Season 18 Recap: New Orleans won a franchise-high 107 and cruised to its 3rd straight South title. San Juan won 88 for second. Mexico City dropped off 8 wins (67), while Louisville improved by 5 wins to 56. had its second straight sub-.500 year (74 wins). The Senators knocked out Vancouver and lost to Chicago in the DCS; the Privateers topped Jacksonville in the DCS before bowing out to Chicago in the NLCS.
NEW ORLEANS lost a chunk of pitching in free agency (#1 starter Jesus Javier, swingman Tomas Cruz and setup man Tuck Barkley). Don't think they'll manage a 3.25 team ERA again, but they should still be good. Magglio Nunez, Fred West and Omar Chavez anchor the rotation. Wesley Telford is one of the NL's best closers (88 saves the last 2 seasons) - he's setup capably by Theodore Curtis and Kelly Nelson. If William Kim would pitch the way his rating suggest he could, the Privateers' staff might be special again. Former MVP Sid Selby (CF) ignites the offense; another former MVP, Richie Scheffer (.276/34/110), RF Kevin Grabowski (.280/46/118), 3B Clarence Richard (.313/35/99) and 1B Nap Myatt (.287/30/121) supply the power. The unheralded catching duo of Quilvio Nunez (a former 2nd-rounder) and Juan Vazquez (a former IFA who commanded a whopping $1.6MM bonus) combined for a remarkable .324/22/81 with 117 walks last year.
SAN JUAN didn't do a lot in free agency (although adding C Brendan Keeler for less than $2MM a year was a coups) because they didn't have to; they have one of the best young nuceli in the NL. It starts with the front 3 of the rotation: Season 17 Cy Young and ROY winner Rex Gragg (24), Season 14's top IFA Ramiro Fuentes (25), and Season 9's #6 overall Vince Cross. It continues with setup man extraordinaire Pascual Moya, 23, who notched 7 wins and 10 saves in 132 innings. It extends to the offense with 1B Phillip Cooke, who has 3 All-Star appearances, 2 Silver Sluggers and 2 Gold Gloves in 3 seasons; LF Kenneth Scoroposki (.270/27/99) and finishes up with rookie 3B Pablo Ortiz, a Season 14 supplemental pick. Mix in oldtimers Tim Murray (2B, age 38), SP Nick Rando (33, 2.80 ERA last year), SP Midre Jose (30) and the 3-headed catcher committee of Keeler (versus RHP), Ryan Adcock (versus LHP), and Marlon Linden (defense), and the Senators may have themselves a 95-win team this year.
MEXICO CITY is struggling with the out-year effects of big free agent contracts. They went all-out in Season 15, signing Gary Goodwin to a max deal and CF Wally Reid to a near-$10MM a year deal (it worked, they won the division), then added SP Frank Huff in Season 17 on a $50MM+ deal. Goodwin's still good at 32, although his power and durability (not high to stat with) are on the decline. Reid and Huff, though, have declined badly...Reid hasn't been a CF for a couple of seasons, and will barely hit 90 games this year. The team elected to re-sign FA starters Pedro Encarnacion and Luis Redondo (favorable contracts both), but the net result is they're maxed out on payroll, have no C's or SS's on the big-league roster, and have the 38-Dur Dicky Hudson at 1B and the 46-Dur Reid in CF. SO the Red Hots are incomplete at the moment...I think they'll end up trading Encarnacion, Redondo and Goodwin to get some cap space and prospects, but that remains to be seen.
LOUISVILLE will be leaning on some rookies to get things headed in the right direction. Timo Owings (Season 14 Supplemental pick) showed some nice power (26 homers) in his Season 18 LF audition. John Sauveur (Rule 5) could be the best bet at SS. Jair Barrios (Sea 14 IFA) and Brad Johnstone (Sea 17 #24) join the rotation but are probably just placeholders until they hit arb. Most of the ML roster is young and of marginal talent, so the payroll is headed down for awhile. The real focus for a couple of years is going to be on prospects like Damian Schmidt (#1 overall last year) and whoever they take at #2 this year.
PREVIEW
New Orleans has had their way with the division the last few years, but this could be the season San Juan catches up. Season 17's rookie sensation (ROY and Cy Young) Rex Gragg has recovered well from last season's injury and is poised for a big comeback year; his supporting cast is generally young and on the way up. The Privateers' key players, on the other hand, are starting to see a few nicks in the ratings due to age - given their free agent losses, I think they'll slip a few games. I see a close race, with San Juan pulling it out. New Orleans be a close 2nd and will contend for a wild card. Mexico City is impossible to predict at this point; Louisville should improve a little but the focus is on building the minors.
Will contend for the MVP: Phillip Cooke (SJU), Sid Selby (NO)
Will contend for the Cy Young: Rex Gragg (SJU), Ramiro Fuentes (SJU)
Will contend for the ROY: Pablo Ortiz (SJU)
Friday, April 8, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
AL East Season 19 Preview
Season 18 Recap: Pittsburgh won a Belle-best 109 to end Cleveland's run of 12 straight East titles. The Katanas "slumped" to 102 wins (their worst since Season 7) but claimed a wild card. Washington D.C. fell off 13 wins (87) but still took a wild card for the 5th straight year. Scranton appeared to be finally getting somewhere with its rebuilding, and improved 11 wins to 72. Cleveland and D.C. both went out in the first playoff round. The Katanas' Edgardo Valdes won the AL Cy Young - the 3rd (different) Cleveland hurler to do so in the lat 4 seasons (Lorenzo Rodriguez in Season 17 and Aaron Torres in Season 15) - and the Alleghneys' Kaz Lim took the FOY.
PITTSBURGH: The Alleghenies' only significant off-season moves were to re-sign Rafael Brogna and say "sayonara" to Kaz Lim and Maximo Cota...with their farm system spewing out talent every year, no FA moves were needed. With Jung Wanatabe (Season 12's #1 overall), D'Angelo Cerda (Season 11's #1 overall), and Douglas Burnett (Season 14's #5 overall) at the 1,2,3 SP spots, Pittsburgh has Belle's best starting rotation (and probably a guaranteed playoff ticket for the next 8 years or so). They have a young bullpen that hasn't proven itself at this point - if there's a weak spot on the Alleghenies, this is it. On offense, career SB leader Neifi Foster leads it off; Brogna (107 RBI last year), 1B Gene Cuddyer (100+ RBI each of his first 4 seasons), RF Joaquin Alvarez (45 HR's last year) and 3B Bucky Daal (105 RBI last year) form a stout run-production nucleus. There's a wealth of talent chomping the bit at AAA: last year's IFA prize, 19 year-old C Orlando Aguilera, could contribute but probably spends this year in AAA; SS Neftali Rodriguez (Sea 16 IFA) is ready but blocked by ML SS Pedro Mendoza; Season 15 IFA Ruben Villanueva could probably help the bullpen and will likely get the chance.
CLEVELAND manged to hold off time a little longer by re-signing LF Jacque Fitzgerald, SP Billy Brocail, SP Lorenzo Rodriguez and RP Chris Lofton. Fitzgerald (.290, 34 HR's), along with 1B Luke Joyner, (.324), 2B Bill Priest(.383 OBP), RF Otis Langston (33 HR's, 103 RBI), the Johnson/Wheat C platoon (41 HR's combined), and DH Scott Becker (35 HR's, 113 RBI), lead a still-dangerous offense. The staff is starting to get a little age, but still sports 3 CY winners (Rodriguez, Edgardo Valdes and Aaron Torres, although Torres has moved to the bullpen). Brocail and Luis Gabriel are excellent as starters 3 and 4; Lofton is solid in the bullpen but may not have enough help.
WASHINGTON, D.C. brings back Season 18's roster intact. Miguel Mesa was having a monster season last year when herniated disc surgery interrupted it; he makes his return and triggers the offense. RF Mark Gang has been terrific (and consistent...OPS's of .882 and .874) in his first 2 seasons. They'll hit in front of perennial All-Star, 1B Eric Brantley. The Revenge count on DH Matt Flores and C Brutus McKinley to protect Brantley in the lineup. D.C. put up 937 runs last year (3rd) and should be around that total this year. The rotation is high-quality and very deep: Omar Carraso at #1 (14-6, 3.06), former Cy Young and ROY winner Rob Workman at #2, Esteban Velaquez (12-10, 3.27) at #3, talented but yet-to-reach-his-potential Al Aybar at #4, and steady Fausto Ontiveros at #5. Larry Sutton is solid as a setup guy, but Allen Reynolds struggled in his first year as closer (5.03 ERA).
SCRANTON is looking to the future, although they posted a nice 11-win improvement last year. They may have gotten the best player in last year's draft in CF Brent Hartzell at #3; he murdered rookie pitching last year and plays in Low A this season. They have a bunch of prospects at AAA - most will spend the year there, although SP Alex Lee (SEA 15 IFA) and LR Wellington Pizzaro (SEA 15's #22) are close to ready and could get the call this year. The ML offense benefits from the addition of free agents C Odalis Gutierrez and CF Albert Harmon, who finally gets a chance to be a full-time player at age 30. 2B Sandy Weston is their most accomplished table-setter (.365 OBP); LF Ricardo Pulido (.303/22/77) and DH Ralph Bryant (.263/21/86) are the primary power threats. The Stranglers' young staff wasn't very good last year (5.24 ERA). I'd expect some improvement, although it's not a super-talented group. RP Shep LaRue did have a nice rookie season, and probably is the best bet to put up good numbers long-term. Veteran Hector Martin might be the best pitcher on the staff - he could be a decent trade chip at the deadline.
PREVIEW
Pittsburgh has the best starting rotation in Belle, led the AL in runs scored last year, and a farm system that keeps pumping out talent. It's a tough combination - I think they'll win the division by more than last year's 7 games. Cleveland may slip a little, but they're still dangerous; D.C. had an off year last year - with their rotation they could easily win 100 (like they did 2 years ago). 2nd is a tossup here - Katannas and Revenge could both win 95-100 and might both get wild cards. Scranton may not improve much or any at the ML level, but their cadre of young talent gets a year closer.
Will contend for the MVP: Gene Cuddyer (PIT), Eric Brantley (WAS)
Will contend for the Cy Young: Jung Wanatabe (PIT), Omar Carrasco (WAS)
Will contend for the ROY: Alex Lee (SWB) and LR Wellington Pizzaro (SWB)
PITTSBURGH: The Alleghenies' only significant off-season moves were to re-sign Rafael Brogna and say "sayonara" to Kaz Lim and Maximo Cota...with their farm system spewing out talent every year, no FA moves were needed. With Jung Wanatabe (Season 12's #1 overall), D'Angelo Cerda (Season 11's #1 overall), and Douglas Burnett (Season 14's #5 overall) at the 1,2,3 SP spots, Pittsburgh has Belle's best starting rotation (and probably a guaranteed playoff ticket for the next 8 years or so). They have a young bullpen that hasn't proven itself at this point - if there's a weak spot on the Alleghenies, this is it. On offense, career SB leader Neifi Foster leads it off; Brogna (107 RBI last year), 1B Gene Cuddyer (100+ RBI each of his first 4 seasons), RF Joaquin Alvarez (45 HR's last year) and 3B Bucky Daal (105 RBI last year) form a stout run-production nucleus. There's a wealth of talent chomping the bit at AAA: last year's IFA prize, 19 year-old C Orlando Aguilera, could contribute but probably spends this year in AAA; SS Neftali Rodriguez (Sea 16 IFA) is ready but blocked by ML SS Pedro Mendoza; Season 15 IFA Ruben Villanueva could probably help the bullpen and will likely get the chance.
CLEVELAND manged to hold off time a little longer by re-signing LF Jacque Fitzgerald, SP Billy Brocail, SP Lorenzo Rodriguez and RP Chris Lofton. Fitzgerald (.290, 34 HR's), along with 1B Luke Joyner, (.324), 2B Bill Priest(.383 OBP), RF Otis Langston (33 HR's, 103 RBI), the Johnson/Wheat C platoon (41 HR's combined), and DH Scott Becker (35 HR's, 113 RBI), lead a still-dangerous offense. The staff is starting to get a little age, but still sports 3 CY winners (Rodriguez, Edgardo Valdes and Aaron Torres, although Torres has moved to the bullpen). Brocail and Luis Gabriel are excellent as starters 3 and 4; Lofton is solid in the bullpen but may not have enough help.
WASHINGTON, D.C. brings back Season 18's roster intact. Miguel Mesa was having a monster season last year when herniated disc surgery interrupted it; he makes his return and triggers the offense. RF Mark Gang has been terrific (and consistent...OPS's of .882 and .874) in his first 2 seasons. They'll hit in front of perennial All-Star, 1B Eric Brantley. The Revenge count on DH Matt Flores and C Brutus McKinley to protect Brantley in the lineup. D.C. put up 937 runs last year (3rd) and should be around that total this year. The rotation is high-quality and very deep: Omar Carraso at #1 (14-6, 3.06), former Cy Young and ROY winner Rob Workman at #2, Esteban Velaquez (12-10, 3.27) at #3, talented but yet-to-reach-his-potential Al Aybar at #4, and steady Fausto Ontiveros at #5. Larry Sutton is solid as a setup guy, but Allen Reynolds struggled in his first year as closer (5.03 ERA).
SCRANTON is looking to the future, although they posted a nice 11-win improvement last year. They may have gotten the best player in last year's draft in CF Brent Hartzell at #3; he murdered rookie pitching last year and plays in Low A this season. They have a bunch of prospects at AAA - most will spend the year there, although SP Alex Lee (SEA 15 IFA) and LR Wellington Pizzaro (SEA 15's #22) are close to ready and could get the call this year. The ML offense benefits from the addition of free agents C Odalis Gutierrez and CF Albert Harmon, who finally gets a chance to be a full-time player at age 30. 2B Sandy Weston is their most accomplished table-setter (.365 OBP); LF Ricardo Pulido (.303/22/77) and DH Ralph Bryant (.263/21/86) are the primary power threats. The Stranglers' young staff wasn't very good last year (5.24 ERA). I'd expect some improvement, although it's not a super-talented group. RP Shep LaRue did have a nice rookie season, and probably is the best bet to put up good numbers long-term. Veteran Hector Martin might be the best pitcher on the staff - he could be a decent trade chip at the deadline.
PREVIEW
Pittsburgh has the best starting rotation in Belle, led the AL in runs scored last year, and a farm system that keeps pumping out talent. It's a tough combination - I think they'll win the division by more than last year's 7 games. Cleveland may slip a little, but they're still dangerous; D.C. had an off year last year - with their rotation they could easily win 100 (like they did 2 years ago). 2nd is a tossup here - Katannas and Revenge could both win 95-100 and might both get wild cards. Scranton may not improve much or any at the ML level, but their cadre of young talent gets a year closer.
Will contend for the MVP: Gene Cuddyer (PIT), Eric Brantley (WAS)
Will contend for the Cy Young: Jung Wanatabe (PIT), Omar Carrasco (WAS)
Will contend for the ROY: Alex Lee (SWB) and LR Wellington Pizzaro (SWB)
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
NL West Season 19 Preview
Season 18 Recap: Vancouver improved by 6 wins (to 93) and captured its first-ever West title. Oakland fell off by 10 wins (84) and missed the playoffs for the first time since Season 11. Las Vegas dropped 14 wins (83) and missed the playoffs for just the 2nd time since Season 4, and Helena (now Scottsdale) picked up 1 win to 64.
VANCOUVER begins its NL West defense minus SP Dan Cirillo and IF Brad Hart, plus SP Dale Barker and IF Sammy Reyes. Otherwise, it's pretty much the same crew that won 93 a year ago. Carlos Cairo's big year (44 HR's) ignited the Victory last year - they'll need that again plus another good season from slugging C Derek Walker. 2B Troy Harris' best power days are behind him...same story for Reyes but between them 2B should still be a plus on offense. 1B Gerardo Rodriguez may be the best leadoff/on-base threat, although his .439 OBP (in 236 AB's last year) may be a little much to hope for again. Vancouver's best pitcher - Craig Hague - occupies kind of a swingman role, seeing long relief, the occasional start, and some short relief duties. Cesar Mendez, Carl Benson, and Midre Estrada were their most effective starters lat year (all under 3.25 ERA's in part-time starter roles), although Barker probably gets 32 starts. It's a very deep bullpen headed by closer Adam Lieber (36 of 39 save ops last year) - 7th-inning leads aren't a sure thing for any team, but they're in good hands with the Victory.
OAKLAND mounted a fairly active off-season campaign to regain the top spot in the West after a 2-year absence. Emil Morales joins the infield - he may get 500 AB's in a super-utility - role (think "Cesar Tovar" for those of you old enough to remember the guy who played all 9 positions for the Twins in a 1968 game). Rod Goldberg moves in at SS, John Tomko and Louie Paniagua join the rotation, and Benito Rivera and Odalis Torcato plug into the bullpen. The Surenos maintain a dangerous attack (819 runs last year- 4th); C J.T. Burns, LF Erubiel Maduro and RF Wilfredo Feliz are still 3 of the most dangerous hitters in the NL. Feliz and 1B Valerio Bonilla are 2 of the best top-of-the-order guys anywhere...both could get 95 walks. Haywood Maxwell and Humberto Roque complete the rotation, which leans toward groundballers with good pitches, rather than high-split guys. P.T. Lincoln handles the closing responsibilities...Brad Matusz will get his 100+ innings, but the other 6 relievers will all see a lot of action, too.
LAS VEGAS had some big FA losses but stayed quiet in the off-season. 1B Miguel Rios, C Bill Wengert and RF Hughie Bruskie are all plus bats; SS Lance Belitz and 3B Domingo Batista are better than average at their positions. If the 69'ers could get a good leadoff hitter in CF (currently no CF's on the roster), they'd have a pretty good-looking lineup. Luis Cortes and Adrian Jensen are a solid front 2 in the rotation...3, 4, and 5 should be OK but nothing special. Juan Gomez and Al Borges might be the best closer/setup combo in Belle. Vegas looks a little incomplete still - they may add another significant player or 2, or they may decide to
retool for a season.
SCOTTSDALE may have outdueled Chicago for the "Most Active Off-Season Team" award. When the smoke cleared, what came out was a much better offense than the one that only put up 583 runs last year, and maybe a little better staff than the one that was middle of the pack last year. There's really no hole anywhere in the lineup - 2B David Lee is the only one there purely for his defense, and he's at least adequate at the plate. Jim Olson is the best-hitting SS of his era. RF John Tamura may be the key to the offense this season: if he can stay in the lineup and play 140 games (a big "if")....400 OBP and 30 HR. Pitching starts with Kennie Frascatore. The 4th pick of the Season 11 draft had a fantastic rookie season (16-8, 2.62) - he's been good in the 3 seasons since, but not at that level. With a much-improved attack, his win totals will go up, but if he can get back to his rookie form this team is going places. #2 starter David Elcano has been very solid his first two seasons, and Fox probably improves the #3 spot. Closer Brett Holmes has good setup help in Tuck Barkley and Dingo Hawkins, but the rest of the bullpen is suspect.
PREVIEW
This might be our best shot at a 4-team race, although right now it looks like Vegas is likely to fall out of it. I think Scottsdale will have the best offense of the group, plus the only real ace in the division (Frascatore). I think the Vipers will win it in a close race. Vancouver and Oakland will be motivated to battle all year...can't see #2 in this division getting a wild card.
Will contend for the MVP: Jim Olson (SCO), Erubiel Maduro (OAK)
Will contend for the Cy Young: Kennie Frascatore (SCO)
Will contend for the ROY: Tyler Wilson (LV)
VANCOUVER begins its NL West defense minus SP Dan Cirillo and IF Brad Hart, plus SP Dale Barker and IF Sammy Reyes. Otherwise, it's pretty much the same crew that won 93 a year ago. Carlos Cairo's big year (44 HR's) ignited the Victory last year - they'll need that again plus another good season from slugging C Derek Walker. 2B Troy Harris' best power days are behind him...same story for Reyes but between them 2B should still be a plus on offense. 1B Gerardo Rodriguez may be the best leadoff/on-base threat, although his .439 OBP (in 236 AB's last year) may be a little much to hope for again. Vancouver's best pitcher - Craig Hague - occupies kind of a swingman role, seeing long relief, the occasional start, and some short relief duties. Cesar Mendez, Carl Benson, and Midre Estrada were their most effective starters lat year (all under 3.25 ERA's in part-time starter roles), although Barker probably gets 32 starts. It's a very deep bullpen headed by closer Adam Lieber (36 of 39 save ops last year) - 7th-inning leads aren't a sure thing for any team, but they're in good hands with the Victory.
OAKLAND mounted a fairly active off-season campaign to regain the top spot in the West after a 2-year absence. Emil Morales joins the infield - he may get 500 AB's in a super-utility - role (think "Cesar Tovar" for those of you old enough to remember the guy who played all 9 positions for the Twins in a 1968 game). Rod Goldberg moves in at SS, John Tomko and Louie Paniagua join the rotation, and Benito Rivera and Odalis Torcato plug into the bullpen. The Surenos maintain a dangerous attack (819 runs last year- 4th); C J.T. Burns, LF Erubiel Maduro and RF Wilfredo Feliz are still 3 of the most dangerous hitters in the NL. Feliz and 1B Valerio Bonilla are 2 of the best top-of-the-order guys anywhere...both could get 95 walks. Haywood Maxwell and Humberto Roque complete the rotation, which leans toward groundballers with good pitches, rather than high-split guys. P.T. Lincoln handles the closing responsibilities...Brad Matusz will get his 100+ innings, but the other 6 relievers will all see a lot of action, too.
LAS VEGAS had some big FA losses but stayed quiet in the off-season. 1B Miguel Rios, C Bill Wengert and RF Hughie Bruskie are all plus bats; SS Lance Belitz and 3B Domingo Batista are better than average at their positions. If the 69'ers could get a good leadoff hitter in CF (currently no CF's on the roster), they'd have a pretty good-looking lineup. Luis Cortes and Adrian Jensen are a solid front 2 in the rotation...3, 4, and 5 should be OK but nothing special. Juan Gomez and Al Borges might be the best closer/setup combo in Belle. Vegas looks a little incomplete still - they may add another significant player or 2, or they may decide to
retool for a season.
SCOTTSDALE may have outdueled Chicago for the "Most Active Off-Season Team" award. When the smoke cleared, what came out was a much better offense than the one that only put up 583 runs last year, and maybe a little better staff than the one that was middle of the pack last year. There's really no hole anywhere in the lineup - 2B David Lee is the only one there purely for his defense, and he's at least adequate at the plate. Jim Olson is the best-hitting SS of his era. RF John Tamura may be the key to the offense this season: if he can stay in the lineup and play 140 games (a big "if")....400 OBP and 30 HR. Pitching starts with Kennie Frascatore. The 4th pick of the Season 11 draft had a fantastic rookie season (16-8, 2.62) - he's been good in the 3 seasons since, but not at that level. With a much-improved attack, his win totals will go up, but if he can get back to his rookie form this team is going places. #2 starter David Elcano has been very solid his first two seasons, and Fox probably improves the #3 spot. Closer Brett Holmes has good setup help in Tuck Barkley and Dingo Hawkins, but the rest of the bullpen is suspect.
PREVIEW
This might be our best shot at a 4-team race, although right now it looks like Vegas is likely to fall out of it. I think Scottsdale will have the best offense of the group, plus the only real ace in the division (Frascatore). I think the Vipers will win it in a close race. Vancouver and Oakland will be motivated to battle all year...can't see #2 in this division getting a wild card.
Will contend for the MVP: Jim Olson (SCO), Erubiel Maduro (OAK)
Will contend for the Cy Young: Kennie Frascatore (SCO)
Will contend for the ROY: Tyler Wilson (LV)
Monday, April 4, 2011
AL South Season 19 Preview
Season 18 Recap: Richmond won 88 (for the 4th time in 6 years) to take a close 3-way race. Little Rock improved by 9 wins (to 82) for second, and El Paso improved by 11 wins to 81. Jackson (now Austin) looks like it finally reached the end of its long dynasty (11 South championships in 13 years), falling 14 wins to 78. Richmond won its first-round series but fell to eventual World Champ Salem in the second round. The South was shut out of post-season awards last year.
RICHMOND made its biggest off-season move before off-season, snagging former NL ROY Ernest Farr off the waiver wirer at the end of last season. Other than that its only significant move was the release of SS Trent Gray, heralding the beginning of the Pat Hasegawa (Sea 14 IFA by Jacksonville) SS era for the Poor Men. Farr gives Richmond a wealth of bats at COF, 1B and DH (maybe too many...trade, anyone?). Farr, Redondo, Gallagher and Garland will jockey for COF time and backup Ennis and Olivares at 1B and DH. Clearly, scoring runs won't be a problem (813 last year - 6th). Pitching might be another story...Cosby and Gil at the front of the rotation are good, but whoever occupies 3,4 and 5 are potential trouble (although Todd Quinn has been very good his last 2 seasons). The bullpen looks very deep with Wiki Batista closing and 3 solid setup men in Juan Martinez, Rafael Tejada and Vince Valentine. Juan Fernandez (#10 overall pick in Season 14) will almost certainly get the call at Game 20 and could make a big difference for this team.
LITTLE ROCK: Pebbles fans are regularly consulting their scorecards this Spring; the team had 9 notable FA departures, and 8 new faces in from FA and waivers. The has a decidedly more defensive tilt, with slick-fielding Davey Molina likely the new SS, 2 CF's (Barry Snopek and Alex Woodson) among the FA signings, and a pair of superb pitch-callers (but light hitters) at C. They'll depend on old hands Frank Schmidt (1B) and Victor Perez (RF) to handle the bulk of the run production. Yamid Reynoso had a great (13-10, 2.50) first season in Little Rock - they'll need that and maybe more from him again to contend, since the rest of the rotation is iffy at best (Ozzie Dawley had a very nice Season 18 with a 2.71 ERA, but look for something more like his career average - 4.36). Good thing there's a deep, talented bullpen (Paul Shibata, Clyde Jackson, Vicente Rivera and sophomore Collin Prior closing). Their best ML-ready prospect is also a reliever - Season 15 #23 overall Zoltan Steinbach.
EL PASO: Wow, I thought Little Rock was hard hit by free agency. The Sun Kings lost 3B Quilvio Suarez and SP's Raul Arias and Jacque Butler along with a bunch of other guys. They countered by signing Jerry Bernero for 3B and starters Tomas Martin and Javier Batista, but I don't know if they came out ahead on this swap. Martin and Batista join Harold Bryant, Mickey Beckett and Hideki Martin in the rotation - you know, this could be a decent group in a pitchers' park (which theirs is). With rookie (1.15 ERA in a cup of coffee last year) David Campos and Quilvio Rodriguez in the 'pen, the staff could be OK. How they're going to score enough runs is another matter. For starters, they'll need a return to Season 15's near-MVP form by RF Lance Reed - he returned to a career norm last year after 2 terrible seasons. Next, they'll need better-than average seasons from 2 or 3 from 3b Bernero, DH Trenidad Guerrero, LF Tom Fischer, and the Romero/Maxwell 1B combo. Finally, they could really use a good leadoff man...maybe it's CF Davis, although his .317 career OBP isn't terribly encouraging.
AUSTIN also had a bunch of FA activity, but they mostly seem to be shedding salary to make an IFA play. Johnny Collier remains the best pitcher in Belle, but this could be the year - he has 3 years left on a favorable contract, and probably 3 more years before ratings declines start to erode his value. Del Mendoza, Butch Percival and Carlos Ramirez should be a capable 2/3/4 group, although they won't get much bullpen help initially. Jiggs Daniels (Season 15's #29 overall), Dan Nelson (Season 14 2nd-rounder), and Chris Snyder (Season 15's #18 overall) will provide significant bullpen help at Game 20. Watch Snyder...he's going to be very good. On offense, they'll depend on the threesome of Don Burns, Dennis Hewson and Carl Serrano for the bulk of the run production, although at 38, Wilson Costello may have a few more moments in the sun.
PREVIEW: Richmond will score runs, and if their pitching holds up they could run away with it. Even if their pitching falters, I think they have enough extra offense to make a deal to bring in an arm. Austin has 3 good rookies coming this year and more in the low minors, so their rebuilding effort is underway. They'll trail the field this year (and probably next) - whatever deal they make for Collier will be a key to their future. Little Rock and El Paso both had to do a lot of retooling - hard to predict. Both were only 5-6 games out of the wild card last year, so a hot season or 2 could put either in.
Will contend for the MVP: Ernest Farr (RIC), Lance Reed (ELP)
Will contend for the Cy Young: Johnny Collier (AUS), Harold Bryant (ELP)
Will contend for the ROY: Juan Fernandez (RIC), Chris Synder (AUS)
RICHMOND made its biggest off-season move before off-season, snagging former NL ROY Ernest Farr off the waiver wirer at the end of last season. Other than that its only significant move was the release of SS Trent Gray, heralding the beginning of the Pat Hasegawa (Sea 14 IFA by Jacksonville) SS era for the Poor Men. Farr gives Richmond a wealth of bats at COF, 1B and DH (maybe too many...trade, anyone?). Farr, Redondo, Gallagher and Garland will jockey for COF time and backup Ennis and Olivares at 1B and DH. Clearly, scoring runs won't be a problem (813 last year - 6th). Pitching might be another story...Cosby and Gil at the front of the rotation are good, but whoever occupies 3,4 and 5 are potential trouble (although Todd Quinn has been very good his last 2 seasons). The bullpen looks very deep with Wiki Batista closing and 3 solid setup men in Juan Martinez, Rafael Tejada and Vince Valentine. Juan Fernandez (#10 overall pick in Season 14) will almost certainly get the call at Game 20 and could make a big difference for this team.
LITTLE ROCK: Pebbles fans are regularly consulting their scorecards this Spring; the team had 9 notable FA departures, and 8 new faces in from FA and waivers. The has a decidedly more defensive tilt, with slick-fielding Davey Molina likely the new SS, 2 CF's (Barry Snopek and Alex Woodson) among the FA signings, and a pair of superb pitch-callers (but light hitters) at C. They'll depend on old hands Frank Schmidt (1B) and Victor Perez (RF) to handle the bulk of the run production. Yamid Reynoso had a great (13-10, 2.50) first season in Little Rock - they'll need that and maybe more from him again to contend, since the rest of the rotation is iffy at best (Ozzie Dawley had a very nice Season 18 with a 2.71 ERA, but look for something more like his career average - 4.36). Good thing there's a deep, talented bullpen (Paul Shibata, Clyde Jackson, Vicente Rivera and sophomore Collin Prior closing). Their best ML-ready prospect is also a reliever - Season 15 #23 overall Zoltan Steinbach.
EL PASO: Wow, I thought Little Rock was hard hit by free agency. The Sun Kings lost 3B Quilvio Suarez and SP's Raul Arias and Jacque Butler along with a bunch of other guys. They countered by signing Jerry Bernero for 3B and starters Tomas Martin and Javier Batista, but I don't know if they came out ahead on this swap. Martin and Batista join Harold Bryant, Mickey Beckett and Hideki Martin in the rotation - you know, this could be a decent group in a pitchers' park (which theirs is). With rookie (1.15 ERA in a cup of coffee last year) David Campos and Quilvio Rodriguez in the 'pen, the staff could be OK. How they're going to score enough runs is another matter. For starters, they'll need a return to Season 15's near-MVP form by RF Lance Reed - he returned to a career norm last year after 2 terrible seasons. Next, they'll need better-than average seasons from 2 or 3 from 3b Bernero, DH Trenidad Guerrero, LF Tom Fischer, and the Romero/Maxwell 1B combo. Finally, they could really use a good leadoff man...maybe it's CF Davis, although his .317 career OBP isn't terribly encouraging.
AUSTIN also had a bunch of FA activity, but they mostly seem to be shedding salary to make an IFA play. Johnny Collier remains the best pitcher in Belle, but this could be the year - he has 3 years left on a favorable contract, and probably 3 more years before ratings declines start to erode his value. Del Mendoza, Butch Percival and Carlos Ramirez should be a capable 2/3/4 group, although they won't get much bullpen help initially. Jiggs Daniels (Season 15's #29 overall), Dan Nelson (Season 14 2nd-rounder), and Chris Snyder (Season 15's #18 overall) will provide significant bullpen help at Game 20. Watch Snyder...he's going to be very good. On offense, they'll depend on the threesome of Don Burns, Dennis Hewson and Carl Serrano for the bulk of the run production, although at 38, Wilson Costello may have a few more moments in the sun.
PREVIEW: Richmond will score runs, and if their pitching holds up they could run away with it. Even if their pitching falters, I think they have enough extra offense to make a deal to bring in an arm. Austin has 3 good rookies coming this year and more in the low minors, so their rebuilding effort is underway. They'll trail the field this year (and probably next) - whatever deal they make for Collier will be a key to their future. Little Rock and El Paso both had to do a lot of retooling - hard to predict. Both were only 5-6 games out of the wild card last year, so a hot season or 2 could put either in.
Will contend for the MVP: Ernest Farr (RIC), Lance Reed (ELP)
Will contend for the Cy Young: Johnny Collier (AUS), Harold Bryant (ELP)
Will contend for the ROY: Juan Fernandez (RIC), Chris Synder (AUS)
Complete Your Hall Of Fame Ballot!
Opinions can very, but everyone needs to cast their HOF vote. Here's my take on the leading candidates:
Alex Ramirez (CF/2B): Suffered from short-career syndrome (10 seasons), but not a stretch to say he was the best-hitting infielder (1B aside) in Belle history. .964 career OPS - 70 points better than Nunez, 93 points better than Piedra, and 10 better than Lon Andrews, the only non-1B IF currently in the Hall. I don't know where the 480 HR's stands career-wise among IF's, but it has to be near the top. Never hit less than 35 homers in a season. Minor gripe: should've been move to the OF his last 3 seasons...put up some ugly fielding numbers. He should be IN.
Luis Piedra (3B): On the plus side, he had a full career, was very consistent, and collected a nice stash of hardware. But is this really greatness? He wasn't a great power hitter (in the steroid era, no less) - his best season was 41. He wasn't a great on-base guy - career .349. Perhaps you can argue he was great defensively, but is a .964 fielding % great for a 3B? Very good player, but NOT Hall of Fame.
Skip Leon (1B): Career leader in hits and RBI, #2 all-time in HR's, 3 MVP's. No-brainer.
Dwight Long, (SP): I'm considering Long mainly because the 167 wins is a pretty nice total for HBD - I think it compares to about 240, maybe 250, in real-life. The 3.56 ERA is kind of borderline. Didn't win a Cy Young, although his 20-2, 2.26 in Season 9 would've done it in many seasons. I campaigned for Seanez for several seasons because of his underlying qualitative stats (OBP allowed, Slugging % allowed) - Long's are a fair bit higher. Really good pitcher, not HOF quality.
Rico Nunez (SS): Don't know if he's the best-hitting SS in Belle history (and he was a true SS, as his 3 GG's can attest), but I bet he's the best power-hitting SS in Belle history (417 career bombs). The Ernie Banks of Belle. Given his power #'s and excellent defense, he's Hall of Fame-worthy.
Steven Vaughn (SP): his case rests entirely on his 3 Cy Youngs. His win totals, ERA and underlying qualitative stats are all worse than Dwight Long's. I'm ambivalent...if he's deserving, Long is. On hold until I get through the rest.
Ignacio Santos (C/DH): This guy is #4 on the career OPS list, so by some measure he's the 4th-best hitter in Belle history. That would probably make him deserving even if he had only been a DH, but he caught 5500+ innings (versus 4700 as a DH...don't ask me how he got in 10 innings at 2B). No-brainer.
Juan Romero (closer): I guess I'm committing heresy here, but I can't vote for a guy whose only credential is a statistical fluke. Saves say nothing about how well a guy pitched, and when you really look at it, this guy wasn't that good. Career ERA of 4.00? Career OPS-against of .723? Romero was an average-to-decent pitcher at best...we've probably had dozens of anonymous middle relievers who were better. NO WAY
So, I'm voting for Ramirez, Leon, Nunez, Santos. Because the way our voting works we kind of have a bias against induction, I'm going to go ahead an vote for Vaughn as well.
Alex Ramirez (CF/2B): Suffered from short-career syndrome (10 seasons), but not a stretch to say he was the best-hitting infielder (1B aside) in Belle history. .964 career OPS - 70 points better than Nunez, 93 points better than Piedra, and 10 better than Lon Andrews, the only non-1B IF currently in the Hall. I don't know where the 480 HR's stands career-wise among IF's, but it has to be near the top. Never hit less than 35 homers in a season. Minor gripe: should've been move to the OF his last 3 seasons...put up some ugly fielding numbers. He should be IN.
Luis Piedra (3B): On the plus side, he had a full career, was very consistent, and collected a nice stash of hardware. But is this really greatness? He wasn't a great power hitter (in the steroid era, no less) - his best season was 41. He wasn't a great on-base guy - career .349. Perhaps you can argue he was great defensively, but is a .964 fielding % great for a 3B? Very good player, but NOT Hall of Fame.
Skip Leon (1B): Career leader in hits and RBI, #2 all-time in HR's, 3 MVP's. No-brainer.
Dwight Long, (SP): I'm considering Long mainly because the 167 wins is a pretty nice total for HBD - I think it compares to about 240, maybe 250, in real-life. The 3.56 ERA is kind of borderline. Didn't win a Cy Young, although his 20-2, 2.26 in Season 9 would've done it in many seasons. I campaigned for Seanez for several seasons because of his underlying qualitative stats (OBP allowed, Slugging % allowed) - Long's are a fair bit higher. Really good pitcher, not HOF quality.
Rico Nunez (SS): Don't know if he's the best-hitting SS in Belle history (and he was a true SS, as his 3 GG's can attest), but I bet he's the best power-hitting SS in Belle history (417 career bombs). The Ernie Banks of Belle. Given his power #'s and excellent defense, he's Hall of Fame-worthy.
Steven Vaughn (SP): his case rests entirely on his 3 Cy Youngs. His win totals, ERA and underlying qualitative stats are all worse than Dwight Long's. I'm ambivalent...if he's deserving, Long is. On hold until I get through the rest.
Ignacio Santos (C/DH): This guy is #4 on the career OPS list, so by some measure he's the 4th-best hitter in Belle history. That would probably make him deserving even if he had only been a DH, but he caught 5500+ innings (versus 4700 as a DH...don't ask me how he got in 10 innings at 2B). No-brainer.
Juan Romero (closer): I guess I'm committing heresy here, but I can't vote for a guy whose only credential is a statistical fluke. Saves say nothing about how well a guy pitched, and when you really look at it, this guy wasn't that good. Career ERA of 4.00? Career OPS-against of .723? Romero was an average-to-decent pitcher at best...we've probably had dozens of anonymous middle relievers who were better. NO WAY
So, I'm voting for Ramirez, Leon, Nunez, Santos. Because the way our voting works we kind of have a bias against induction, I'm going to go ahead an vote for Vaughn as well.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
NL North Season 19 Preview
Season 18 Recap: Chicago won 103 to top Ottawa by 2 games. New York won 85 and missed a wild card by 3 games, while Syracuse had its second straight sub-.500 year (74 wins). The Free Swingers advanced to the WS, losing to Salem; the Ice were a surprise first-round loser (Jacksonville). The North pulled off a rare sweep of the post-season awards: New York's Ellie Roenicke won the MVP, Ottawa's Clay Merritt and Chicago's Bruce Friend shared the Cy Young, Ariel Chantres of the Necromancers scored the ROY, and Free Swingers' Roger Lawson earned FOY.
CHICAGO: I won't even try to go through all the off season moves; let's just say the lineup is better than the one that lead the league with 996 runs last year. There are big-time run producers at spots 1-8 in the lineup - four (Ramirez in the AL, Coronado, Johnson and Stokes) were either All-Stars or Silver Sluggers (or both) last year, and Woo's .296/25/101 season (CF) couldn't have missed by much. The first three rotation spots (Friend, Ramirez, Starr) are solid (or better); Lind and Newman in the 4 and 5 spots should be adequate. If there's any question mark about this team - and I'm not sure there is - it's the bullpen behind closer Roger Lawson. Trent Durbin was solid last year and free agents Bosco Swann, Mark Martin and Ernest Larocca were brought in specifically to shore up the middle innings.
OTTAWA: Compared to Chicago, the Ice had a quiet off season, although it did see the departure of longtime stalwart run producer Ray Henley. Ottawa's strength begins with the Big 3 of the rotation: Clay Merritt (co-Cy Young winner last year), Jorge DeJesus and Albert DeJean - with that trio up front, they might contend if they scored 600 runs. But they'll do quite a bit better than that - their 880 runs was #2 in the NL (albeit by a distant margin to the Free Swingers). Rookie RF Les Johnson will be counted on to fill Henley's shoes - if he struggles against RHP (a distinct possibility), the Ice can call on AAA OF David James, a Season 14 IFA. Season 15's #1 pick, 1B Edgardo Nunez, is also ML ready and could elbow his way into the ML lineup this year. 3B Ceasar Liriano is one of the best on-base/leadoff men in the game; LF Johnny Hernandez, 1B Dion Vitiello and 2B Brandon O'Halloran are the primary RBI threats. The bullpen has its issues, but Mike Simpson and Joe Rolls are solid and will get most of the work.
NEW YORK has the distinct look of a team making a big push to contend. They released a bunch of arb-eligible pitchers, and upgraded the staff with FA signings (SP Raul Arias) and trades (relievers Harry Gumbert and Quentin Houston). They improved an already-excellent team defense with 2 more FA signings: CF Alfredo Mercado and SS Omar Freeman. On offense, they're led by 2-time MVP and slam-dunk Hall-Of-Famer Victor Morales, monster power hitter (116 homers in his first 2 seasons) Ellie Roenicke, and veteran C Richie Elder (although Elder could be made expendable by 2nd-year receiver Oswaldo Nunez). The staff is headed by the electric Ariel Chantres, who posted a 2.25 ERA in just his 3rd pro season last year. He's capably backed by Arias, Tommy Lloyd and George Titan at the 2, 3 and 4 spots. Fausto Cedeno is getting long-toothed but still has the closer job; Gumbert and Houston will get the bulk of the setup innings. To make matters even worse for the rest of the North, the Necros have 2 high draft picks from Season 16 ready to go in AAA: IF Alfredo Reyes (#2 overall) and SP Damian Figgins (#4) - they'll get the call by Game 20 at latest.
SYRACUSE looked like they were headed for all-out rebuilding after letting a bunch of older guys go FA (including career .332 hitter Marquis Seo) and trading 2B Theodore Maxwell for a trio of prospects. Then they stunned Belle by signing Jesus Gomez to a max deal, and the 4-team race in the North was on. They'll try to contend with pitching and defense: the Campbell/Kelton C platoon is call pitch-calling and no-hit, and the primary utility men Bundy and Lee are defensive specialists. The only sure-thing offensive contributors are Gomez at SS, Marte at 2B and Chong in CF - they'll hope for some run-producing surprises among 1B Walter Wills, RF Trenidad Medrano and AAA callups Buddy Offerman, Patrick Weaver and Rodrigo Pineda. They're ace-less, but the front 3 of Daniel Tankersly, Trent Diaz and Butler should be very good; the key to contention may be how well some combo of Dion Hull, Clark Jensen and Efrain Jhang perform in the 4 and 5 spots.
PREVIEW
Tough to bet against Ottawa's pitching, but I think Chicago improved themselves on both sides of the line in the off season and has to be the favorite. New York will be much improved, especially on the pitching side - they look like a solid contender. If Syracuse was in the AL North, they'd run away with the pennant; in the NL North, I think they come in 4th with an impressive record. Chicago wins it, with Ottawa and New York taking wild cards.
Will contend for the MVP: Jesus Gomez (SYR), Ellie Roenicke (NY)
Will contend for the Cy Young: Jorge DeJesus (OTT), Ariel Chantres (NY)
Will contend for the ROY: Damian Figgins (NY)
CHICAGO: I won't even try to go through all the off season moves; let's just say the lineup is better than the one that lead the league with 996 runs last year. There are big-time run producers at spots 1-8 in the lineup - four (Ramirez in the AL, Coronado, Johnson and Stokes) were either All-Stars or Silver Sluggers (or both) last year, and Woo's .296/25/101 season (CF) couldn't have missed by much. The first three rotation spots (Friend, Ramirez, Starr) are solid (or better); Lind and Newman in the 4 and 5 spots should be adequate. If there's any question mark about this team - and I'm not sure there is - it's the bullpen behind closer Roger Lawson. Trent Durbin was solid last year and free agents Bosco Swann, Mark Martin and Ernest Larocca were brought in specifically to shore up the middle innings.
OTTAWA: Compared to Chicago, the Ice had a quiet off season, although it did see the departure of longtime stalwart run producer Ray Henley. Ottawa's strength begins with the Big 3 of the rotation: Clay Merritt (co-Cy Young winner last year), Jorge DeJesus and Albert DeJean - with that trio up front, they might contend if they scored 600 runs. But they'll do quite a bit better than that - their 880 runs was #2 in the NL (albeit by a distant margin to the Free Swingers). Rookie RF Les Johnson will be counted on to fill Henley's shoes - if he struggles against RHP (a distinct possibility), the Ice can call on AAA OF David James, a Season 14 IFA. Season 15's #1 pick, 1B Edgardo Nunez, is also ML ready and could elbow his way into the ML lineup this year. 3B Ceasar Liriano is one of the best on-base/leadoff men in the game; LF Johnny Hernandez, 1B Dion Vitiello and 2B Brandon O'Halloran are the primary RBI threats. The bullpen has its issues, but Mike Simpson and Joe Rolls are solid and will get most of the work.
NEW YORK has the distinct look of a team making a big push to contend. They released a bunch of arb-eligible pitchers, and upgraded the staff with FA signings (SP Raul Arias) and trades (relievers Harry Gumbert and Quentin Houston). They improved an already-excellent team defense with 2 more FA signings: CF Alfredo Mercado and SS Omar Freeman. On offense, they're led by 2-time MVP and slam-dunk Hall-Of-Famer Victor Morales, monster power hitter (116 homers in his first 2 seasons) Ellie Roenicke, and veteran C Richie Elder (although Elder could be made expendable by 2nd-year receiver Oswaldo Nunez). The staff is headed by the electric Ariel Chantres, who posted a 2.25 ERA in just his 3rd pro season last year. He's capably backed by Arias, Tommy Lloyd and George Titan at the 2, 3 and 4 spots. Fausto Cedeno is getting long-toothed but still has the closer job; Gumbert and Houston will get the bulk of the setup innings. To make matters even worse for the rest of the North, the Necros have 2 high draft picks from Season 16 ready to go in AAA: IF Alfredo Reyes (#2 overall) and SP Damian Figgins (#4) - they'll get the call by Game 20 at latest.
SYRACUSE looked like they were headed for all-out rebuilding after letting a bunch of older guys go FA (including career .332 hitter Marquis Seo) and trading 2B Theodore Maxwell for a trio of prospects. Then they stunned Belle by signing Jesus Gomez to a max deal, and the 4-team race in the North was on. They'll try to contend with pitching and defense: the Campbell/Kelton C platoon is call pitch-calling and no-hit, and the primary utility men Bundy and Lee are defensive specialists. The only sure-thing offensive contributors are Gomez at SS, Marte at 2B and Chong in CF - they'll hope for some run-producing surprises among 1B Walter Wills, RF Trenidad Medrano and AAA callups Buddy Offerman, Patrick Weaver and Rodrigo Pineda. They're ace-less, but the front 3 of Daniel Tankersly, Trent Diaz and Butler should be very good; the key to contention may be how well some combo of Dion Hull, Clark Jensen and Efrain Jhang perform in the 4 and 5 spots.
PREVIEW
Tough to bet against Ottawa's pitching, but I think Chicago improved themselves on both sides of the line in the off season and has to be the favorite. New York will be much improved, especially on the pitching side - they look like a solid contender. If Syracuse was in the AL North, they'd run away with the pennant; in the NL North, I think they come in 4th with an impressive record. Chicago wins it, with Ottawa and New York taking wild cards.
Will contend for the MVP: Jesus Gomez (SYR), Ellie Roenicke (NY)
Will contend for the Cy Young: Jorge DeJesus (OTT), Ariel Chantres (NY)
Will contend for the ROY: Damian Figgins (NY)
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Syracuse GM Rugby1 On the Gomez Signing
Syracuse fans are already making "Gomez Saves" banners!
It took a max contract and all of the free agent signing period to land Jesus Gomez. We identified him as the one we would go after at the end of last season.
We had a number of aging vets with higher salaries coming off the books with some promising youngsters ready to take their places. The Maxwell trade (Theodore Maxwell and Dingo Hawkins to Scottsdale for Buddy Offerman, Trenidad Medrano and Eduardo Tavarez) cannot be overlooked here, either. We were ready to give Max the big deal he was looking for but when the opportunity to get three good young players for him arose we took it. Including Dingo Hawkins in the deal gave us more payroll room too.
My first season in the league saw the franchise lose Victor Morales to a max contract and later Raphael Brogna. So we knew Gomez would probably be getting a contract in the same stratosphere.
Our management determined if any player was worth a max contract it was him. In addition to his hitting and fielding talents I like his high durability, health and make up ratings.
Our initial plan will see him at SS with Marte moving to 3B and he will be hitting 3rd or 4th, to be determined during spring training. Since then we have made moves to strengthen the bullpen and hope to be back in contention this season.
It took a max contract and all of the free agent signing period to land Jesus Gomez. We identified him as the one we would go after at the end of last season.
We had a number of aging vets with higher salaries coming off the books with some promising youngsters ready to take their places. The Maxwell trade (Theodore Maxwell and Dingo Hawkins to Scottsdale for Buddy Offerman, Trenidad Medrano and Eduardo Tavarez) cannot be overlooked here, either. We were ready to give Max the big deal he was looking for but when the opportunity to get three good young players for him arose we took it. Including Dingo Hawkins in the deal gave us more payroll room too.
My first season in the league saw the franchise lose Victor Morales to a max contract and later Raphael Brogna. So we knew Gomez would probably be getting a contract in the same stratosphere.
Our management determined if any player was worth a max contract it was him. In addition to his hitting and fielding talents I like his high durability, health and make up ratings.
Our initial plan will see him at SS with Marte moving to 3B and he will be hitting 3rd or 4th, to be determined during spring training. Since then we have made moves to strengthen the bullpen and hope to be back in contention this season.
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