prospect.
Allright – “For the second year in a row, the Bearcats put all of their scouting eggs in the high school nest. Last year the gamble paid off like a house-fixed slot machine. This year the gamble didn't pay that much. With the #3 pick, the best the highest paid high school scouts could come up with was George Reid, an 18 year-old out of Smithville, Mo. You may not have heard of Smithville and its unlikely you will hear of George Reid. He projects to above average control and splits; but, that's about it. With only 2 pitches, he will probably wind up in the bullpen. The best park he could play in is the Grand Canyon and only then if the wind is not blowing out. The Bearcats are in sore need of some "can't misses" in the minors. Unfortunately, the draft has proven to be a pipeline of "can't plays". The silver lining ( and boy do the Bearcats need one); Reid is undecided about signing, claiming that he has basketball scholarships on the table.”
4. Boise – Frank Hughes
I love this pick and love Hughes’ bat. He will absolutely rake. I think he could have gone #1 and it been justified.
Abesmem – “Boise is thrilled that Frank Hughes was still available at 4th overall. He was the #1 ranked player on our board. Frank projects to hit for both great power and high average against righties and lefties. He has a superior batting eye and is a very advanced player for 18 years of age. His health and durability score at the top of the charts. The only thing he’s missing is speed. Frank is starting out in Low A but could be in the majors in 3 years.”
5. Iowa City – Jamie Watson
I should cut and paste what I wrote about Reid above. Decent SP prospect, but #5 seems awfully high for a guy who should top out as a back of the rotation SP.
6. Anaheim – DaRond Jenkins
Really nice pick considering a couple of the reaches above. The Trojans must have been ecstatic he fell to #6. Really strong bat who will anchor a corner outfield position.
Vino5 – “DaRond Jenkins will be a middle of the order hitter. His splits should top out close to 90 with solid power/eye. There were a few premier hitters at the top of this draft and we are very happy to grab one of them.”
7. Detroit – Norberto Benitez
I’m stunned Benitez fell to #7. He could contribute at the ML level today if needed to. I disagree with tk in that I don’t think he’ll progress enough to play CF, he should be able to do just fine (if not better) at 2B and when you combine that bat with a premium position, you’ve drafted a keeper.
Tk21775 - We had Mr. Benitez listed first on our draft board so was very pleased to see him still available at the #7 spot. Defensively he'll be able to handle centerfield or 2B and will have a great bat for either position. At age 21 he's almost ready for the big leagues so we expect him to go through the minors quickly once he decides to pick up the pen and sign.”
8. New York – Tony Hughes
Hughes has a great bat and will play 1B/DH for the Red Storm. Nothing wrong at all in selected a big bopper with the #8 pick. Nothing much to say other than he should be a great hitter.
Mamidu – “He will be able to mash. I have him projected at 94 96 87 77 82 with $17M invested in college scouting, so i hope it is pretty accurate. I was looking for a big bopper in this draft, and I believe I found him. We needed some more pop at 1B, and we got it. Love the handlebars.”
9. Louisville – Casey Patterson
Personally I have had bad luck with pitcher without at least decent/good control so I don’t love this pick. The Cardinals will have to bank on his #2 Pitch and splits and hope he is “wild within the strike zone.”
10. Helena – Storm Cordova
One of the top relievers goes off the board as we round out the top ten. He should be a really solid piece to the Grizzlies bullpen. Might have been a touch high for a setup guy who probably won’t be truly dominant.
Drichar138 – “We love that Storm is a highly durable reliever. He has a dominant first pitch and is very good at getting groundballs. Overall we feel like it may have been a reach to take a set up man at #10 in the draft, but with the talent pool that was available, the alternatives were not pretty. “
11. Columbus – Gabe Podsednik
Interesting selection. He has a really long way to go with his glove to even be in the discussion as a 3B so I’m more comfortable rating him as an OF. He projects to really good contact and power, but only average against righties which will diminish his effectiveness.
12. Richmond – Mac Collins
I’ll pretty much echo what cm says below. My scouting doesn’t show him as a SS unless you’re ready to deal with a good number of errors. His bat is still solid and will give value as a top notch 2B or 3B down the line.
Cmthieme – “This one all depends on how he develops defensively. If he is good enough to play a passable SS (my 20M college scouting had him as a serviceable if slightly below average SS defensively) then this is a great pick at 12. If not (and he has a ways to go, so it's pretty questionable), his bat will still play at 2B or 3B, but won't be near the asset he would be at SS. He signed for not too much over slot, so that was a nice surprise.”
13. Oakland – Hasn’t signed although he should. Great reliever prospect.
14. Little Rock – Paul Johnson
I don’t see much here with Johnson. In a best case scenario is a back of the rotation starter/long reliever. Worst case he is a AAAA guy. Not something you want to have as a possibility with a low teen draft pick.
Joekendall – “We were happy to add a SP to the fold when selecting Paul Johnson with the 14th pick. Paul will fit in nicely as a #3 starter. His splits will be what holds him back from being a #1 starter.”
15. Huntington – Erubiel Matos
Pretty much what hurricane says below. He should be able to contribute as MLer to someone’s pitching staff. I’m just going to assume hurricane will trade him.
Hurricane384 – “An underwhelming pick at #15, Erubiel Matos should still be able to contribute in the bigs...maybe as a SuA or LRA...just would've liked to have a bit of a better player here.”
16. Portland – Randy Thornton – Hasn’t signed and I didn’t scout him.
17. Seattle – Charlie Ellenwood
Good, solid outfielder. His batting eye will hold back his OBP/OPS and hitting in Seattle isn’t exactly easy.
18. Kansas City – Joc Patterson
It appears he is a bit too far defensively to be a CFer, but could lock down 2B nicely. Bat isn’t great, but he also won’t be a black hole in the lineup.
19. Syracuse – J.J. Whiteside
Hmmm…his glove isn’t going to be good enough for SS, but bat doesn’t look like it will be good enough to warrant a COF position. Hopefully his defense progresses to the point where he is a good, possibly great defender at 2B or 3B and also provides value with a decent bat.
Evil doers – “The Orange are happy with their signing of J.J. Whiteside.He came out as a short stop but will move him to a spot that will fit him better. He'll be a nice addition to the squad in a few years.”
20. Arizona State – Lyle Washington
Very similar to Whiteside chose one pick earlier although my scouts don’t like his bat as much as Whitesides. Spistol does a good job laying out his expectations below. Worst case he could also be a very good utility guy/platoon against lefties.
Spistol – “The Sun Devils had kind of a strange draft, landing the somewhat disappointing Lyle Washington, their 10th choice, with the #20 pick. The high-school scouts rate him more highly than the advance scouts; the high-school scouts get paid more, so hopefully they'll be righter. Either way, he'll be a mediocre hitter with Gold-Glove skills at 3B or 2B -- his glove is a little clunky for SS.”
21. Jackson – Felipe Romano
As we enter the back half of the draft, the run of picks is getting less and less thrilling. Romano is someone I think you’d typically see chosen as a comp pick or maybe even second round. His splits leave a lot to be desired, but hopefully his #1 pitch will help him big time.
Iceman67 – “Not much to say about Felipe Romano. Jackson management was not really overthrilled or disappointed with its pick of Romano at #20. Good stamina and control, L/R splits are ok but not really major league blockbusters. Romano projects at best, middle or long relief at the big league level (if he gets that far). In the mean time, he will be a starter in the minors.”
22. Dover – Matthew Maholm
Maholm is the third of the last four picks who played SS as an amateur, but will have to be moved to another position. He does not have a great bat and looks to project as a utility guy at the ML level, not an everyday starter.
23. New York – Raymond Ruebel
The Red Storm selected another good hitter with their second first round pick. Although not on the level as the first selection, Ruebel should still be a solid hitter in the big leagues and someone I think will contribute more than a few of the selections before him.
Mamidu – “Another guy that will rake for the Red Storm. I have him projected at 74 81 79 91 66 with $17M invested in HS scouting. His avg health is a little concern, but his should be a great DH for years to come. A great value for a pressing need at DH for the organization.”
24. Texas Tech – Sam Barnes
Mongoose does a great job describing his selection below. Although I’m not as optimistic as he is (my scouts aren’t high on his splits getting much better), he should be able to contribute as a back of the rotation/long reliever for the Red Raiders.
Mongoose_22 – “The Red Raiders were happy to draft the durable RHP Sam Barnes out of Ironwood, MI. He was number 7 on the draft board that our underfunded scouting department cobbled together, so we were happy to land Barnes. I project him to be a solid #4 type starting pitcher once he fully develops. His splits are nothing to write home about, being very average at best. Hopefully, his assortment of pitches at his disposal will offset his splits, allowing him to get ML hitters out. With his ability to eat innings and high health rating, he is just the type of starter that the Red Raiders look for when trying to fill out the bottom of the rotation.”
25. Nashville – Derrek Bard
I actually really like this pick and think he could have gone 5-7 spots higher. I think he has a shot to be a regular 2B with really good glove and a decent bat which isn’t he easiest to come by.
Cctigerfan – “The Nashville Commodores selected 2B Derek Bard with the 25th pick of the draft. Bard should develop in to a good hitter at the major league level. If his glove can develop he should be a solid 2B in the future for the Commodores.”
26. New Orleans – Bill Wakeland
This pick all hinges on how his splits develop. Everything else should be good enough to contribute for New Orleans.
27. Buffalo – Larry Radmanovich
In this draft, Radmanovich should have probably gone in the late teens, early 20’s so this is good value. I’ll disagree with rooster just because I don’t think he has the bat you’d want as a 3B. Regardless, he has a good glove and his splits should help him overcome his other batting ratings a little bit.
Jrooster35 – “Solid top of the order player drafted as a SS but will probably move to 3B as he moves through the system. Larry was # 6 on Buffalo's "BIG BOARD" so management is very happy to grab him so late in the first round”
28. Fargo – Zach Boyd – Hasn’t signed and doesn’t look like he will. Good relief prospect though.
29. New Orleans – Willy Slocumb
Hopefully can develop into a back of the rotation starter, but is probably destined for long relief/mop up.
30. Charleston – Aroldis Andujar
While on the surface Andujar looks like a solid pick this late, he also has one of the worst health ratings I’ve ever seen of a first round pick. It will be a huge upset if he avoids injuries enough just to progress to being a ML player let alone sticking there.
Dgtrache – “Charleston was pleased to find Aroldis Andujar available with the 30th pick in the draft. While stamina is a question mark, Charleston believes that he can develop into a very good 5-6 inning SP. Andujar has excellent control, good splits and should develop 3 decent pitches.”
31. Charleston – Les Fields
I really like this pick and think Fields show a ton of value this late in the draft. If all goes well, he could be a back of the rotation starter, but regardless should be able to be a solid piece on a pitching staff.
Dgtrache – “31st Pick Les Fields has not signed. However, Charleston's scouting reports indicate that he can serve as a No. 3-4 starter on most teams. The biggest question mark with Fields will be how his splits develop.”
32. Minnesota – Lenny Maya – Hasn’t signed and I didn’t scout him.
33. Charlotte - Harvey Cameron
I’m biased, but I think Cameron is an absolute steal with the last pick in the first round. Our strategy regarding catchers is to be ok punting on PC as long as the bat is good enough and Cameron fits that mold perfectly. Really surprised he lasted this long.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Season 21 - Team Previews - Batch 3
Charlotte Tar HeelsPlayers Added: Andrea Nelson (OF) in trade with Huntington.
Players Lost: Two long time Tar Heels, Moe Hermanson and Ronnie Hammill departed, but we recently signed them to ML minmums and they had options available so we assigned them to our rookie team. I'm looking at them as our "Crash Davis Duo" in rookie ball. Both were really important pieces over the last 10 seasons to the Tar Heels run of success.
Rookies: Ralph Booker (2B) is a former first round Tar Heel selection and could get the call this season as a utility player. There are also some young pitchers trying to fill out the staff, but then won't (or shouldn't) make big impacts.
Outlook: Our goal is the same as the last few seasons....win the NL East and earn a first round bye in the playoffs. We haven't had a lot of success in the playoffs considering what we've done in the regular season. The Tar Heels finally made the World Series last season after several seasons in a row of early bow outs and proceeded to blow a 3-1 series lead....which is also GM HopkinsHeel's speciality. It appears as though the NL East will be really tough as all 4 teams have reasons to be excited. Can't wait for the season to start!
Chicago Blue Demons
The Blue Demons added several players in an attempt to be more competitive this year. 2B Paul Richards was added to add some pop to the line up and P Andres Rosario was added via trade. Also signed was P Jeremy Livingstone to shore up the bullpen and promising P Charlie Stevens was picked up via the rule 5 draft. The Blue Demons only significant loss was young P Junior Zurbaran dealt in the Rosario trade in the hopes of reaching the 70 win threshold this year.
Iowa City Hawkeyes
Iowa didn't lose anyone of importance, the only thing I lost were pitchers and my pitching was terrible last season.
With that said here I go trying to get some better pitchers. Tried to make trades and sign free agents unfortunately the only pitcher I landed was Derrick Jerichower. Hopfully he and my sophmores from last season can develop into a strong pitching tandem.
My fielders have not changed so I should be fine with offense if everyone stays healthy.
Jackson Rebels
The Jackson Rebels will be looking to charge into the post season this year after falling short last season.
Leading the way will be RF Lyle Daly, who could reach the 50-50 mark. Supporting Daly with offense will be SS Fernando Segui and 2B Dee Thompson. Andres Martinez and Charles Dickerson are expected to give him some protection in the lineup.
After resigning FA pitcher Yonder Santos (more than I would have liked), the rotation has its number one back in the fold. Management is banking on Santos to have another year like last season's that more or less earned him his big contract. Management is also expecting Jordan Stephens to step up his game to be an exceptional #2 starter. Nash Messmer will once again be the Rebel closer anchoring the bullpen.
Syracuse Orange
Players Lost: Joaquin Bautista (Type A), Theo Franco
Players Added: Saul Manzanillo (Trade), Julio Brito (Trade late in Season 20), Santiago Matos (Promotion)
Players “Bubbling Under:” Buddy Ferguson, Chad Demel, Johnny Ryan (INJURED), Terry Overbeck, Sticky Markakis
Outlook: We expected this to be a year that we expected to make the playoffs. However a 250 day injury to Johnny Ryan during the AAA playoffs have put a dent to that optimism. We still think we’ll be competitive. For the third straight season we ‘think’ we’ve improved our bullpen with the addition of Brito and the promotion of Matos. We’ll see….
Columbus Buckeyes
FA Lost- SS Bob Jacobs, P Darond Mays, P OSwaldo Limon
FA Added- P- Joaquin Batista, P Alberto Rincon, C- Tito Banks, and SS Earl Cradle.
While the Bucks have finished in 2nd place in the division in 4 of 5 seasons under tdfactory's leadership, last year can officially be called a disappointment. 2nd place sounds ok, but the under .500 finish wipes off any potential good feelings. There were a few rays of sunshine in the overall disappointing season, and that is the progress of a few of the "Young Bucks" and continued consistency from team leader 3B Thomas Fogg. A couple of the "Young Bucks", 1B Ryan Meusel, 2B Les Rivera, and C Vin Lopez showed progress and continue to develop.
The team suffered minor losses in Free Agency and while the Bucks targeted a few major acquisitions in FA, the price climbed too high and they struck out. However, the additions in the bullpen and the field were improvements.
Last season saw the trade of Ace Homer Konerko. In return the BUcks got three players that are on the ML roster this season, SP- Sonny White who will be heavily counted on in the front half of the rotation, bullpen help in Al Ortiz, and platooning in CF and adding speed on the basepaths is Al Bristow.
Down on the farm, Season 17's first rounder Hector Narveson is expected to contribute to the bullpen at some point this season, although that is the only expected help coming this season. Season 18's first rounder P- Stephen Harvey continues to develop at AAA, and the last two seasons first rounders SS Bip Oeltjen and CF Fred Urich continue to develop in the lower level minors and are probably season 23 arrivals to the bigs.
In order for the Bucks to be successful, the young talent needs to continue to improve, the team must avoid injuries, and see some positive contribution from the new faces gained through last seasons trade and the offseason. AN above .500 finish and at least a WIld Card entry into the playoffs are where expectations sit, anything less will be a major disappointment.
Anaheim Trojans
Lost: Brad Holt, Dickie Hatcher
Added: Vincente Carreras
Prospects who will be called up this year: Tony Kim,
Hipolito Cora, Livian Andino
Not much movement this offseason as the rebuilding continues in Anaheim. This should be another year of struggling to get to .500. Trading Holt away was a difficult decision as he is a premier player, but we feel like there was good value in Carreras. Also borderline HOF player Dickie Hatcher will not be back. Despite low expectations it should be a fun year as a few rookies will be promoted and the minor leagues are getting stronger every year.
Salem Beavers
Departures:
• Torey Feliz, CF, 32 (Signed by Cincinnati) – starter in CF, his best asset, defense, is on the downhill slope.
• Tyson Seaver, 2B, 34 (Signed by Helena) – part time 2B, near the end of his career.
• Ben Jackson, 3B, 36 (Signed by Huntington, assigned to AAA) – can no longer play ML 3B
• Seth Hairston, RF, 31 (Unsigned FA) – vL RF platoon, not worth paying more than league min.
• Carlton Anderson, UT, 29 (Unsigned FA) – Could play well anywhere but SS, barely hits.
• Jacob Belle, 3B-UT, 35 (Unsigned FA) – vL 3B platoon, unlikely to ever play another ML game.
• Gregory Cloud, SP, 31 (Signed by Philadelphia) – A league average quality starting pitcher.
• Howie Hawkins, SP, 31 (Signed by Arizona State) – Similar to Cloud.
• Dom Douglas, LR, 33 (Signed by Arizona State) – Another league average guy.
Arrivals:
• Yadier Torres, CF, 32 (2 yrs, $3.8M per) – Brought in for his GG quality defense to play every day.
• Chico Tavarez, RF, 34 (1 yr, $2.0M) – Will be vL RF and backup for 3B.
• Willie Berroa, 3B-2B, 32 (1 yr, $3.6M) – Will be starting 3B, unless I decide to bring up Guerrero from AAA and he will become backup/UT
• Juan Aguilera, 2B, 28 (2 yrs, $3.3M per) – Superb Def, lots of speed, going to start.
• Gus Griffin, 2B, 29 (2 yrs, $1.6M per) – Back-up 2B
• John Kramer, SP, 32 (5 yrs, $72M) – brought in to be a workhorse and join playoff rotation
• Ching-Lung Komatsu, SP, 37 (3 yrs, $42M, w/ 3rd yr option) – Expected to be a part of the playoff rotation for the next two seasons.
• Erubiel Ordaz, SP, 31 (5 yrs, $3.9M per) – Back of the rotation starter who looks like a guy who has underperformed
Trades Made: None
Rookies Coming Up:
• Undecided – Depending on my players perform at 2B and 3B, I may be bringing up Willie Guerrero at Game 21. At this point I am leaning towards having him play a season at AAA and making the call-up one year later.
Season Expectations:
For the position players, I feel like I have acquired equivalent offense relative to those departing from what was one of the top offenses last season. Meanwhile, defensively I have gained significant upgrades at 2B, CF, and platoon RF.
My big spending should pay big dividends on the mound as a large bulk of regular season and playoff innings just got major upgrades. Even Ordaz at his disappointing performance level is equal to what I lost for a #5 SP, so if he makes the gains I am hoping for it will also be a nice boost.
We were actually very fortunate to win 99 games last season, so this time around we may actually slip from that total, but the team will be much stronger for the playoffs with a rotation of Schneider, Kramer, and Komatsu. Additionally, being able to move low stamina/durability ace Clay Hausman to the role of first RP off the bench during the playoffs will be a major benefit. My goals for this season are to win another division title, earn a bye, and make a deep playoff run.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Season 21 - Team Previews - Batch 2
Charleston Cougars
Charleston suffered a big blow this offseason when it was unable to re-sign John Kramer who departed to Salem via free agency. Needing a number 2 starter, Charleston traded for David Rodriguez, sending several good prospects to Fargo. Charleston also signed several key players to contract extension. With 4 top 50 selections in the draft, Charleston hopes to reload its minor league system this year.
Charleston hopes to again contend for a title. Last year’s Cy Young winner Eswalin Sierra will again lead the pitching staff and hopes to come close to his prior performance. Rodriguez will serve as the Number 2 starter, with Fred Keppel the Number 3. Charleston returns a strong lineup anchored by Saul Martin, Odalis Velasquez, Donn Rodgers and Miguel Certa among others.
Seattle Huskies The Seattle huskies offseason plan failed. Hoping to find some talent cheap, we tried the waiting game. We are now left with a few players we are not too thrilled about.
We let donte Hartman walk, preferring to allow that rotation spot to go to Ivan cano. Cano's rise to the big leagues was crushed last season by a devastating injury ( labrum tear) that saw his overall value drop by 9 points. He regained 5 this offseason, and should still fill in nicely.
Letting coco laroche go was in the plans, as we were unhappy with his offense and defense combination. However, with nothing on the market, we will turn to a defense first mentality and go with either Javier Torres (rule 5) or Thomas Bowen ( FA signing).
LF could be a revolving door this season. Look for Brad Finley to take the spot if he can live up to his minor league numbers, and Darnell Myers gets hurt or can't hit.
Kansas City Wildcats
The Kansas City Wildcats resigned 3B Gavin Mills . We brought back Marquis Nolan to play first and signed Thomas Wise as a back up catcher. KC has a good balance of power and speed. The pitching staff will have a rookie starter Nathan McClain . I hope this team will win the division this year after their 64 Philly imitation last year.
Buffalo Bulls
The Buffalo Bulls made it past the wildcard round last season on the strength of their young pitching but that is as far as they advanced. With bigger goals in sight during the off-season the #1 priority was upgrading the offense and that is just what management did. The team added SS Eddie Padden, and OF Al Ayala in trades, and picked up former player Frank Jenkins to help out at 1B with young Vladimir Volquez still getting his footing.With these additions Volquez and SS Montanez will now be relegated to the pine, both were 20hr 70rbi guys last season which in turn stabilizes Buffalos bench which was pretty weak one year ago.The Bulls also added to the end of their rotation with the signings of Ramon Higashioka, and Darrell Haywood. Big things could be on the horizon for the Bulls ,4 out of 5 of their top RBI guys are back (2) 14 game winners and a 12 game winner return to the rotation, with these additions it looks as if they are after top dog in the division, Charlotte beware. !!! :)
Memphis Tigers
Key Acquisitions: Hugh Bell Lf
Key Players Lost: Jimmie Jodie SP
Excitement in Tiger Town is at an all-time high . Despite being the worst hitting team in the league last season , the Tigers return with virtually the same roster that made their magical run to the NL Championship last year. Opting not to engage in any bidding wars during the offseason, Management decided only to bring Hugh Bell back to the Den to spark what was truly a lethargic offense last year . A pitching staff that led the way and kept the Tigers in games throughout the year remains intact, with the only key loss being that of Jodie who spent a potion of the year on the DL. The Tigers will be looking to rookie Vic Bonilla to earn his spot in the rotation. The Tigers enter the season fully expecting the pitching to hold true and the offense to perform to its expectations and make another run to the playoffs.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech may have taken a step backward this season. Losing Myette within the division was a big loss, and lessens the depth of the starting rotation. Vasco Jose always provided a productive bat with some power in the #5 hole was also lost to Huntington. As the team is handicapped with a high payroll still, big FA signings were out of the question. Douglas Walker will be asked to fill in for Jose. Incumbent SS Elvis Fox will move to 2B or 3B, as his range has declined too much to put him at SS regularly. Former Red Storm SS Ted Guerrero was signed to take over at SS. A couple of veteran, journeyman relievers were brought in to bolster a bullpen that struggles at times last season. The key players are still in place though. And the Shumpert/Senaca led team still expects to contend after a heartbreaking early playoff exit last year. The window is closing though, as the future HoF tandem are 34 and 35 years old. After next season, there will be some tough decisions to be made. Until then, this team will be trying to get a championship for the players who have meant so much to these fans.
Boise Broncos
The Bronco’s are looking to have a breakout year this season with a combination of veteran stars and some young talent that should be hitting their prime. Our pitching staff, long an issue for the team, sis anchored by a strong starting rotation led by veterans Marc Westmorland and Chris Dawkins. Carlos Jose in his second full year and Max Chavez a late season call up, should prove to be dominant young arms. Equally as important however is a much improved bullpen. Karim Garces will still be closing behind setup man Victor Diaz, but the additions of Jeff Giavotella from AAA and FA Tom Obermueller will help bridge the gap to the 8th and 9th innings. A young but improved outfield will be anchored by Jose Ortiz in CF who looks ready to fill the role of a dynamic lead-off hitter. Einar Lee will continue to a force at 3b while the Broncos are very excited to have Red Driefort back for his first full season at 1B. Dreifort shows all the signs of being a dominant offensive threat for many years. All in all, Boise hopes to be a factor in the NL West this season.
Nashville Commodores
After reaching the playoffs for the 8th time in 9 years last season, the Nashville Commodores were content with minor changes this off season. The biggest edition to the roster was Cy Saturria, aquired in a trade with Fargo. Saturria will add a little firepower to a lineup which lacked consistency last season. Slick fielding SS Jason Jenner was added via free agency to solidify the infield. An above average pitching staff returns all 11 members, and should once again be the strength of the team. Once again this season it it playoffs or bust in Nashville.
Little Rock Razorbacks
Key Additions: Coco Laroche
Key Losses: None
Prospects to Watch: Neftali Lucano, Kory Silva
Outlook: Last season, Little Rock finished 80-82. We look to improve with the solid pitching we have established. We intend to battle for a playoff spot this season. Go Razerbacks!
New York Red Storm
FA Lost: Cole Mitchell, Hugh Bell, Einar Chavez
FA Added: Bobby Reese
FA Retained: Buzz Beirne
Rule 5 Draftee: Richie Haren
Trade: Acquired Junior Zurbaran for Andres Rosario & Esmil Posada
Rookies: Felix Dunston, Al Park, Guy Forster
Outlook: While I lost some FAs, none were high priorities to bring back and I fetched some nice comp picks to replenish the farm system. The core of the team is locked up long term, in ARB or just starting their ML careers. Super excited to bring up the 3 stud rookies. I hope for a very competitive team, and for the young guys to get their feet wet, with an eye on next year to really make some noise.
Charleston suffered a big blow this offseason when it was unable to re-sign John Kramer who departed to Salem via free agency. Needing a number 2 starter, Charleston traded for David Rodriguez, sending several good prospects to Fargo. Charleston also signed several key players to contract extension. With 4 top 50 selections in the draft, Charleston hopes to reload its minor league system this year.
Charleston hopes to again contend for a title. Last year’s Cy Young winner Eswalin Sierra will again lead the pitching staff and hopes to come close to his prior performance. Rodriguez will serve as the Number 2 starter, with Fred Keppel the Number 3. Charleston returns a strong lineup anchored by Saul Martin, Odalis Velasquez, Donn Rodgers and Miguel Certa among others.
Seattle Huskies The Seattle huskies offseason plan failed. Hoping to find some talent cheap, we tried the waiting game. We are now left with a few players we are not too thrilled about.
We let donte Hartman walk, preferring to allow that rotation spot to go to Ivan cano. Cano's rise to the big leagues was crushed last season by a devastating injury ( labrum tear) that saw his overall value drop by 9 points. He regained 5 this offseason, and should still fill in nicely.
Letting coco laroche go was in the plans, as we were unhappy with his offense and defense combination. However, with nothing on the market, we will turn to a defense first mentality and go with either Javier Torres (rule 5) or Thomas Bowen ( FA signing).
LF could be a revolving door this season. Look for Brad Finley to take the spot if he can live up to his minor league numbers, and Darnell Myers gets hurt or can't hit.
Kansas City Wildcats
The Kansas City Wildcats resigned 3B Gavin Mills . We brought back Marquis Nolan to play first and signed Thomas Wise as a back up catcher. KC has a good balance of power and speed. The pitching staff will have a rookie starter Nathan McClain . I hope this team will win the division this year after their 64 Philly imitation last year.
Buffalo Bulls
The Buffalo Bulls made it past the wildcard round last season on the strength of their young pitching but that is as far as they advanced. With bigger goals in sight during the off-season the #1 priority was upgrading the offense and that is just what management did. The team added SS Eddie Padden, and OF Al Ayala in trades, and picked up former player Frank Jenkins to help out at 1B with young Vladimir Volquez still getting his footing.With these additions Volquez and SS Montanez will now be relegated to the pine, both were 20hr 70rbi guys last season which in turn stabilizes Buffalos bench which was pretty weak one year ago.The Bulls also added to the end of their rotation with the signings of Ramon Higashioka, and Darrell Haywood. Big things could be on the horizon for the Bulls ,4 out of 5 of their top RBI guys are back (2) 14 game winners and a 12 game winner return to the rotation, with these additions it looks as if they are after top dog in the division, Charlotte beware. !!! :)
Memphis Tigers
Key Acquisitions: Hugh Bell Lf
Key Players Lost: Jimmie Jodie SP
Excitement in Tiger Town is at an all-time high . Despite being the worst hitting team in the league last season , the Tigers return with virtually the same roster that made their magical run to the NL Championship last year. Opting not to engage in any bidding wars during the offseason, Management decided only to bring Hugh Bell back to the Den to spark what was truly a lethargic offense last year . A pitching staff that led the way and kept the Tigers in games throughout the year remains intact, with the only key loss being that of Jodie who spent a potion of the year on the DL. The Tigers will be looking to rookie Vic Bonilla to earn his spot in the rotation. The Tigers enter the season fully expecting the pitching to hold true and the offense to perform to its expectations and make another run to the playoffs.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech may have taken a step backward this season. Losing Myette within the division was a big loss, and lessens the depth of the starting rotation. Vasco Jose always provided a productive bat with some power in the #5 hole was also lost to Huntington. As the team is handicapped with a high payroll still, big FA signings were out of the question. Douglas Walker will be asked to fill in for Jose. Incumbent SS Elvis Fox will move to 2B or 3B, as his range has declined too much to put him at SS regularly. Former Red Storm SS Ted Guerrero was signed to take over at SS. A couple of veteran, journeyman relievers were brought in to bolster a bullpen that struggles at times last season. The key players are still in place though. And the Shumpert/Senaca led team still expects to contend after a heartbreaking early playoff exit last year. The window is closing though, as the future HoF tandem are 34 and 35 years old. After next season, there will be some tough decisions to be made. Until then, this team will be trying to get a championship for the players who have meant so much to these fans.
Boise Broncos
The Bronco’s are looking to have a breakout year this season with a combination of veteran stars and some young talent that should be hitting their prime. Our pitching staff, long an issue for the team, sis anchored by a strong starting rotation led by veterans Marc Westmorland and Chris Dawkins. Carlos Jose in his second full year and Max Chavez a late season call up, should prove to be dominant young arms. Equally as important however is a much improved bullpen. Karim Garces will still be closing behind setup man Victor Diaz, but the additions of Jeff Giavotella from AAA and FA Tom Obermueller will help bridge the gap to the 8th and 9th innings. A young but improved outfield will be anchored by Jose Ortiz in CF who looks ready to fill the role of a dynamic lead-off hitter. Einar Lee will continue to a force at 3b while the Broncos are very excited to have Red Driefort back for his first full season at 1B. Dreifort shows all the signs of being a dominant offensive threat for many years. All in all, Boise hopes to be a factor in the NL West this season.
Nashville Commodores
After reaching the playoffs for the 8th time in 9 years last season, the Nashville Commodores were content with minor changes this off season. The biggest edition to the roster was Cy Saturria, aquired in a trade with Fargo. Saturria will add a little firepower to a lineup which lacked consistency last season. Slick fielding SS Jason Jenner was added via free agency to solidify the infield. An above average pitching staff returns all 11 members, and should once again be the strength of the team. Once again this season it it playoffs or bust in Nashville.
Little Rock Razorbacks
Key Additions: Coco Laroche
Key Losses: None
Prospects to Watch: Neftali Lucano, Kory Silva
Outlook: Last season, Little Rock finished 80-82. We look to improve with the solid pitching we have established. We intend to battle for a playoff spot this season. Go Razerbacks!
New York Red Storm
FA Lost: Cole Mitchell, Hugh Bell, Einar Chavez
FA Added: Bobby Reese
FA Retained: Buzz Beirne
Rule 5 Draftee: Richie Haren
Trade: Acquired Junior Zurbaran for Andres Rosario & Esmil Posada
Rookies: Felix Dunston, Al Park, Guy Forster
Outlook: While I lost some FAs, none were high priorities to bring back and I fetched some nice comp picks to replenish the farm system. The core of the team is locked up long term, in ARB or just starting their ML careers. Super excited to bring up the 3 stud rookies. I hope for a very competitive team, and for the young guys to get their feet wet, with an eye on next year to really make some noise.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Season 21 - Team Previews - Batch 1
Detroit Wolverines
S20: 70-92 (3rd in NL North)
Lost in FA:
SP Clyde Jodie (7-11, 4.06 era, 137.1 innings)
SP Hod Ferrell (4-9, 3.5 era, 126.0 innings)
LF Eliezer Arrojo (.303 avg, 27 HR, 77 RBI)
Added in FA:
SP Donte Hartman (11-8, 3.48 era, 178.2 innings)
SP Jimmie Jodie (3-7, 3.51 era, 112.2 innings)
Last season the rebuild continued in Detroit as we posted another below .500 season record. Management has decided they’re tired of losing and decided this is the year that we begin to see the youth movement in the ML. Keith Petersen will be slotted to play right field, Douglas Lawrie will man third base, and Marshall Washington will take over in left field. While losing Arrojo hurt, we expect these three kids to take over the offense for us while still allowing us a strong defensive team. We didn’t get any younger on pitching like we would have liked to, but by adding Hartman and Jodie we think we did get a little better. Also are younger bullpen pitchers such as Caballero, Price, and Chavez all have a year’s experience under their belt now. Turner Shannon may also be called up to help out the starting rotation depending on how the season begins. We still have last year’s draft picks Brutus Olmos and Albert Perry working their way up the minors to go along with this season’s 7th overall pick and a full prospect budget to try and sign an international player. While we’re not expecting to win the world series this season, we do expect this group to be our core that will get us back to the playoffs in the next couple of seasons and keep us there for awhile.
Philadelphia Owls Players Lost : B.C. Polanco LF/2B and Ivan Bonilla RF.
New players: CF Al Petit and 2 SP Gregory Cloud and Einar Santos.
Rookies expected to contribute: Francisco Soto RP, Derek Randolph LF, Terry Lee C .
This season again Owls are rebuilding. Offensively, the team is not bad with third baseman Frieri Santiago, CF Carlton Brooks platooning with Al Petit, veteran second baseman Miller Kotsay, 1B Julio Nunez, rookie C Terry Lee and DH Everth Manzanillo. The rotation lead by young Carlos Martinez should be better with the addition of the 2 newcomers Gregory Cloud and Einar Santos. In the bullpen, Francisco Soto should help.
The future though, looks brighter with 2B Terrell Kelly(1 year away),SS Juan Dali(1 year away), LF Benji Guzman, SP Brad Cunningham, SP Marino Megias and DH Dusty Malone.
Don't be desperate Owls fans, we will send a better team on the field very, very soon.
Arizona State Sun Devils Low expectations paid off for the Sun Devils in Season 20, when they accidentally ended up winning the NL West for the first time in 8 seasons. Expectations are even lower in Season 21, with another division win seeming even less likely. As part of its long-term rebuilding project, the Sun Devils traded away All-Star veteran SS Eddie Padden for what will hopefully be the leadoff hitter of Season 24-ish, Gail Flair, accompanied by borderline pitching prospect Bruce Perry, a working man who used to load his Econoline van. And 38-year-old Sun Devil lifer Nick Wilson, who won 13 games last year with a 3.35 ERA, finally left the team via free-agency. Rather than spend a lot of money to replace the output of Padden & Wilson, the Sun Devils have used free agents and callups to spackle over holes in the starting rotation and bench -- nothing flashy or expensive -- and hope the kids can carry the team. The future is probably not now -- although accidents have been known to happen.
Cincinnati Bearcats
The Bearcats lost LHP Higashioka to FA and picked up role players Gonzales (ss) and Feliz (cf). No trades so far this season. Rookies on the roster this season will be catchers Baez and Barrios and pitchers Gibson, Beltre, Calderone, and Lee. None are expected to be game changers though it is expected that Lee will develop into a top-notch set up man.
Last year's dramatic drop off was hard to figure. The best guess was that rotten attitudes put the team in a season long funk. The players with the bad attitudes were sent packing so we will see if the guess was correct. The team lost 102 games last season and does not expect to do much better this season.The hope is that the team can hold out until outstanding minor league talent can become major league ready. Richmond Spiders Key Losses: None
Key Free Agents: Albert Nippert
Addition via Trade: Brad Holt
Key Rookies: Matthew Crawford, John Won
Offseason Summary: We tried to address our 2 key weaknesses from last season, pitching and OBP. Brad Holt was added via trade, and he should really help by getting on base in front of our sluggers in the middle of the lineup. This was a key priority and was accomplished. The pending promotion of John Won should also help in this area. The second priority was to improve the bullpen and add an impact starter. The addition of Albert Nippert was our big free agent signing, and should definitely improve our bullpen. On the surface, we overpaid for a relief pitcher. The market dictated more than what I would normally spend on a relief pitcher. However, there were a few special circumstances that made me pull the trigger here. First, despite how he has been used previously, Nippert has the stamina/durability to give 100+ innings out of the bullpen. This is how he will be used and thus he’s not your typical “closer” with a somewhat limited impact. Second, we front-loaded the contract at a time when there is ample budget available. The money given to Nippert this season would only be worth 50% if transferred, so you can almost discount the large sum given this season by 50% in real money that could be used elsewhere. With those factors, I’m comfortable with the contract given the impact we hope he will have on the bullpen.
We tried to also add an impact starter, but our main target (Kramer) decided he wanted to take less than the market would have dictated by signing overnight the first day of free agency. We need to look into the recruiting tactics in Salem. They must have better “escort services” versus Richmond. We were involved with other starting pitcher free agents, but the bidding went higher than we were comfortable with. Improvement this season will have to come from the promotion of Crawford alone.
Outlook: I’m tired of rebuilding/losing, so hopefully it stops now. I thought this club would be better last season with the first real influx of talent since we started rebuilding, but they never seemed to click the way I thought they would. Further additions this season should really push us over the top and into winning territory again. We have a good pipeline of talent developing over the next couple seasons and enough budget to continue to add prospects, so hopefully we’ve used these last couple seasons to set the foundation for a run of success.
Huntington Thundering Herd
Key Additions: C Marshall Damon, RF Vasco Jose, OF Juan Johnson, SP Ralph Myette, SP Cole Mitchell, RP Benjamin Bowker, RP Bastardo Owen, RP Steven Donovan
Key Losses: C Juan Molina, SP McKay Benes, RP Pat Howington, OF Andrea Nelson
To be blunt this offseason was boring. There just didn’t seem to be many deals to be made and the free agent class, outside of pitching, was weak. We added some components, but didn’t do the complete about-face that usually faces a team run by this management group.
Perfectly content to remain where we were offensively with the #2 team last season in the NL in runs scored, we made 2 major moves to get younger in the lineup. Returning 6 starters is a rarity in this franchise, so hopefully we don’t come to regret being passive this offseason. 1B Shane Meadows will anchor the team offensively, while we look for a breakout season from 2nd year man, Markus Crosby. Robert Frederick and Herm O’Shea will continue to platoon at 2B and will leadoff this season. Hopefully LF Gabe Price and 3B Mitchell Spencer can pick up the slack offensively for the departed offensive players. New RF Vasco Jose has large shoes to fill as he replaces fan favorite Andrea Nelson. C Marshall Damon gets his shot at the big-time as he makes his big-league debut.
Pitching was a struggle last season, so changes were made. Currently Ralph Myette will start on Opening Day. Cole Mitchell, Dallas Parrott, and J.P. Valdez are 2-4…the 5th spot is a battle between Kevin Ryu and Ricardo Crespo. Management loves Crespo’s pitches and GB tendencies, while Ryu keeps the ball out of the hitting zone for the most part. The bullpen should be strong, but may undergo some growing pains due to the youth of several key members.
Defensively this team should be very strong up the middle. SS Jumbo Cortazar is always a good defender who has some pop offensively. O’Shea and Frederick are good defenders, although Frederick is the stronger of the 2. Crosby may not be ideal for CF, but he’s solid. Hopefully the defense is a moot point with upgraded pitching and a solid offense.
Louisville Cardinals Last year was a bit of a nightmare for the Louisville Cardinal. After losing Homer Bush, Danny Smoltz, and Miguel Concepcion to free agency, season 20 was an
ugly year for the Cardinals’ offense as the team OPS dropped to an anemic .708 and only 2 guys hitting more than 20HR. We did lose one of them, Al Ayala (.266 28hr 76rbi), who was traded to the Bulls for a young pitching prospect, but as a whole fans should see a much better product on the field this season.
The biggest offseason signing has to be Tomas Lucano who should hold down one of the corner outfield spots for years to come. We also added a couple of speedy/high OBP infielders in Don Hodges (.363obp 41sb last season) and Dennis Beard (.361obp 21HR, 41sb in season 19), as well as Norberto Fernandez (26hr 107rbi 17sb last season) and veteran Jumbo Jimenez (career .792 ops) to fill in around the infield. The pitching staff looks a lot like last year’s which posted a 4.35 ERA good for 3rd worst in the NL, but management feels the staff should rebound and perform closer to S19’s respectable 3.82 ERA. There were a couple changes in the bullpen and the Cards happily welcome Harry Moya to the team. A solid vet, Moya made 63 appearances for the HEL last year and posted a 2.73 era. He’ll be a setup guy again in Louisville this year.
There’s a lot of excitement in Louisville this year, as fans hope the Card can rebound from an off year and get back to the playoffs (as a wildcard of course, as the Tar Heels continue to dominate the NL East). Best of luck to all!
Helena Grizzlies Key Adds: C – Juan Molina, LF Tyson Seaver, CF Ian Joseph, CF Theo Franco, P Rico Martinez, P Pat Howington, P Kevin Telford, P Merv Witt
Key Losses: LF Bernie Ortiz, C Matt James, 3B Jumbo Jimenez, 2B Rafael Liriano, C Larry Sedlacek, P Karim Ramirez, P Corey Sheffield, P Jeremy Livingstone
Outlook: The Grizzlies begin year two of what could end up being a long rebuilding project. 74 wins last season was quite a drop off from the back to back World Series appearances the team had experienced in season 18 and 19. Core stars such as Efrain Nakano, Miguel Barcelo, Paul Walker, Danny Sheffield and Yorman Costilla are all back, but there is not enough depth to win games on a consistent level. If the team can get through the All Star break with a decent record, some of those stars could go on the trade block.
Dover Fighting Blue Hens
Dover stuck to the game plan of building via the minors. Gone are ss Earl Cradle, SP Robinzon Calderone, and a backup catcher. Brought up to replace them are C Diego Oropesa, Rule 5 utility player Stuart Cohen, and whichever prospect busts out in spring training. Dover won the division last year and should be maturing to an even better record. 4 spots in the rotation are solid and the bullpen is very good. Prediction: Division title and a longer run in the playoffs.
S20: 70-92 (3rd in NL North)
Lost in FA:
SP Clyde Jodie (7-11, 4.06 era, 137.1 innings)
SP Hod Ferrell (4-9, 3.5 era, 126.0 innings)
LF Eliezer Arrojo (.303 avg, 27 HR, 77 RBI)
Added in FA:
SP Donte Hartman (11-8, 3.48 era, 178.2 innings)
SP Jimmie Jodie (3-7, 3.51 era, 112.2 innings)
Last season the rebuild continued in Detroit as we posted another below .500 season record. Management has decided they’re tired of losing and decided this is the year that we begin to see the youth movement in the ML. Keith Petersen will be slotted to play right field, Douglas Lawrie will man third base, and Marshall Washington will take over in left field. While losing Arrojo hurt, we expect these three kids to take over the offense for us while still allowing us a strong defensive team. We didn’t get any younger on pitching like we would have liked to, but by adding Hartman and Jodie we think we did get a little better. Also are younger bullpen pitchers such as Caballero, Price, and Chavez all have a year’s experience under their belt now. Turner Shannon may also be called up to help out the starting rotation depending on how the season begins. We still have last year’s draft picks Brutus Olmos and Albert Perry working their way up the minors to go along with this season’s 7th overall pick and a full prospect budget to try and sign an international player. While we’re not expecting to win the world series this season, we do expect this group to be our core that will get us back to the playoffs in the next couple of seasons and keep us there for awhile.
Philadelphia Owls Players Lost : B.C. Polanco LF/2B and Ivan Bonilla RF.
New players: CF Al Petit and 2 SP Gregory Cloud and Einar Santos.
Rookies expected to contribute: Francisco Soto RP, Derek Randolph LF, Terry Lee C .
This season again Owls are rebuilding. Offensively, the team is not bad with third baseman Frieri Santiago, CF Carlton Brooks platooning with Al Petit, veteran second baseman Miller Kotsay, 1B Julio Nunez, rookie C Terry Lee and DH Everth Manzanillo. The rotation lead by young Carlos Martinez should be better with the addition of the 2 newcomers Gregory Cloud and Einar Santos. In the bullpen, Francisco Soto should help.
The future though, looks brighter with 2B Terrell Kelly(1 year away),SS Juan Dali(1 year away), LF Benji Guzman, SP Brad Cunningham, SP Marino Megias and DH Dusty Malone.
Don't be desperate Owls fans, we will send a better team on the field very, very soon.
Arizona State Sun Devils Low expectations paid off for the Sun Devils in Season 20, when they accidentally ended up winning the NL West for the first time in 8 seasons. Expectations are even lower in Season 21, with another division win seeming even less likely. As part of its long-term rebuilding project, the Sun Devils traded away All-Star veteran SS Eddie Padden for what will hopefully be the leadoff hitter of Season 24-ish, Gail Flair, accompanied by borderline pitching prospect Bruce Perry, a working man who used to load his Econoline van. And 38-year-old Sun Devil lifer Nick Wilson, who won 13 games last year with a 3.35 ERA, finally left the team via free-agency. Rather than spend a lot of money to replace the output of Padden & Wilson, the Sun Devils have used free agents and callups to spackle over holes in the starting rotation and bench -- nothing flashy or expensive -- and hope the kids can carry the team. The future is probably not now -- although accidents have been known to happen.
Cincinnati Bearcats
The Bearcats lost LHP Higashioka to FA and picked up role players Gonzales (ss) and Feliz (cf). No trades so far this season. Rookies on the roster this season will be catchers Baez and Barrios and pitchers Gibson, Beltre, Calderone, and Lee. None are expected to be game changers though it is expected that Lee will develop into a top-notch set up man.
Last year's dramatic drop off was hard to figure. The best guess was that rotten attitudes put the team in a season long funk. The players with the bad attitudes were sent packing so we will see if the guess was correct. The team lost 102 games last season and does not expect to do much better this season.The hope is that the team can hold out until outstanding minor league talent can become major league ready. Richmond Spiders Key Losses: None
Key Free Agents: Albert Nippert
Addition via Trade: Brad Holt
Key Rookies: Matthew Crawford, John Won
Offseason Summary: We tried to address our 2 key weaknesses from last season, pitching and OBP. Brad Holt was added via trade, and he should really help by getting on base in front of our sluggers in the middle of the lineup. This was a key priority and was accomplished. The pending promotion of John Won should also help in this area. The second priority was to improve the bullpen and add an impact starter. The addition of Albert Nippert was our big free agent signing, and should definitely improve our bullpen. On the surface, we overpaid for a relief pitcher. The market dictated more than what I would normally spend on a relief pitcher. However, there were a few special circumstances that made me pull the trigger here. First, despite how he has been used previously, Nippert has the stamina/durability to give 100+ innings out of the bullpen. This is how he will be used and thus he’s not your typical “closer” with a somewhat limited impact. Second, we front-loaded the contract at a time when there is ample budget available. The money given to Nippert this season would only be worth 50% if transferred, so you can almost discount the large sum given this season by 50% in real money that could be used elsewhere. With those factors, I’m comfortable with the contract given the impact we hope he will have on the bullpen.
We tried to also add an impact starter, but our main target (Kramer) decided he wanted to take less than the market would have dictated by signing overnight the first day of free agency. We need to look into the recruiting tactics in Salem. They must have better “escort services” versus Richmond. We were involved with other starting pitcher free agents, but the bidding went higher than we were comfortable with. Improvement this season will have to come from the promotion of Crawford alone.
Outlook: I’m tired of rebuilding/losing, so hopefully it stops now. I thought this club would be better last season with the first real influx of talent since we started rebuilding, but they never seemed to click the way I thought they would. Further additions this season should really push us over the top and into winning territory again. We have a good pipeline of talent developing over the next couple seasons and enough budget to continue to add prospects, so hopefully we’ve used these last couple seasons to set the foundation for a run of success.
Huntington Thundering Herd
Key Additions: C Marshall Damon, RF Vasco Jose, OF Juan Johnson, SP Ralph Myette, SP Cole Mitchell, RP Benjamin Bowker, RP Bastardo Owen, RP Steven Donovan
Key Losses: C Juan Molina, SP McKay Benes, RP Pat Howington, OF Andrea Nelson
To be blunt this offseason was boring. There just didn’t seem to be many deals to be made and the free agent class, outside of pitching, was weak. We added some components, but didn’t do the complete about-face that usually faces a team run by this management group.
Perfectly content to remain where we were offensively with the #2 team last season in the NL in runs scored, we made 2 major moves to get younger in the lineup. Returning 6 starters is a rarity in this franchise, so hopefully we don’t come to regret being passive this offseason. 1B Shane Meadows will anchor the team offensively, while we look for a breakout season from 2nd year man, Markus Crosby. Robert Frederick and Herm O’Shea will continue to platoon at 2B and will leadoff this season. Hopefully LF Gabe Price and 3B Mitchell Spencer can pick up the slack offensively for the departed offensive players. New RF Vasco Jose has large shoes to fill as he replaces fan favorite Andrea Nelson. C Marshall Damon gets his shot at the big-time as he makes his big-league debut.
Pitching was a struggle last season, so changes were made. Currently Ralph Myette will start on Opening Day. Cole Mitchell, Dallas Parrott, and J.P. Valdez are 2-4…the 5th spot is a battle between Kevin Ryu and Ricardo Crespo. Management loves Crespo’s pitches and GB tendencies, while Ryu keeps the ball out of the hitting zone for the most part. The bullpen should be strong, but may undergo some growing pains due to the youth of several key members.
Defensively this team should be very strong up the middle. SS Jumbo Cortazar is always a good defender who has some pop offensively. O’Shea and Frederick are good defenders, although Frederick is the stronger of the 2. Crosby may not be ideal for CF, but he’s solid. Hopefully the defense is a moot point with upgraded pitching and a solid offense.
Louisville Cardinals Last year was a bit of a nightmare for the Louisville Cardinal. After losing Homer Bush, Danny Smoltz, and Miguel Concepcion to free agency, season 20 was an
ugly year for the Cardinals’ offense as the team OPS dropped to an anemic .708 and only 2 guys hitting more than 20HR. We did lose one of them, Al Ayala (.266 28hr 76rbi), who was traded to the Bulls for a young pitching prospect, but as a whole fans should see a much better product on the field this season.
The biggest offseason signing has to be Tomas Lucano who should hold down one of the corner outfield spots for years to come. We also added a couple of speedy/high OBP infielders in Don Hodges (.363obp 41sb last season) and Dennis Beard (.361obp 21HR, 41sb in season 19), as well as Norberto Fernandez (26hr 107rbi 17sb last season) and veteran Jumbo Jimenez (career .792 ops) to fill in around the infield. The pitching staff looks a lot like last year’s which posted a 4.35 ERA good for 3rd worst in the NL, but management feels the staff should rebound and perform closer to S19’s respectable 3.82 ERA. There were a couple changes in the bullpen and the Cards happily welcome Harry Moya to the team. A solid vet, Moya made 63 appearances for the HEL last year and posted a 2.73 era. He’ll be a setup guy again in Louisville this year.
There’s a lot of excitement in Louisville this year, as fans hope the Card can rebound from an off year and get back to the playoffs (as a wildcard of course, as the Tar Heels continue to dominate the NL East). Best of luck to all!
Helena Grizzlies Key Adds: C – Juan Molina, LF Tyson Seaver, CF Ian Joseph, CF Theo Franco, P Rico Martinez, P Pat Howington, P Kevin Telford, P Merv Witt
Key Losses: LF Bernie Ortiz, C Matt James, 3B Jumbo Jimenez, 2B Rafael Liriano, C Larry Sedlacek, P Karim Ramirez, P Corey Sheffield, P Jeremy Livingstone
Outlook: The Grizzlies begin year two of what could end up being a long rebuilding project. 74 wins last season was quite a drop off from the back to back World Series appearances the team had experienced in season 18 and 19. Core stars such as Efrain Nakano, Miguel Barcelo, Paul Walker, Danny Sheffield and Yorman Costilla are all back, but there is not enough depth to win games on a consistent level. If the team can get through the All Star break with a decent record, some of those stars could go on the trade block.
Dover Fighting Blue Hens
Dover stuck to the game plan of building via the minors. Gone are ss Earl Cradle, SP Robinzon Calderone, and a backup catcher. Brought up to replace them are C Diego Oropesa, Rule 5 utility player Stuart Cohen, and whichever prospect busts out in spring training. Dover won the division last year and should be maturing to an even better record. 4 spots in the rotation are solid and the bullpen is very good. Prediction: Division title and a longer run in the playoffs.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Fantasy Draft - NCAA's #1 Picks
I did this around Season 10 where I ranked the first 10 #1 picks so decided to make another run at it since we've now reach 20. (Time Flies!). This is completely subjective and just for fun. We all value players differently so this has my bias and beliefs baked into the rankings. Also keep in mind that I'm trying to juggle what players have already done vs projecting what others will do.
1. Jack Daley - Season 8 - I went back and forth on the top slot between Daley and Seay. I ended up going with Daley because I value an true ace SP higher than a great hitter, even one who is the best this world have ever seen.
2. Michael Seay - Season 1 - My nemesis. Boy did I hate facing Seay. He is the best hitter this world has ever seen and will absolutely be a first ballot Hall of Famer.
3. Trent Keefe - Season 11 -
4. Willie Izturis - Season 12 - Pretty much exactly what I said about Keefe.
5. Jack Nicholas - Season 5 - Nicholas is a true 5 tool player. Hits for great average and OBP while stealing bases and playing phenomenal defense.
6. Justin Crosby - Season 13 - One of the elite young hitter in the world. Should break a lot of records.
7. Frieri Santiago - Season 15 - The first of several 3B on this list. Its tough enough to find elite hitting, great fielding 3B, but Santiago also brings very elite contact and speed to the table. Extremely rare for a 3B.
8. Franklin Cornelius - Season 17 - A little bit of a projection here. Might end up being a few spots too high, but have high expectations for Cornelius.
9. Danny Smoltz - Season 10 - Elite power and a great defensive glove. Anyone would love to have Smoltz anchoring their hot corner.
10. Miguel Barcelo - Season 4 - Barcelo has jumped around to several different teams, but wherever he has been, he has been their ace. Really good career.
11. Ralph Mora - Season 7 - Mora is right there with Barcelo as an ace, but below the Daley's/Keefe's/Isturis' of the world.
12. Wes Cyr - Season 6 - Cyr is nearing the end of a really nice career. Still has a few seasons left in him, but its twilight. He has been a great player.
13. Mitchell Spencer - Season 3 - The unsung hero of the Orange Dynasty which stretched over 10+ seasons. Great player especially when paired with Seay.
14. Henderson Edwards - Season 20 - Our most recent #1 will hopefully develop into a top of the rotation SP.
15. Douglas Lawrie - Season 19 - Last seasons' #1 looks to be on a similar track to several other 3B on this list. He has the ability to be a gold glove 3B with a really nice bat.
16. Vic Escobar - Season 2 - Escobar's career is practically over. I initially had him ranked much lower, but we can't ignore his career. He has 180 wins now and a solid, if not spectacular, ERA and WHIP.
17. Doug Treadway - Season 18 - Treadway should develop into an elite hitter. The only reason he is this far down the list is he doesn't play a premium position, but also does not look to hit the level as Crosby or Cornelius, etc.
18. Red Callaway - Season 16 - Yet another 3B on this list. Another guy with gold glove material, but his bat potential is lower than the other 3B here. Having a solid rookie season with the Gophers. Might be the first guy you could argue didn't deserve to be a #1 pick.
19. Vic Keefe - Season 9 - If Callaway wasn't the first, then Keefe is definitely the first guy to argue didn't deserve a #1 selection. Doesn't have the greatest stats, but he also hasn't played on many great teams. Solid middle of the rotation SP.
20. Carlos Martinez - Season 14 - Rinse and repeat the comment from Keefe above.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Season 20 - Amateur Draft First Round Review
Disclaimer - I have 0 in Advanced Scouting. Where I could, I used my College and HS scouts ratings, but there are several guys I didn't scout so I did the best I could. Hope everyone enjoys!
Big
signing bonus for an amateur draft player, but worth every penny and then some.
I think mongoose had a point. Stop whining jcairns! :-) I've
seen much worse #1 picks. A better vR would have made Edwards a slam dunk
#1 ace, but even without it, he is a top of the rotation SP prospect which is
definitely worth the top pick in the draft.
jairns - The Seattle huskies are pleased with their selection of Henderson Edwards . We feel he will develop in our ace we have been looking for.
2.
Chicago Blue Demons - Earl Croushore
I have
personally never had a ton of success with SP with only 3 pitches, but that
being said, I know many have and other than limiting his repotoire to3 pitches,
the rest of his ratings are great SP material. He looks to be the best SP
prospect on the board once Edwards was gone.
arte - Earl Croushore has the potential to be a top of the order starter if he signs. Makeup is a concern but the Blue Demons need pitching and are willing to take the risk.
3.
Boise Broncos - (Hasn't signed as of publish)
The top positional prospect comes off the board at #3 to the Broncos. I don't tihnk he'll develop enough defensively to play SS, but he is a great 3B prospect who combines a unique combo of power and speed which you rarely see.
abesmem - Boise is very happy getting Andrew Craig with the 3rd pick. We had him rated 2 overall. While he may not have the range to be a ML SS, he can be a great defensive 3B or Rightfielder. A 100 projected speed rating combined with above average contact, great power and solid splits (especially vs lefties), should make Craig solid offensive contributor across the board. Finally, he has great health and durability rating which will keep him the lineup regularly. It is possible he may start his pro career in Hi A ball.
Litsch
looks like a solid leadoff or #2 hitter. Splits, Eye, and Speed are
great, but his Contact and Power look average. However, considering he
will play 2B or CF makes his hitting skills even more valuable.
joekendall - We are really happy to add Litsch to the fold. We really struggled with who would be number one on our draft board, and just before it came time to pick we changed our pick from a SP to Litsch. He has tremendous upside and should be a cornerstone for years to come in either CF or 2B.
Love
this selection. He'll hit a ton with a great OPS. He's going to
have to play a corner outfield or 1B, but his bat is so good, he deserves a
spot in the top 5.
spistol - Pretty OK with all 3 of my first round picks, though not super thrilled. Howard Stevenson looks a lot better to my draft scouts than to my advance scouts. I'm hoping that, since the draft scouts get paid a little more, they're a little righter. Stevenson can mash, but he was a distant third on my list, so I'm a little bummed. But I've done worse.
Really
like this selection as well. He is another player showing an interesting
set of skills. How often do you see a good 3B prospect who would do a
great job batting leadoff. Not sure I've seen one actually.
mamidu - I had him at #1 on my list. i couldn't see the top 3 selections, so I was very happy to see him available when we picked. Listed as a SS, but will play a very good 3B. I was looking for a CIF, and I got him. Splits are very good, with great contact and very solid power. Great speed with very good base running and high stamina. Will fit nicely in the #2 hole or hit lead-off if needed. Overall, I'm very happy with getting Dickerson at #6
7.
Philadelphia Owls - (Hasn't signed as of publish) -
Gusman will absolutely smash. I think this is a great top 10 pick. He is an elite hitter who can anchor the middle of the Owls lineup. Very solid.
jeanpaul22 - We are very pleased by our first pick, he was 3rd on our list but selecting 7th and having the chance to get him is very fun. He should developped into a very good hitter from both side of the plate and hit for power too. Will he play LF or 1B? No matter, he's gonna hit the ball very well and that's what we were looking for.
Gusman will absolutely smash. I think this is a great top 10 pick. He is an elite hitter who can anchor the middle of the Owls lineup. Very solid.
jeanpaul22 - We are very pleased by our first pick, he was 3rd on our list but selecting 7th and having the chance to get him is very fun. He should developped into a very good hitter from both side of the plate and hit for power too. Will he play LF or 1B? No matter, he's gonna hit the ball very well and that's what we were looking for.
This is
the best 3B draft I've ever seen as Small comes off the board. He won't
play as good defensively as the others selected, but his bat will make up for
it. Worst case he can play COF, but his value would skyrocket if he can
play 3B adequately.
cmthieme - I couldn't see a few of the guys drafted before him, but Small was my #2-rated prospect, so I'm pretty happy to get him #8. My scouts project his bat to play anywhere, so he'll be a nice player no matter what. If he develops into an adequate 3B, then it will be icing on the cake.
Wow, it
could be yet another 3B! He has the best chance of the 3B to develop
enough to play SS, but will probably be pushed to either 2B or 3B. Solid bat.
tk21775 - The Wolverines have been stockpiling up on 3B prospects and once again landed one in this draft. While Olmos doesn't quite have the power we were hoping for, he'll be great against lefties and very solid again right handed pitchers; once on base he'll be able to provide some speed into the lineup. With the 3 players already in the minors that can handle 3B and RF, we'll penciling in Olmos at 2B depending on how high his range will get up to. At the 2B position I'll really like his bat there.
10.
Memphis Tigers - (Hasn't signed as of publish)
mh17 - “Provided he decides to sign, we are pleased with our 1st round selection. Martin is a good control and groundball pitcher with two quality pitches. He should be a good middle to bottom of the rotation guy at the very least, but must develop his 3rd and 4th pitches if he wants to become above average.”
We've
probably come to the first pick in the draft where I think its a reach.
He is a good hitter, but at this point in the world's maturity you can
find a good amount of guys similar at a pretty cheap rate. He should end
up as a nice piece to the puzzle, you just hope for me at this point. However,
it could also not be a reach and the draft was just top heavy. We shall
see as we continue on.
evil doers - The Orange are happy with the pick of Thurman Stark at pick #11. We look at him as our future left fielder for the school. We can see him as about a .260/30/100 guy when he plays everyday with the big team. Not only is he a fine player but he's a great young man as well. His mother Melissa Stark should be proud of him.
If he
develops, he'll be a Gold Glove level CF who can swing an average bat...not
easy to come by. Nice pick.
tdfactory - With CF Cesar Cerda nearing the end of his career and no replacement in the minors, Columbus was looking for a CF. Freddie Urich was the right choice at #12. While not an excellent fielding center, he is average and makes up for it with some pop in his bat. Team management feels he could average 25 HR's, 90 RBI's, 20 steals, and a .240 average and should be in the majors in 2 seasons.
Bacsik
is already 22 so hopefully he'll increase his ratings quickly because as of
right now he's not ready. If he develops correctly, he should be a good
middle of the rotation SP.
sirius07 - Rick Bacsik is the kind of player that Portland was looking for this year. The Ducks was in need of more pitchers in their farm system. We are very proud of this pick.
Really
interesting selection. If he develops into a SS, he is a huge steal
because his power, vR, and Eye are great, although he apparently hates facing
lefties. Maybe he ends up being the 5th 3B selected in the top 14 picks.
I can't wait to see how he does with those lopsided splits.
llcc - My number one pick is Harold K'aaihue. He is a SS who will hit for power and a projected rating of 81.
Great
value. I think he could have gone in the top 10 and it would be
defensible. Really solid SP prospect with decent splits and a wide array
of pitches.
jrooster35 - Carlos Candelaria pick #15 middle to back end of the rotation guy, scout has been fired after reading the reports he was only 2 grades away on every important category,
My HS
scouts didn't scout him so I'm going off my 0 Adv Scouting, but right now he
doesn't look ML quality because his splits are so low. However, his pitches
look great so if my Adv scouts are off (probable) and his splits project higher
then this could be a nice pick.
byers61 - With the 16th pick, Dover drafted P Michael Rhodes . He has exceptional control and four good pitches, but his splits are a little suspect. Hopefully a very good velocity will make up for that.
Really
like this selection except for the big red flag, his health. He probably
would have gone a few picks higher if he wasn't injury prone. Really good
RP prospect.
z0601 - Larry Inge will be another fine addition to the Golden Bears bullpen in a few seasons. We were hoping to add some positional players in this seasons draft, but picking 17th, we were more than happy to get someone in the top 5 on our draft board. With another prospect being added to our already sizable depth in the bullpen, Oakland management is looking to maybe move a few players to secure more positional and starting pitcher help for the farm system. If Inge can make it past being trade bait, then we look for him to have a nice career here in Oakland.
I
personally have not had success with low control guys so I'm not a huge fan of
Goodman's. The Rebels will have to hope his other ratings can overcome
"Wildman" Adam Goodman's control to become a valuable big leaguer.
iceman67 - Not overly thrilled with pick but Rebels' management feels it was a good enough pick within the placement of the drafting order. Management believes with his exceptional L/R splits, Adam Goodman will make the big leagues as a long reliever. For now, he will work his way up the through the minors as a starter to further his development.
I could
cut and paste from the Rebels pick bove. Stephenson's control doesn't
look great which will hurt him. Not sure he was worth a top 20 selection.
overeasy - The high school prospect pool felt a bit shallow this season. At #19, I would have hoped to have landed a better player than Stephenson, who at best is a 4/5 starter and at worst is a ML long reliever.
20.
Charleston Cougars (Type A Replacement) - (Hasn't
signed as of Publish)
dgtrache - Charleston believes that Martis (should he sign) will develop into a very good middle reliever. While his stamina will not allow him to start, he has excellent control, decent splits and a couple of nice pitches
Nice
selection as we enter the latter third of the first round. I really like
relievers with these STA/DUR combo's. Hopefully his vL can develop a bit
higher than currently projected. if it does, he'll be a steal. If it
doesn't, then its still good value. Managed correctly, he can throw
90-100 innings.
tbone66 - Jed Larkin was my 1st round pick not bad for 21st overall but will only be a set-up guy in ml at best so not the greatest draft for me
Love
this selection. Fantastic value to get a good hitting catcher who is
solid defensively so late in the draft. He could have gone 10 picks
higher and I wouldn't have batted an eye.
vino5 - Maicer Morales was my first pick in the first round. He should be an above average hitter and adequate defensively. My highest rated catcher on the board so I was happy to grab him. Vinny James at 27 will be a solid reliever. I also picked 3 other guys in the supp round that all should see the majors provided they stay healthy.
23.
Buffalo Bulls (Type A Replacement) - (Hasn't signed as of publish)
I think
this is another really nice value selection. Flair could develop into a
good leadoff hitter and those aren't easy to find.
Very
similar Rhodes at #16. Just not sure his splits are ML quality, but my
adv scouting could be discounting him. His pitches look great.
allright - A.J. Dunn is a decent pick. If he continues to develop, he could contribute in the majors as a 4th or 5th starter who can eat some innings. The high schooler is raw and has some health issues. His splits are not good enough to make him a sure thing, even if his health holds up. The Bearcats put all of their scouting eggs in the high school basket this year; but, the Easter bunny never showed up.
His stretch goal will be to become a back of the rotation type pitcher. More likely a long reliever/spot starter or possibly AAAA material.
Looks
like a great pick here. Solid SP who could develop into more.
Really nice choice this late in the draft.
cctigerfan - The Nashville Commodores selected Jin-Che Hukata in the first round of the draft. Hukata is a 5 pitch starter and with proper development should earn a role in the rotation in a few seasons.
Control
is a big quesiton mark with his other ratings coming across really solid.
Could be a guy who gives you a lights out season followed by a
disaster...rinse and repeat because the limited amount of innings thrown each
season.
Nice
pick this late in the first round. Back of the rotation pitcher who in a
lucky world could be a middle of the rotation. One concern is his lefty
split, if it doesn't develop then he may be relegated to long reliever or even
AAAA status.
29.
Charleston Cougars - (Hasn't signed as of publish)
dgtrache - Charleston drafted John Rath in the hope that he will decline a contract and result in a Type D pick next year.
Similar to the pitcher Fargo took at 25, but slightly less of a prospect. Worst case, with his splits he is probably going to be a career minor leaguer.
31.
Minnesota Golden Gophers - (Hasn't signed as of publish)
32.
Minnesota Golden Gophers (Type D) - (Hasn't signed as of publish)
Always
tough picking at the bottom of the draft, but hopefully snagged a guy in George
who can be a solid bullpen arm one day. Nothing special to write home
about though.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Season 20 Team Previews
Charlotte Tar Heels
Locking up our core - The Tar Heels moved aggressively to continue to lock up their core players long term by signing SP Brandon Gragg and Sonny White and 1B Haywood Bryant to long term deals through season 24.
Key Additions - Tino Brown was picked off the scrap heap once one of our pitchers went down with a season ending injury. Other than that, we stayed status quo.
Key Losses - After spending 19 seasons in the Tar Heel organization, Manny Bedard has moved on and will fill a role with the Oakland bullpen. He is the top reliever in Tar Heel history and will find a place in the Ring of Honor.
Prospects - Former first round pick, Kenny McIntyre has been promoted and will fill a long relief role this season. Al Trammel will be coming up around Game 25 to fill the spot Bedard had last season.
Outlook - Our goal hasn't changed for the last few seasons. Win the NL East, earn a first round bye in the playoffs, and then let the chips fall where they may. We like to get into the playoffs and position ourselves for the best possibility of winning. The Heels have arguably been the top team in the NL the last few seasons, but have been upset in the playoffs for various reasons. We're going to enjoy the ride.
Columbus Buckeyes
Key Losses- SP Harry Guillen, C Larry Sedlacek, RF Carlos Molina, RF Homer Giambi, 2B Julio Armas, 1B Ray Hausmann, P Jackie Watson
Key Additions- SP Mule Wells, P Chris Aaron, P Rusty Haney, and CF Alberto Andrus
Columbus, OH- Expectations were high in Columbus last year coming off of tdfactory's 3rd season and the first ever playoff appearance for the Buckeyes. It was apparent early on that the magic of the playoff run the prior season was not going to repeat itself. Tdfactory decided to get some playing time for some of the promising young players and called up C Vin Lopez, 1B Ryan Meusel, 2B Les Rivera, and LF Renyel Tejeda.
Lopez had limited playing time, serving mainly as a defensive replacement, but is expected to see more time this season and great things are expected from him. 1B Meusel performed well, belting 17 homers and knocking in 55 RBI's while batting .272 and swiping 18 bags in only 78 games. He has earned the starting nod this season and expects to continue his hot start to his big league career. At 2B, Rivera had a tough time hitting for average at only .225, but knocked out 10 long balls and drove in 40 runs in 62 games. If he can continue the pop and bring up the average, he should be able to hold onto the 2B gig. In left, Renyel Tejeda also showed some promise, hitting 7 HR's and driving in 41 while swiping 21 bases and hitting .240 in 76 games. Last years FA signing SS Bob Jacobs hit .292 and stole 23 bags while hitting 8 HR's and driving in 37.
This season, tdfactory brings in SP Mule Wells, P Chris Aaron, and backup OF Alberto Andrus. P Rusty Haney came over in the Rule V draft. Wells and Aaron are being heavily counted on this season. The major blow to the club was losing SP Harry Guillen, a home grown player who decided to test FA in the offseason. Columbus stayed in the running, but Syracuse offered a fresh start and more money than Columbus could afford. The other FA losses were not a loss and four of them remain unsigned.
No help will be coming from the farm this season in all likelihood, with Season 17 and 18's first round picks P Hector Narveson and P Stephen Harvey needing a full season in AAA this year before being ready for their debuts. Last seasons first rounder SS Bip Oeltjen is in his first full season in HiA and is several years away.
With the #12 pick in the draft and also the comp first rounder for P Guillen at #47, both picks this year need to be solid to help restock the minors which overall are not great. WIth a payroll near $100 million, this team is not in a position to sign IFA's this year, so the draft will need to be a hit.
The pitching staff continues to be anchored by veteran Lloyd Roberts and Homer Konerko who went 11-1 last season. Not having Guillen as part of the 3 headed monster will hurt. The back end of the rotation will depend on veterans Carlos Encarnacion and Octavio Rivera, another FA signing from last season, and this years big signing Mule Wells. The bulpen will continue to be anchored by Shawn Beaulac, Haywood Young and Dustin Watson.
Thomas Fogg returns at 3B to be the main power source, and the young guns provide the hope with the rest of the team. Depending on how they perform, this team could be a surprise or a major disappointment. A tough decision might have to be made if they do not perform, and some veteran FA's may be moved to help bring in some younger talent. Expectations were high last season and the Bucks disappointed, this year expectations are low, so we will see if they can surprise. Go Bucks!
Syracuse Orange
Players Lost: Andres Rosario (trade late in Season 19);Gaylord Burke (Type B) ; Mule Wells (B); Raymond Nixon (B); Nate Forster; Bernard Rucker; Orval Coscarart
FA added : Harry Guillen (Type A); Osvaldo Lopez (trade).
Prospects Added or soon to be added: Matty Caballero (cf, 2b); Ricardo Coronado (rp); Johnny Ryan (SP); Santiago Matos (rp)
Outlook: I once remember hearing someone say that the most fun you can have in following a team as a fan is watching them right as they start to get good and you know that you’re onto something. I think that’s just about where the Orange presently is at. I know we’re still a year away, but I’ve seen many teams do some nice things a year early so who knows. The offense will be so so. Not a ton different from last year we adjust to life without Michael Seay giving us 650 abs. The pitching will be better this season with Harry Guillen on the bump. The bullpen should be much improved. That was a real weakness last season.
We got a pretty decent shot at a wild card this season and we expect to make the playoffs in season 21
Detroit Wolverines
S19: 71-91
Season 19 saw a 10 game improvement and ruined hop's New Year's Day as we hit the win mark to avoid probabtion. Because of the 101 loss record in S18 we couldn't quite continue with the rebuild, but had to become a player in FA to avoid another season like that. This offseason we were fairly busy in the trade market, at least more than in the past.
We were able to trade away some long-term contracts and grabbed what we believe to be 2 very nice prospects in Keith Petersen and Marshall Washington. Douglas Lowrie was the #1 pick for us last season, while Petersen was taken 3rd in the draft and Washington #14th so we've got three nice offensive players to build around in a couple seasons now.
Ivan Cabellero, Al Chavez, and Bonk Price will all join the majors this season becuase of the trades, coming up a season earlier than we'd like but we couldn't pass up Petersen and Washington. Also LaTroy Bell will get called up to handle RF for a few seasons until the young guys are ready. We resigned Edgardo Renteria to be a stop gap after he spent the last 3 seasons pitching in Hunington, and also inked Clyde Jodie to pitch in relief.
The offense will once again be centered around Eliezer Arrojo but with Aaron Scelfo playing his first full season we're expecting him to transition into our leader for the time being. We've got some cash flexibility now to maybe land an Int'l player and the #9 pick in this season's draft to continue the rebuild but looks like we'll be sitting at home come playoff time for another season.
Little Rock Razorbacks
Key Additions: Danny Smoltz, Gaylord Burke, Miguel Concepcion, Homer Bush, Turner Evans, Frank Jenkins, Grant White, Joe Alexander, Dick Bailey
Key Loses: Roger Herndon
Prospects: Cristian Caruso, Kory Silva, Duke Strong
Outlook: The outlook in Little Rock is rosy this spring. Management felt like we were doing the right thing the last few years by building using the draft and some International signings. We decided to add some free agent signings to overhaul the major league club to make a run at the playoffs.
We struck out in trying to sign Harry Guillen to bolster the rotation, but we were able to land all the other major free agents we were looking to add. Since we weren't able to add Guillen, rumor has it that Duke Strong may be in the major league rotation a year earlier than expected. He is competing in spring training for a rotation spot.
Cristian Caruso has been called up to the majors to help in the pen. If Kory Silva has a strong spring showing, he also may be added to the pen.
We wish Roger Herndon the best with his new team. It would have been nice to retain him, but he and management could not come to agree on a new contract.
Anything less than a playoff spot will be a big disappointment in Little Rock this season. Wooo Pig Sooie, Go, Hogs Go!
Huntington Thundering Herd
A successful season 19, saw a disappointing end as we snuck into the playoffs only to be swept by the 3 seed in the opening round.
Despite a post-season berth, there were improvements that needed to be made. Basically a 9th ranked pitching staff and a 4th ranked offense needed to be equalized. With that in mind, we made an effort to add new SPs to our rotation and solidify our bullpen. We missed on our main targets, but still managed to improve the quality of our pitching. Kevin Ryu (11-8, 5 CG, 1.24WHIP, 3.55ERA) once again anchors the staff. Dallas Parrott and Brian Masset return to the staff as the #3 & #4 instead of #2 & #3. McKay Benes (5-12, 163.0IP, 1.15WHIP, 3.48ERA) was brought over in a trade from Detroit to slide into the #2 role. Jason Cole (5-4, 103.2IP, 1.26WHIP, 4.43ERA) is our #5.
The bullpen is much improved too as we added Pat Howington, Rico Rivera, Roy White, Michael Sutton, and rookie Hanley Roth are added to returnees Lyle Hughes and Ruben Javier. This bullpen is better at the top and should be able to provide a lockdown at the end of games.
Offensively, despite seemingly not needing to make any moves, moves were made. Future HOF Enrique Sojo is gone…in his place is slugging 1B Shane Meadows. Potential ROTY Markus Crosby patrols CF this season. A big addition to this offense is 3B Mitchell Spencer, acquired along with Benes for former 3B of the future Marshall Washington from Detroit. Spencer fills a gaping hole at 3B while adding some much needed protection RF Andrea Nelson and LF Gabe Price. SS Jumbo Cortazar is back as is 2B Robert Frederick to give this team a top-notch middle of the infield. Juan Molina is joined by defensive specialist Rob Henderson as the backstops. OF Carlos Molina provides a powerful LHB off the bench. IF Fernando Guzman looks to be the vsR PH specialist while providing depth at a multitude of positions. IF Herm O’Shea will see some playing time against LHP while also providing speed and versatility off the bench. SS Benny Chavez makes his return as the defensive specialist extraordinaire while we await the maturation of one of many of the Herd’s young SS.
This season should be a fun one as I feel like the only weakness offensively with the Herd is at 2B and even that’s not too terrible. I look to compete for the NL South championship and get deeper than ever in the play-offs.
Helena Grizzlies
Key Additions: Kent Matheny (CF), Larry Sedlacek (C), Matt James (C), Rafael Liriano (2B), Corey Sheffield (RP), Morris Morgan (SP) and Karim Ramirez (RP)
Key Losses: Alberto Andrus (CF), Benito Valbuena (C), Nigel Halama (C), Jose Mendoza (SP), Manuel Santayana (RP)
Outlook: The Helena Grizzles are one year older and with each passing season it seems like a bigger challenge to keep the team at the top of the NL Mountain. After back to back World Series appearances, management feels obligated todo everything they can to keep the core group in place and to make another run at a title. In a Brett Farve type offseason, where management made multiple visits to his home to keep him from retirement, Bernie Ortiz has decided to play at least one more season. Nobody expected the 36 year old to hit 28 home runs and drive in 119 runs in season 19, but he did. He now sits at 621 career home runs and 2,629 career hits. Ortiz no longer has the range to play 3B, so expect him to play COF in season 20. The Grizzle offense took most of the heat this offseason for the teams eventual World Series demise. Therefore that is where the team focused this offseason. The front office feels like the additions of Matheny (CF), Sedlacek/James at C and Rafael Liriano at 2B should make the offense deeper if not stronger. The fans are pleased to see Season 18 World Series hero Corey Sheffield back on the roster after spending last season in Huntington. Sheffield’s game 7 performance in Season 18, when he entered the 2nd inning to relieve a struggling Jose Mendoza with the team trailing and pitched 6 shutout innings to allow the offense to get back into the game and eventually win it, is lore in Helena Grizzle history and at age 36, it is probably appropriate for him to finish his career with the team where he had his moment in the sun.
New Orleans Bayou Bengals
New Orleans Bayou Bengals finished 90-72 last season but were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. Gnoe from last year are SS Rodney Gant and UTL Max Vega as well as P Francisco Bournigal. All contributed last season but management attempted to upgrade through FA and have some minor leagers ready to move to the bigs.
P Ralph Mora (R) received a big contract and is expected to be another stud in the rotation. Along with Komatsu, Keefe and Trevino the starting rotation should be solid. All position starters from last season other than Gant are returning. Fred Robinson will get the SS duties. There are five position players at AAA that are big league ready. Looks for any of them to be called up or moved if additional pitching is needed. Included are Crespo, Betancourt, Hasegawa, Houston and Cabeza.
The Bayou Bengals should be able to make a run at Nashville for a division title this season while keeping an eye on Jackson and Little Rock.
Boise Broncos
Boise is primed to take a major step forward this year (hopefully). The catching position has been completely revamped with the addition of Browne and the promotion of Lopez. The improved pitch calling and defense should help the pitching staff. The additions of Louis Martinez and Al Nippert make our bullpen a real strength for the first time in years. The rotation is a great mix of youth and veteran leadership, with Fankie Carreon and Carlos Jose getting their first full year chances. Also getting their first full seasons in the Bigs are SS Dale Parrish and CF Jose Ortiz, both are expected to shine. In AAA we have RF Red Dreifort and SP Max Chavez, and it would not be surprising to see both called up before too long. The Broncos are ready to roll!
New York Red Storm
Key FA Loss: None
Key FA Aquisition: Marino Terrero
Trade: Hugh Ramsey for Grant White
Call-ups: Scott Lord, Alex Martin, Felix Dunston & Dom Payton
Outlook: I plan to be more competitive for sure barring any injuries to my stars like last year. If the youngsters can perform, I think I have an outside shot at the division with the addition of Terrero and my 3 1st rounders I plan to bring to the bigs.
Cincinnati Bearcats
The Bearcats forecast last season was filled with hopes for a playoff berth; but, in spite of a 14 game improvement over the season before and a 90 win season, the 'Catas fell one game short, losing out on the last day of the season. Hope is tempered this season because the team's bell cow, Marino Terrero opted for free agency and moved on to greener pastures. The void created by Terrero's absence has not been repaired. The addition of Joe Blank and Juan Diaz helps patch the damage and a full season from Daichi Song and Salvador Beltre will shore up the bullpen.
The starting staff is solid; but, it lacks a true #1. With no rookies ready to step in and no significant additions, it appears Cincinnati will take a step back this season. The brutally tough AL North leaves no opponents flaws unexposed. As a result, the Bearcats can expect a battle to keep their record in the plus column this season.
Dover Fightin' Blue Hens
The Blue Hens followed up a season 17 world series appearance with two mediocre .500 seasons. Management still has not figured out what happened. More of the same won't do, so 2b Javier Mendoza, SS Jacob Belle, and SP Rico Martinez were all allowed to become free agents. Martinez will be replaced in the rotation by rule 5 pick Ricardo Morales. Closer Nick Robinson will anchor the bullpen and become the world's all-time saves leader. The offense will be a continued youth movement, with CF Jaime Lowry intending to contend for rookie of the year.
The Blue Hens are shooting for a return to 90+ wins, and in the NL North, where 86 wins won last season, that just might be enough.
Nashville Commodores
Coming off a loss in the DCS this season's edition of the Nashville Commodores looks remarkably similar to last season's edition. Joaquin Nunez was resigned in the off season and joins Willie Izturis and Trent Keefe in a strong rotation. Troy McEnroe will be promoted during the season as an addition to the bullpen which includes standouts Ronald Berger and Kip Jennings . Once again the pitching staff will be a strength in Nashville. A lack of power was the biggest weakness for the offense last season so the addition of Victor Urbina should be a big plus. The rest of the offense remains intact. It includes Tom Blank , who was the leader in batting average and RBI's and Albie Tejeda. last season's leader in home runs. With a strong pitching staff, adequate offense and exceptional defense, the Commodores should once again challenge for the division title.
Charleston Cougars
Charleston made few changes to a team that competed in the LCS last year and made the WS in Season 18. The Cougars believe they are within their window to compete for a title this year and hope to win 100 games and a division title.
Offensively, the team will be led by Craig Parrish who clubbed 45 HRs last season and 3b Odalis Velazquez who put up a .311/22/106 line while playing fine defense. International signing Saul Martin will likely join the majors after the first few weeks.
Eswalin Sierra and John Kramer will continue to anchor a pitching staff that keeps Charleston in virtually every game that it plays. Omar Quinones will likely join the staff after spending a few weeks in the minors.
Philadelphia Owls
Key Players Lost : None.
Key Transactions : None
Rookie expected to contribute: Julio Andrus RP, Shigetoshi Tabaka SP and Francisco Soto RP.
Owls are rebuilding. They are not expecting great things from the team but some individual could put great numbers on the board. Offensively, this team can compete with young third baseman Frieri Santiago, CF Carlton Brooks, veteran second baseman Miller Kotsay, 1B Julio Nunez and DH Everth Manzanillo. The rotation, lead by young Carlos Martinez and veteran Nolan Boone will get some help with the arrival of Shigetoshi Tabaka.
The future though, looks brighter with 2B Terrell Kelly, SP Tabaka, SS Juan Dali , catcher Phil Strickland, SP Brad Cunningham, DH Dusty Malone and many relievers like Francisco Soto, Carlos Santos and Rodrigo Chirinos.
We hope to send a better team on the field very, very soon.
Memphis Tigers
Key Acquisitions: Wes Cyr 3b, Roger Herndon Lf
Key Players Lost: Bill Morton 1b
Rookies to watch for: Christopher Jenkins SS, Chili Carver SP, Roger Crespo SP
Tigers Management once again went into the offseason and free agency looking to upgrade the Tiger offense. Opting not to re-sign their top HR and RBI guy over the last couple of seasons in Morton, Memphis rolled the dice and signed Wes Cyr (5yr/$46.3M) and Roger Herndon (4yr/$33.8M). The Tigers are optimistic both will remain healthy with Cyr stepping in where Morton left off and adding more speed. The addition of Herndon looks to provide another quality bat with speed as well.
Excitement in Tiger Town is running high as always to begin the season. Rookie Christopher Jenkins looks to break camp as Memphis’ starting shortstop. The Tiger rotation looks to open with a couple new faces as well, with rookie sensation Chili Carver and fellow rookie Roger Crespo earning spots on the hill.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
This offseason was a successful one in Texas, mainly because we managed to resign our two biggest bats, Adam Seneca and Chico Cela. Many minor roster additions were made too, but the only impact signing was former Trojan Jake Randolph. He will be a valuable 3rd starter behind Shumpert and Telemaco. With a very solid pitching and defense, and good enough offense this team should be a playoff team once again, and hopefully a WS contender. The team is getting old though, with only 4 players under 30 on the ML squad. With the window closing, this team only has 2-3 more seasons before we'll probably have to begin to rebuild for the post-Shumpert years.
Fargo Bison
not much changed here in the offseason in Fargo, except the loss of Ralph Mora...good riddance sir, as he did not want to be here anymore. we hope to meet him later in the season and slap him around the yard for being a greedy bastard. we are looking forward to another trip to the postseason and hopefully we can get past the juggernaut in our division whom we shall not name by name...
Iowa City Hawkeyes
Iowa signed P Mendoza and 3B Cruz late in free agency didn't get a 3B I was looking for or a starting pitcher hoping Crosby, O'Neill and Nichlaus can take me to the playoffs again.
Anaheim Trojans
Not expecting much this year, but wasn't when I took over last year and we won the division. Let longtime anchor Jake Randolph walk, I really only made a few budget signings as evidenced by my 29 million dollar salary cap. Will bring up Tony Kim . Excitied to have 4 picks in the top 50.
Locking up our core - The Tar Heels moved aggressively to continue to lock up their core players long term by signing SP Brandon Gragg and Sonny White and 1B Haywood Bryant to long term deals through season 24.
Key Additions - Tino Brown was picked off the scrap heap once one of our pitchers went down with a season ending injury. Other than that, we stayed status quo.
Key Losses - After spending 19 seasons in the Tar Heel organization, Manny Bedard has moved on and will fill a role with the Oakland bullpen. He is the top reliever in Tar Heel history and will find a place in the Ring of Honor.
Prospects - Former first round pick, Kenny McIntyre has been promoted and will fill a long relief role this season. Al Trammel will be coming up around Game 25 to fill the spot Bedard had last season.
Outlook - Our goal hasn't changed for the last few seasons. Win the NL East, earn a first round bye in the playoffs, and then let the chips fall where they may. We like to get into the playoffs and position ourselves for the best possibility of winning. The Heels have arguably been the top team in the NL the last few seasons, but have been upset in the playoffs for various reasons. We're going to enjoy the ride.
Columbus Buckeyes
Key Losses- SP Harry Guillen, C Larry Sedlacek, RF Carlos Molina, RF Homer Giambi, 2B Julio Armas, 1B Ray Hausmann, P Jackie Watson
Key Additions- SP Mule Wells, P Chris Aaron, P Rusty Haney, and CF Alberto Andrus
Columbus, OH- Expectations were high in Columbus last year coming off of tdfactory's 3rd season and the first ever playoff appearance for the Buckeyes. It was apparent early on that the magic of the playoff run the prior season was not going to repeat itself. Tdfactory decided to get some playing time for some of the promising young players and called up C Vin Lopez, 1B Ryan Meusel, 2B Les Rivera, and LF Renyel Tejeda.
Lopez had limited playing time, serving mainly as a defensive replacement, but is expected to see more time this season and great things are expected from him. 1B Meusel performed well, belting 17 homers and knocking in 55 RBI's while batting .272 and swiping 18 bags in only 78 games. He has earned the starting nod this season and expects to continue his hot start to his big league career. At 2B, Rivera had a tough time hitting for average at only .225, but knocked out 10 long balls and drove in 40 runs in 62 games. If he can continue the pop and bring up the average, he should be able to hold onto the 2B gig. In left, Renyel Tejeda also showed some promise, hitting 7 HR's and driving in 41 while swiping 21 bases and hitting .240 in 76 games. Last years FA signing SS Bob Jacobs hit .292 and stole 23 bags while hitting 8 HR's and driving in 37.
This season, tdfactory brings in SP Mule Wells, P Chris Aaron, and backup OF Alberto Andrus. P Rusty Haney came over in the Rule V draft. Wells and Aaron are being heavily counted on this season. The major blow to the club was losing SP Harry Guillen, a home grown player who decided to test FA in the offseason. Columbus stayed in the running, but Syracuse offered a fresh start and more money than Columbus could afford. The other FA losses were not a loss and four of them remain unsigned.
No help will be coming from the farm this season in all likelihood, with Season 17 and 18's first round picks P Hector Narveson and P Stephen Harvey needing a full season in AAA this year before being ready for their debuts. Last seasons first rounder SS Bip Oeltjen is in his first full season in HiA and is several years away.
With the #12 pick in the draft and also the comp first rounder for P Guillen at #47, both picks this year need to be solid to help restock the minors which overall are not great. WIth a payroll near $100 million, this team is not in a position to sign IFA's this year, so the draft will need to be a hit.
The pitching staff continues to be anchored by veteran Lloyd Roberts and Homer Konerko who went 11-1 last season. Not having Guillen as part of the 3 headed monster will hurt. The back end of the rotation will depend on veterans Carlos Encarnacion and Octavio Rivera, another FA signing from last season, and this years big signing Mule Wells. The bulpen will continue to be anchored by Shawn Beaulac, Haywood Young and Dustin Watson.
Thomas Fogg returns at 3B to be the main power source, and the young guns provide the hope with the rest of the team. Depending on how they perform, this team could be a surprise or a major disappointment. A tough decision might have to be made if they do not perform, and some veteran FA's may be moved to help bring in some younger talent. Expectations were high last season and the Bucks disappointed, this year expectations are low, so we will see if they can surprise. Go Bucks!
Syracuse Orange
Players Lost: Andres Rosario (trade late in Season 19);Gaylord Burke (Type B) ; Mule Wells (B); Raymond Nixon (B); Nate Forster; Bernard Rucker; Orval Coscarart
FA added : Harry Guillen (Type A); Osvaldo Lopez (trade).
Prospects Added or soon to be added: Matty Caballero (cf, 2b); Ricardo Coronado (rp); Johnny Ryan (SP); Santiago Matos (rp)
Outlook: I once remember hearing someone say that the most fun you can have in following a team as a fan is watching them right as they start to get good and you know that you’re onto something. I think that’s just about where the Orange presently is at. I know we’re still a year away, but I’ve seen many teams do some nice things a year early so who knows. The offense will be so so. Not a ton different from last year we adjust to life without Michael Seay giving us 650 abs. The pitching will be better this season with Harry Guillen on the bump. The bullpen should be much improved. That was a real weakness last season.
We got a pretty decent shot at a wild card this season and we expect to make the playoffs in season 21
Detroit Wolverines
S19: 71-91
Season 19 saw a 10 game improvement and ruined hop's New Year's Day as we hit the win mark to avoid probabtion. Because of the 101 loss record in S18 we couldn't quite continue with the rebuild, but had to become a player in FA to avoid another season like that. This offseason we were fairly busy in the trade market, at least more than in the past.
We were able to trade away some long-term contracts and grabbed what we believe to be 2 very nice prospects in Keith Petersen and Marshall Washington. Douglas Lowrie was the #1 pick for us last season, while Petersen was taken 3rd in the draft and Washington #14th so we've got three nice offensive players to build around in a couple seasons now.
Ivan Cabellero, Al Chavez, and Bonk Price will all join the majors this season becuase of the trades, coming up a season earlier than we'd like but we couldn't pass up Petersen and Washington. Also LaTroy Bell will get called up to handle RF for a few seasons until the young guys are ready. We resigned Edgardo Renteria to be a stop gap after he spent the last 3 seasons pitching in Hunington, and also inked Clyde Jodie to pitch in relief.
The offense will once again be centered around Eliezer Arrojo but with Aaron Scelfo playing his first full season we're expecting him to transition into our leader for the time being. We've got some cash flexibility now to maybe land an Int'l player and the #9 pick in this season's draft to continue the rebuild but looks like we'll be sitting at home come playoff time for another season.
Little Rock Razorbacks
Key Additions: Danny Smoltz, Gaylord Burke, Miguel Concepcion, Homer Bush, Turner Evans, Frank Jenkins, Grant White, Joe Alexander, Dick Bailey
Key Loses: Roger Herndon
Prospects: Cristian Caruso, Kory Silva, Duke Strong
Outlook: The outlook in Little Rock is rosy this spring. Management felt like we were doing the right thing the last few years by building using the draft and some International signings. We decided to add some free agent signings to overhaul the major league club to make a run at the playoffs.
We struck out in trying to sign Harry Guillen to bolster the rotation, but we were able to land all the other major free agents we were looking to add. Since we weren't able to add Guillen, rumor has it that Duke Strong may be in the major league rotation a year earlier than expected. He is competing in spring training for a rotation spot.
Cristian Caruso has been called up to the majors to help in the pen. If Kory Silva has a strong spring showing, he also may be added to the pen.
We wish Roger Herndon the best with his new team. It would have been nice to retain him, but he and management could not come to agree on a new contract.
Anything less than a playoff spot will be a big disappointment in Little Rock this season. Wooo Pig Sooie, Go, Hogs Go!
Huntington Thundering Herd
A successful season 19, saw a disappointing end as we snuck into the playoffs only to be swept by the 3 seed in the opening round.
Despite a post-season berth, there were improvements that needed to be made. Basically a 9th ranked pitching staff and a 4th ranked offense needed to be equalized. With that in mind, we made an effort to add new SPs to our rotation and solidify our bullpen. We missed on our main targets, but still managed to improve the quality of our pitching. Kevin Ryu (11-8, 5 CG, 1.24WHIP, 3.55ERA) once again anchors the staff. Dallas Parrott and Brian Masset return to the staff as the #3 & #4 instead of #2 & #3. McKay Benes (5-12, 163.0IP, 1.15WHIP, 3.48ERA) was brought over in a trade from Detroit to slide into the #2 role. Jason Cole (5-4, 103.2IP, 1.26WHIP, 4.43ERA) is our #5.
The bullpen is much improved too as we added Pat Howington, Rico Rivera, Roy White, Michael Sutton, and rookie Hanley Roth are added to returnees Lyle Hughes and Ruben Javier. This bullpen is better at the top and should be able to provide a lockdown at the end of games.
Offensively, despite seemingly not needing to make any moves, moves were made. Future HOF Enrique Sojo is gone…in his place is slugging 1B Shane Meadows. Potential ROTY Markus Crosby patrols CF this season. A big addition to this offense is 3B Mitchell Spencer, acquired along with Benes for former 3B of the future Marshall Washington from Detroit. Spencer fills a gaping hole at 3B while adding some much needed protection RF Andrea Nelson and LF Gabe Price. SS Jumbo Cortazar is back as is 2B Robert Frederick to give this team a top-notch middle of the infield. Juan Molina is joined by defensive specialist Rob Henderson as the backstops. OF Carlos Molina provides a powerful LHB off the bench. IF Fernando Guzman looks to be the vsR PH specialist while providing depth at a multitude of positions. IF Herm O’Shea will see some playing time against LHP while also providing speed and versatility off the bench. SS Benny Chavez makes his return as the defensive specialist extraordinaire while we await the maturation of one of many of the Herd’s young SS.
This season should be a fun one as I feel like the only weakness offensively with the Herd is at 2B and even that’s not too terrible. I look to compete for the NL South championship and get deeper than ever in the play-offs.
Helena Grizzlies
Key Additions: Kent Matheny (CF), Larry Sedlacek (C), Matt James (C), Rafael Liriano (2B), Corey Sheffield (RP), Morris Morgan (SP) and Karim Ramirez (RP)
Key Losses: Alberto Andrus (CF), Benito Valbuena (C), Nigel Halama (C), Jose Mendoza (SP), Manuel Santayana (RP)
Outlook: The Helena Grizzles are one year older and with each passing season it seems like a bigger challenge to keep the team at the top of the NL Mountain. After back to back World Series appearances, management feels obligated todo everything they can to keep the core group in place and to make another run at a title. In a Brett Farve type offseason, where management made multiple visits to his home to keep him from retirement, Bernie Ortiz has decided to play at least one more season. Nobody expected the 36 year old to hit 28 home runs and drive in 119 runs in season 19, but he did. He now sits at 621 career home runs and 2,629 career hits. Ortiz no longer has the range to play 3B, so expect him to play COF in season 20. The Grizzle offense took most of the heat this offseason for the teams eventual World Series demise. Therefore that is where the team focused this offseason. The front office feels like the additions of Matheny (CF), Sedlacek/James at C and Rafael Liriano at 2B should make the offense deeper if not stronger. The fans are pleased to see Season 18 World Series hero Corey Sheffield back on the roster after spending last season in Huntington. Sheffield’s game 7 performance in Season 18, when he entered the 2nd inning to relieve a struggling Jose Mendoza with the team trailing and pitched 6 shutout innings to allow the offense to get back into the game and eventually win it, is lore in Helena Grizzle history and at age 36, it is probably appropriate for him to finish his career with the team where he had his moment in the sun.
New Orleans Bayou Bengals
New Orleans Bayou Bengals finished 90-72 last season but were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. Gnoe from last year are SS Rodney Gant and UTL Max Vega as well as P Francisco Bournigal. All contributed last season but management attempted to upgrade through FA and have some minor leagers ready to move to the bigs.
P Ralph Mora (R) received a big contract and is expected to be another stud in the rotation. Along with Komatsu, Keefe and Trevino the starting rotation should be solid. All position starters from last season other than Gant are returning. Fred Robinson will get the SS duties. There are five position players at AAA that are big league ready. Looks for any of them to be called up or moved if additional pitching is needed. Included are Crespo, Betancourt, Hasegawa, Houston and Cabeza.
The Bayou Bengals should be able to make a run at Nashville for a division title this season while keeping an eye on Jackson and Little Rock.
Boise Broncos
Boise is primed to take a major step forward this year (hopefully). The catching position has been completely revamped with the addition of Browne and the promotion of Lopez. The improved pitch calling and defense should help the pitching staff. The additions of Louis Martinez and Al Nippert make our bullpen a real strength for the first time in years. The rotation is a great mix of youth and veteran leadership, with Fankie Carreon and Carlos Jose getting their first full year chances. Also getting their first full seasons in the Bigs are SS Dale Parrish and CF Jose Ortiz, both are expected to shine. In AAA we have RF Red Dreifort and SP Max Chavez, and it would not be surprising to see both called up before too long. The Broncos are ready to roll!
New York Red Storm
Key FA Loss: None
Key FA Aquisition: Marino Terrero
Trade: Hugh Ramsey for Grant White
Call-ups: Scott Lord, Alex Martin, Felix Dunston & Dom Payton
Outlook: I plan to be more competitive for sure barring any injuries to my stars like last year. If the youngsters can perform, I think I have an outside shot at the division with the addition of Terrero and my 3 1st rounders I plan to bring to the bigs.
Cincinnati Bearcats
The Bearcats forecast last season was filled with hopes for a playoff berth; but, in spite of a 14 game improvement over the season before and a 90 win season, the 'Catas fell one game short, losing out on the last day of the season. Hope is tempered this season because the team's bell cow, Marino Terrero opted for free agency and moved on to greener pastures. The void created by Terrero's absence has not been repaired. The addition of Joe Blank and Juan Diaz helps patch the damage and a full season from Daichi Song and Salvador Beltre will shore up the bullpen.
The starting staff is solid; but, it lacks a true #1. With no rookies ready to step in and no significant additions, it appears Cincinnati will take a step back this season. The brutally tough AL North leaves no opponents flaws unexposed. As a result, the Bearcats can expect a battle to keep their record in the plus column this season.
Dover Fightin' Blue Hens
The Blue Hens followed up a season 17 world series appearance with two mediocre .500 seasons. Management still has not figured out what happened. More of the same won't do, so 2b Javier Mendoza, SS Jacob Belle, and SP Rico Martinez were all allowed to become free agents. Martinez will be replaced in the rotation by rule 5 pick Ricardo Morales. Closer Nick Robinson will anchor the bullpen and become the world's all-time saves leader. The offense will be a continued youth movement, with CF Jaime Lowry intending to contend for rookie of the year.
The Blue Hens are shooting for a return to 90+ wins, and in the NL North, where 86 wins won last season, that just might be enough.
Nashville Commodores
Coming off a loss in the DCS this season's edition of the Nashville Commodores looks remarkably similar to last season's edition. Joaquin Nunez was resigned in the off season and joins Willie Izturis and Trent Keefe in a strong rotation. Troy McEnroe will be promoted during the season as an addition to the bullpen which includes standouts Ronald Berger and Kip Jennings . Once again the pitching staff will be a strength in Nashville. A lack of power was the biggest weakness for the offense last season so the addition of Victor Urbina should be a big plus. The rest of the offense remains intact. It includes Tom Blank , who was the leader in batting average and RBI's and Albie Tejeda. last season's leader in home runs. With a strong pitching staff, adequate offense and exceptional defense, the Commodores should once again challenge for the division title.
Charleston Cougars
Charleston made few changes to a team that competed in the LCS last year and made the WS in Season 18. The Cougars believe they are within their window to compete for a title this year and hope to win 100 games and a division title.
Offensively, the team will be led by Craig Parrish who clubbed 45 HRs last season and 3b Odalis Velazquez who put up a .311/22/106 line while playing fine defense. International signing Saul Martin will likely join the majors after the first few weeks.
Eswalin Sierra and John Kramer will continue to anchor a pitching staff that keeps Charleston in virtually every game that it plays. Omar Quinones will likely join the staff after spending a few weeks in the minors.
Philadelphia Owls
Key Players Lost : None.
Key Transactions : None
Rookie expected to contribute: Julio Andrus RP, Shigetoshi Tabaka SP and Francisco Soto RP.
Owls are rebuilding. They are not expecting great things from the team but some individual could put great numbers on the board. Offensively, this team can compete with young third baseman Frieri Santiago, CF Carlton Brooks, veteran second baseman Miller Kotsay, 1B Julio Nunez and DH Everth Manzanillo. The rotation, lead by young Carlos Martinez and veteran Nolan Boone will get some help with the arrival of Shigetoshi Tabaka.
The future though, looks brighter with 2B Terrell Kelly, SP Tabaka, SS Juan Dali , catcher Phil Strickland, SP Brad Cunningham, DH Dusty Malone and many relievers like Francisco Soto, Carlos Santos and Rodrigo Chirinos.
We hope to send a better team on the field very, very soon.
Memphis Tigers
Key Acquisitions: Wes Cyr 3b, Roger Herndon Lf
Key Players Lost: Bill Morton 1b
Rookies to watch for: Christopher Jenkins SS, Chili Carver SP, Roger Crespo SP
Tigers Management once again went into the offseason and free agency looking to upgrade the Tiger offense. Opting not to re-sign their top HR and RBI guy over the last couple of seasons in Morton, Memphis rolled the dice and signed Wes Cyr (5yr/$46.3M) and Roger Herndon (4yr/$33.8M). The Tigers are optimistic both will remain healthy with Cyr stepping in where Morton left off and adding more speed. The addition of Herndon looks to provide another quality bat with speed as well.
Excitement in Tiger Town is running high as always to begin the season. Rookie Christopher Jenkins looks to break camp as Memphis’ starting shortstop. The Tiger rotation looks to open with a couple new faces as well, with rookie sensation Chili Carver and fellow rookie Roger Crespo earning spots on the hill.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
This offseason was a successful one in Texas, mainly because we managed to resign our two biggest bats, Adam Seneca and Chico Cela. Many minor roster additions were made too, but the only impact signing was former Trojan Jake Randolph. He will be a valuable 3rd starter behind Shumpert and Telemaco. With a very solid pitching and defense, and good enough offense this team should be a playoff team once again, and hopefully a WS contender. The team is getting old though, with only 4 players under 30 on the ML squad. With the window closing, this team only has 2-3 more seasons before we'll probably have to begin to rebuild for the post-Shumpert years.
Fargo Bison
not much changed here in the offseason in Fargo, except the loss of Ralph Mora...good riddance sir, as he did not want to be here anymore. we hope to meet him later in the season and slap him around the yard for being a greedy bastard. we are looking forward to another trip to the postseason and hopefully we can get past the juggernaut in our division whom we shall not name by name...
Iowa City Hawkeyes
Iowa signed P Mendoza and 3B Cruz late in free agency didn't get a 3B I was looking for or a starting pitcher hoping Crosby, O'Neill and Nichlaus can take me to the playoffs again.
Anaheim Trojans
Not expecting much this year, but wasn't when I took over last year and we won the division. Let longtime anchor Jake Randolph walk, I really only made a few budget signings as evidenced by my 29 million dollar salary cap. Will bring up Tony Kim . Excitied to have 4 picks in the top 50.
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