Starting Staff:
What a difference a year makes. The World Champions go from three (A) starters to a pair of (B-No Z’s) with less than 170 IP each. They are Ivan Nova and Jair Jurrens.
Next in line is (C-Z) Rick Porcello followed by (C-No Z’s) Anibal Sanchez and Ubaldo Jimenez. Brandon Beachy, another (C-No Z) also makes the squad. At least one of the (C*-No Z’s) will be designated to do the mop up innings. In the farm system they have Zach Britton (C-No Z), Juan Nicasio (D-Z) and three (D-No Z’s) in Drew Pomeranz, Julio Teheran and Jacob Turner.
Bullpen:
Jamey Wright and Ernesto Frieri, both (A*-W’s), will handle the closing duties. Cory Luebke C(B*)-No Z, 139 IP, will see a heavy work load. Craig Breslow (B*-No Z) joins him. Joakim Soria (C*-No Z) fills out the rest of the pen.
Catchers:
Jonathan Lucroy C-7, will do most of the catching due to C-8 Buster Posey’s injury. In the minors is the Bosox slugging receiver Ryan Lavarnway C-6.
Infield:
Dismantled their Championship team over the off-season and re-built with a new core of younger players. At first base is 1B-4 Freddie Freeman, coming off a fine rookie season, Robinson Cano 2B-8 is the holdover at second base, third base will be handled by David Wright 3B-3 and Brett Lawrie 3B-3, who arrived in a big trade with RMX. Lawrie has just 150 at bats so he will be used sparingly. The shortstop is Asdrubal Cabrera SS-8, giving some stability to the weak spot on last year’s squad. Anthony Rizzo 1B-3 backs up at first base but his .523 OPS proved he was not quite ready yet for Prime Time. His ceiling is sky high however and he should make a splash with the Cubs later this year. Jason Kipnis 2B-6 will see duty as a DH. The Memphis brass is very keen on him. Down on the farm is Italian born Alex Liddi 3B-3, a power hitter and the first Italian born to play in MLB since Reno Bertoia in 1954. Kyle Seager 3B-3 SS-7, playing very well in Seattle at present and just missed making the Sound roster as he was sent down minutes before their opening series. Un-Carded Adeiny Hechavarria and Nick Frankln round out the minor league roster.
Outfield:
A fairly weak ensemble of fly chasers led by Lucas Duda OF-1, followed by OF-3 Jay Bruce, who looks like he is about ready to put it all together. Ben Revere OF-3 will probably have to play due to the defensive limitations of Brennan Boesch OF-1 and Domonic Brown OF-1. 60% of their outfield corp are rated OF-1. In the minors is Dayan Viciedo, another OF-1 and Alexis Rios OF-2. There is hope that the “cavalry will come to the rescue” next season in un-carded Starlin Marte, Michael Choice and Brett Jackson.
Draft Analysis:
They didn’t pick until the 2nd round and then they surprisingly went un-carded in Starlin Marte. With their 3rd rounder they went un-carded again in OF Brett Jackson, who is very close to making an impact in the Cubs outfield. They had two other picks in the 3rd and chose Drew Pomeranz, a nice gamble but with their other they went with Cory Luebke, a questionable pick at that point in the draft, not based on talent but he probably could have been taken later. They had no 4th but in the 5th they nabbed C Ryan Lavarnway, who could slug his way onto the Red Sox roster this spring. They had no 6th but three 7th round picks were in order, Ben Revere, whose glove was desperately needed was first then un-carded SS Adeiny Hechavarria followed by Alex Liddi. No 8th rounder but in the 9th they took a flyer on Juan Nicasio, who is trying to recover from a broken neck suffered last year when hit by a line drive. In the 10th their new closer Ernesto Frieri arrived and in the 11th they took Tony Sipp who was later released. In the 12th. Kyle Seager was their choice and he seems to making some noise in Seattle this spring. Jamey Wright was added in the 13th to help out in late inning situations. He was then later released when un-carded Michael Choice was selected in the 14th round. The Sound reconsidered things in the 15th by re-drafting Jamey Wright and releasing Tony Sipp.
Synopsis:
Rebuilding is never fun especially after savoring a championship. A bullpen dearth of depth and an anemic offense in a division full of power-house lineups will make for a long season. I don’t see them as having a respectable year. More likely they will hover in the lower echelons of the West. They are full of youngsters and the future will be much brighter than the dark cloud that will hang over this year’s version of the Sound.
Starting Staff:
An A-Z with a workhorse load of 251 IP in Justin Verlander is every ZSABL manager’s dream. (B-Z’s) Danny Haren and Jeff Karstens follow him in the rotation with Matt Cain (B-No-Z) filling out the quartet. In the minors is a pair of (B-No Z’s) in Zack Greinke and Jeremy Hellickson. (C-Z) Jordan Zimmerman and (C-No Z) Max Scherzer are joined by (C-W) Jonathan Sanchez to make up an impressive collection of arms. When you add to this group un-carded pitchers such as Shelby Miller, Jameson Taillon and Heath Hembree it becomes even more impressive. Not to mention all-star caliber Adam Wainwright, who missed last year with an injury and did not receive a card.
Bullpen:
The pen is led by Sergio Romo, (A*-ZZ), the only notable “ZZ” in the set. As deep as the starters are, the bullpen has even more depth. Mike Adams (A&C*-Z) and Joel Hanrahan (A*-Z) will support Romo. Backing them up are (B*-Z’s) Drew Storen and Andrew Bailey. Daniel Bard (B*-No Z) is the only member of the bullpen crew without control.
Catchers:
Yadier Molina C-9 1B-2 coming off a fine offensive year will start. Jesus Montero C-6 will back him up but probably only see some pinch hitting duties with his 61 at bats. Injury riddled Joe Mauer C-8 1B-2 OF-1 will be in the minors.
Infield:
1B-3 Prince Fielder will be one starter and across the diamond 3B-5 Pablo Sandoval will be another. SS-8 Jose Reyes and 2B-8 Dustin Pedroia make up the double-play combination. The backups would probably start for most ZSABL teams, they include Ryan Zimmerman 3B-4, who will see plenty of action with Sandoval’s 426 at bats, Elvis Andrus SS-8 and 1B-3 Eric Hosmer. Jamey Carroll SS-8 2B-8 completes the bench. In the minors is, regrettable draft choice Chris Marrero 1B-2, according to the Neptune skipper, un-carded Kolten Wong and 2B Johnny Giavotella.
Outfield:
OF-2 Ryan Braun is the headliner of this group. Giancarlo “Don’t call me Mike” Stanton OF-2 and Carlos Gonzalez OF-3 make up the starting trio. They all have OPS’s of over .880. OF-2 Matt Holliday will do the DH-ing, because of his 446 at bats. That position can more easily be substituted for. Desmond Jennings OF-2 completes this impressive array. In the minors is un-carded Gary Brown.
Draft Anaylsis:
Pre-draft talk had the Neptunes hyping up Matt Moore and Jemile Weeks as their favorite two picks. They also wanted to add a B-Z starter and a A*-Z reliever. Moore went off their charts when Las Vegas drew the # 1 selection. Poised to name Weeks as their 1st pick at # 4 they were momentarily stunned when Vegas took him right ahead of them, they blamed it on a spring training home run hit by Weeks on the eve of the draft. They rebounded and addressed their perceived need of a reliever and took Hanrahan. With their first of two 2nd round picks they chose Jeff Karstens and with the other they selected un-carded OF Gary Brown. The “Nep’s” stayed in that prospect mode with un-carded picks, Shelby Miller in the 3rd, Kolten Wong in the 4th and Heath Hembree in the 5th. They took a card in the 6th with Johnny Giavotella and ended their draft in the 7th with Chris Marrero.
Synopsis:
With the best lineup in the ZSABL and a solid rotation and a deep bullpen they are a lock for the post season. Will they capture the pennant? Definitely!!! There is some who believe that Pensacola will be a threat with their three A-Z starters, I am not one of them. USMC has a great lineup but cannot match Norfolk’s pitching. Nobody else in the West pose a threat to the Western flag. The road to Chiques Rock will be “The road less traveled” this year.
Starting Staff:
(B-Z) Doug Fister heads the Scouts rotation, they resisted numerous offers for him over the off-season. Edwin “Action” Jackson, (B-No Z) is the # 2 guy. Josh Tomlin (C-Z) is the next best. They have struggled before with (C-No Z’s) and this year is no exception. Forming the back end of the staff with hurlers of this ilk will be Joe Saunders and Jeremy Guthrie. In the minors, the same rated pitchers abound in John Lannan, Charles Morton, Chris Narveson and Jake Westbrook. Also on the farm is (D-Z) Bronson Arroyo.
Bullpen:
If you can’t have quality then what you want is quantity was the usual MO of the Scouts when it came to assembling a bullpen. This year is different as they have two (A*-Z’s) in J.J.Putz and Casey Janssen. Alfredo Aceves B(A*)-No Z with 114 IP will also provide a big boost to the relief corp. Add to this crew a pair of (B*-Z’s) in Steve Cishek and Matt Lindstrom and you have one of the strongest pens in recent Scout history. Of course Seattle could not forget to reinforce their criteria of “more is better” so in the minors they have (A*-W) Jesse Crain and (B*-No Z’s) Frank Francisco, Billy Bray and C(B*)-No Z Everett Teaford. Miguel Batista C(B*)-W rounds out the pen to give them their usual 20 pitchers.
Catchers:
With the retirement of Benji Molina, C-8 Ramon Hernandez was the sole receiver on the roster. They addressed it with a vengeance. They added Miguel Olivo C-8 to split time with Hernandez and took Ron Paulino C-7 and Brett Hayes C-6 to stash away in the minors.
Infield:
1B-4 Paul Konerko starts at first base. Mark Reynolds 1B-3 3B-3 starts at the other corner position. Because he is an Oriole, it prevented the Scouts from succumbing to any of the many offers concerning him. Marcus Scutaro SS-8 2B-7 will start at short and Mike Aviles 2B-7 3B-3 SS-8 will handle the keystone duties. The “Defenders of the Faith” on the bench are Clint Barmes SS-9, Gordon Beckham 2B-8 and Jack Hannahan 3B-5 1B-3. In the minors is Chris Johnson 3B-3 and Alex Gonzalez SS-9.
Outfield:
Nelson R.Cruz OF-2 is the big bopper in this group. Michael Cuddyer OF-2 1B-3 2B-7 is the next best and his versatility will come in handy. Michael Bourn OF-3 continues to start in centerfield with Eric Thames OF-1 as the DH. Angel Pagan OF-2 and Andres Torres OF-3 are the reserves with Cody Ross OF-3 beginning the season in the minors.
Draft Anaylsis:
They had no first but with their second round choice they took Aceves who provides a big chunk of A*-No Z innings. They didn’t pick again until the 4th when they tabbed Eric Thames, the Scouts have always respected family in the ZSABL, as they previously had his uncle Marcus Thames according to the Scout’s 2012 Hand Book. Two 5th round picks netted them a pair of (B*-Z) relievers in Cishek and Lindstrom, which were nice grabs. Jack Hannahan arrived in the 6th and Tomlin in the 7th, which was fairly late for a (C-Z) starter with a decent amount of IP. Catching was next on their list with Olivo in the 8th , Paulino in the 9th and Hayes in the 10th. Joe Saunders was selected in the 11th and John Lannan in the 12th, probably one of their best selections. Charles Morton in the 13th, Teaford in the 14th and Billy Bray in the 15th completed their picks. Bray was also a nice addition that late in the draft.
Synopsis:
A rotation of B-Z,B,C-Z and a C make things real tough, although their bullpen is strong. Couple this with the fact that they have probably the worst lineup in the West and it doesn’t bode well. But you have to remember this is the Scouts and they have an uncanny ability to aggravate you and steal games when you least expect it. Last season they proved the experts wrong and stayed in the race until almost the very end. Even with the release of Stingy Inge they have some weapons to use. I see them barely finishing ahead of Memphis but that is discounting the taps of the shaker on the PBR cans.
Starting Staff:
A trio of (A-Z’s), in Roy Halladay, Clayton Kershaw and Cliff Lee makes you an instant contender. Add Kyle Lohse (B-Z) as your 4th starter and you are in elite territory. No one in the ZSABL can match up with that rotation. In the minors for depth you have Anthony Bass (A-W), joining him are (C-No Z’s) Colby Lewis and Kyle McClelland. (D-Z’s) Ricky Nolasco and Tommy Hunter along with (D-No Z’s) Michael Pelfry, Brian Duensing and Phil Hughes.
Bullpen:
The closer will probably be Sean Marshall (A*-Z) but David Robertson (A&B*-W) and Santiago Casilla (A&C*-W) offer other options despite their lack of control. Joe Smith (A*-No Z) and Jon Papelbon (B*-Z) are the setup men with Mitchell Boggs (B*-No Z) available for long relief.
Catchers:
Alex Avila C-8 is a stud behind the dish with J.P. Arencibia C-7 backing him up. John Jaso, C-7 survived the roster cuts and will start the season in the minors.
Infield:
Ancient Todd Helton 1B-4 will start at first base with James Loney 1B-5 as his caddy. Lance Berkman 1B-3 OF-1 will probably just be the designated hitter. Chris Parmelee 1B-3 with a monster card will be the primary pinch-hitter. At second base you have 2B-8 Brandon Phillips. Manning the hot corner will be the much traveled 3B-4 Alex Rodriguez. Jimmy Rollins SS-9 is the shortstop. The reserve on the bench is Danny Descalso 3B-4 2B-7 SS-7. In the minors is 1B-3 Matt LaPorta, 3B-3 Jimmy Paredes, SS-7 2B-7 3B-3 Justin Sellers and 3B-3 Danny Valencia.
Outfield:
OF-3 Alex Gordon leads the outfield parade with Jeff Francoeur OF-3 right behind him. Add B.J. Upton OF-3 and you have a perfect defensive alignment. Allen Craig, OF-1 1B-2 2B-6 3B-3, has the highest OPS among this group but his glove will no doubt relegate him to PH and DH duties. Garret Jones OF-2 1B-3 is on the bench. Down on the farm is another OF-3 in Nate Schierholtz and he will be joined by OF-2 David Murphy.
Draft Anaylsis:
Two first rounder’s netted them Outfielders Francoeur and Craig. Two 2nd round picks filled in their pitching staff with Lohse and Robertson. In the 3rd round they added pinch hitter deluxe Chris Parmelee and Danny Descalso for their bench. Schierholtz arrived in the 4th and Joe Smith was added in the 5th. They had no 6th but in the 7th they selected (A-W) Anthony Bass. No 8th so in the 9th they chose Jimmy Paredes. Their final pick in the 10th was SS Justin Sellers. Double picks in each of the first three rounds addressed all their primary needs. The remainder of their draft was fairly non-descript.
Synopsis:
Three A-Z starters are a good reason to begin printing playoff tickets. Their lineup is arguably only the 4th best in the division. The acquisition of Lance Berkman was huge given the fact they only have one (A*-Z) in the pen. Maybe I am underestimating the effect of the Big Three (A-Z) starters but I believe their bullpen is just a little suspect. Not enough to keep them from the post-season but enough to keep them from capturing the Western pennant. A solid 2nd place finish is probably in the cards.
(B-Z) Alexi Ogando 169 IP is the ace. Following him will be three (B-No Z’s), Ricky Romero, Wandy Rodriguez and Ryan Vogelsong. The latter two have less than 200 IP so
# 5 starter (C-Z) Gavin Floyd will see his share of the action in a duo role of starting and relieving. In the minors is Trevor Cahill (C-No Z), Jake Arrieta (C-W) and the un-carded threesome of Zach Lee, Dylan Bundy and Taijuan Walker.
Bullpen:
Koji Uehara (A*-Z) will be the closer. A tandem of (A*-No Z’s), Fernando Salas and Heath Bell, will be in support. Another duo consisting of (B*-Z’s) in Edward Mujica and Joba Chamberlain will also lend a hand. Down on the farm is (A*-No Z’s) Javy Guerra and Scott Elbert. (B*-No Z’s) Francisco Rodriguez and Ramon Ramirez await the call.
Catchers:
Traded for Mike Napoli C-7 1B-2 and with a OPS of over 1.000 he should solidify that spot. He has just 369 at bats so Kurt Suzuki C-8 will see plenty of PT.
Infield:
1B-5 Joey Votto is one of the best in the game at first base. Howie Kendrick 2B-8 1B-3 OF-1 and Erick Aybar SS-9 form the keystone combination. Kevin Youkilis 3B-4 is probably the weakest member of the Cowboy infield but he will start at third. On the bench is Dee Gordon SS-7 and Aaron Hill 2B-8. Edwin Encarnacion 3B-3 1B-2 will be the DH. Brett Pill 1B-3 will be their main pinch hitter. In the minors they have Todd Frazier 3B-3, Brad Pelt 1B-4 OF-1 and Jordan Pacheco 1B-2 C-5 2B-5 3B-3. Un-Carded Hak Ju Lee is just a step away from the big time.
Outfield:
Matt Kemp OF-3 with a monster year is the best of this lot with Curtis Granderson OF-2 a close second. Ben Zobrist OF-3 2B-8 will complete the Cowboy starting fly chasers. Power, Speed, Defense and Hitting skills are all attributes of this talented group. On the bench is Chris B. Young OF-3 and Grady Sizemore OF-2, seemingly a shell of his former self due to injuries. In the bushes are Drew Stubbs OF-3 and un-carded Joshua Bell.
Draft Anaylsis:
They didn’t pick until the 3rd and then they had two selections so they chose to address their bullpen with Javy Guera and Fernando Salas, both (A*-No Z’s). A (B-No Z) starter fell to them in the 4th in Ryan Vogelsong. With no 5th they took un-carded Taijuan Walker in the 6th and with no 7th they grabbed un-carded Dylan Bundy in the 8th and with their other 8th round pick they added Utility man Jordan Pacheco. 1B Brett Pill was chosen in the 9th to come off the bench. They went un-carded again in the 10th and 11th with Joshua Bell and Zach Lee, respectively. Scott Elbert came in the 12th. 3B Todd Frazier was their final pick in the 13th. Their interest in un-carded players was a surprise as they have been preaching to the choir that with APBA’s future uncertainty and the advanced ages of most of the members of the ZSABL, especially the West, the league was in jeopardy.
The “Boys” are on record as saying a “win now philosophy” should be their primary directive. They said, ”No more un-carded or players for the future”, since the league may be on borrowed time. When asked about his taking so many youngsters in the draft he replied simply, “I had to replace the ones I traded away”.
Synopsis:
The Magical Cowboy’s immediate goal was to reach the .500 plateau. After they were done trading and drafting that goal should be easily attainable. Several simulations have shown USMC coming out on top. With real cards and dice that will not happen. They are a favorite to garner one of the three-playoff berths in the West. The 2nd best offensive attack in all of the ZSABL should see to that. A little light on starting pitching innings can be overcome with judicious use of their pen.
(B-Z) Tim Hudson is the ace of the staff followed by three (B-No Z’s) in C.J.Wilson, Bruce Chen and Tommy Hanson. The latter two have low IP totals with 155 and 130 respectively so (C-Z) R.A.Dickey will have to take the hill a few times in a starter role to compensate. In the minors are (B-No Z) Randall Delgado but only 35 IP, (C-Z) Josh Collmenter and (C-No Z’s) Brandon Morrow and Mike Minor. Johan Santana who has no card because of injuries rounds out the group.
Bullpen:
The strong point of this year’s Hurricane squad lies here. Eric O’Flaherty (A&C*-Z) is the closer with Ryan Madson (A*-Z) setting him up. Tyler Clippard (A&C*-No Z) is next followed by Jonny Venters (A&C*-W). (B*-Z) Brandon League fills out the pen. In the minors is Kris Medlen (D*-Z).
Catchers:
ZSABLer’s used to say that this position was the “Canes” favorite. Although it appears now that shortstop has overtaken it. They had planned to platoon Brian McCann C-7 with Chris Iannetta, C-8. That plan went up in smoke in the first series when McCann blasted 3 home runs, Iannetta will still be employed because of his on-base card and McCann’s limited at bats. On the farm is Jarrod Saltalamacchia C-7, who will finally get his shot as the everyday Bosox catcher. Joining him will be Tyler Flowers C-6, a power hitter who has been promoted to A.J. Pierzynski’s back up. They could not pass over Atlanta Brave un-carded catcher Christian Bethancourt with their last pick.
Infield:
1B-5 Adrian Gonzalez, who the Hurricanes have never been able to roll for, will start at first. A rebound year from David Ortiz 1B-2 will let him be the regular DH. Dan Uggla 2B-7, will be primarily a defensive replacement, imagine that, as Daniel Murphy 2B-6 is expected to be the starter. Chipper Jones 3B-4 will start at third base. The shortstops are SS-8 3B-3 2B-7 OF-1 Eduardo Nunez and Ian Desmond SS-8, they will both see action there. Alexi Casilla 2B-8 SS-7 is the utility man. In the minors are a bunch of other shortstops, the only one with a card is Rafael Furcal SS-8. The un-carded tandem of Tyler Pastornicki and Andrelton Simmons are currently battling it out for the starting SS gig in Atlanta. Also on the farm is un-carded 3B Joey Terdoslavich, hopefully the heir apparent to Chipper’s job at 3B.
Outfield:
Jose A.Bautista OF-2 3B-4 will play left field most of the time, although he may have to see some action at third base. Josh Willingham OF-1 is another starter who will be replaced early and often by Jon Jay OF-2. Coco Crisp OF-3, possibly one of the most hated names in the ZSABL will start in centerfield. Chris Heisey OF-2 will see limited action on the field but is expected to provide some pop off the bench with his double ones. Jayson Werth OF-3 will start the season in the minors along with OF-2 Jordan Schafer.
Draft Anaylsis:
They didn’t pick until the 4th round and were shocked that Eduardo Nunez was still available. Even though they had completed a trade for Ian Desmond earlier they grabbed the Yankee infielder. They had two 5th rounders and decided to go for a playoff slot since they perceived they were too close not to give it a shot, so they took (B-No Z) Bruce Chen, a pick for now not the future. With their other pick in the round they had their heart set on Alex Presley but Sherwood took him right in front of the “Canes” and although they rarely get flustered they did then and blurted out Josh Collmenter who they didn’t really need or want. In the 6th, they selected un-carded Atlanta Brave 3B Joe Terdoslavich, a trend that would be continued in the last stages of the draft. The 7th saw them get Chris Heisey OF-2 and then in the 8th,9th and 10th went to the Brave organization for un-carded Andrelton Simmons, Tyler Pastornicki and Christian Bethancourt, a highly criticized move by draft guru Ed Kachnoskie.
Synopsis:
In normal years, four B starters and a very strong bullpen coupled with the 3rd best lineup league would produce a probable playoff team. Not this year, Norfolk is a mortal lock for one spot, probably the pennant, Pensacola has 3 A-Z starters and USMC has the same graded rotation as Hartford, a better lineup but slightly less weapons in the pen. Pre-draft the Hurricanes IMHO was closer to 3rd place than 5th place. A terrible quandary to be in for 4th place means no chance for the title and the worst draft pick for those not making the post season. So by selecting Chen they decided to make a run at the playoffs. That goal is more dependent on what USMC produces on the field than what the Hurricanes do.
Starting Staff:
Two (B-Z’s) headline the 76er rotation in Cole Hamels and Mark Buehrle. A pair of (B-No Z’s), Ervin Santana and Jamie Shields, round out the rotation. In the minors is highly touted (C-Z) Henderson Alvarez, (C-No Z) Randy Wolf, (C-W) Chad Billingsley, (D-Z) Joe Blanton, (D-No Z) Fausto “Whatever his real name is” Carmona and (D-W) Garret Richards. They will be joined by un-carded, Manny Banueles.
Bullpen:
The closer role will be held by Jason Motte (A*-Z). Vinnie Pestano (A*-No Z) is the setup man with Jordan Walden (A*-W) available to lend some support. This year’s designated reliever to lead the ZSABL in appearances is Kyle Kendrick C(B*)-Z, 114 IP, Cristian Martinez (B*-Z) and Kameron Loe (C*-Z) fill out the rest of the pen. In the minors is Brad Lidge (A&C*-W).
Catchers:
The 76er’s will start C-7 Miguel Montero backed up by another one of their Greek connections, George Kottaras C-7. In the minors is C-7 John Buck.
Infield:
Jhonny Peralta SS-8 1B-2 will be the Designated Hitter. Billy Butler 1B-2 will start at first base even with a bad glove as that is an improvement over last year’s Lyle Overbay experiment. Mitch Moreland 1B-4 OF-1 will be the obligatory defensive replacement. J.J. Hardy SS-9 is one starter on the left side of the infield with Ryan Roberts 3B-4 2B-6 SS-6 OF-1 at third base. Omar Infante 2B-8 rounds out the infield. Wilson Betemit 3B-3 1B-3 2B-6 is one reserve while Jose Altuve 2B-8 occupies the other seat on the bench. Down on the farm is Chris Davis 1B-4 3B-3, Ruben Tejada 2B-8 SS-8 and another Greek cousin in Mike Moustakas 3B-3. Casey McGehee 3B-3 1B-2 and un-carded Christian Colon complete the minor league infield roster.
Outfield:
Nick Swisher OF-2 1B-3 has the highest OPS of the 76er fly chasers but it appears the San Diego skipper will replace him with Brett Gardner OF-3. Melky Cabrera OF-3 and another Greek relative Nick Markakis OF-3 apparently will join Gardner to be the starting trio with OF-2 Brian Bogusevic in reserve. In the minors is OF-3 Vernon Wells.
Draft Anaylsis:
Their first pick was in the 2nd round and Melky Cabrera was his name. (Sung to the tune of Bingo was his name). But I digress !!! In the 3rd they grabbed Ryan Roberts to play 3B and they also released long time 76er Brian Roberts. Stats are sure going to be confusing. Two picks in the 4th added a pair of relievers, Vinnie Pestano and Cristian Martinez.
In the 5th they chose infielder Ruben Tejada and in the 6th, 2B Jose Altuve arrived. The 7th saw them go for Bogusevic while in the 8th they nabbed Henderson Alvarez. In the 9th they took a gamble on Chad Billingsley. The 10th saw them reach for an un-carded in Manny Banueles. Their final pick was Garret Richards, whose card could not be located until the Thursday after the draft. Editors Note: There are no players of Asian descent on the club as Greece has become the new country of choice.
Synopsis:
While the San Diego manager said, “this team will be fun to roll for”, just think how much fun they would have if they actually had a good hitting lineup. Not to be condescending but the methodology used by this Office to rate lineups has the 76er’s next to last in the West. They are even worse now that they plan to use Brett Gardner over Nick Swisher but my Sabrmetrics have been skewed in the past. They match up well in the pitching department both starting and bullpen but offense is where you win games and that appears to be sorely lacking. Of course when you are a 5-time champ, you make things happen, just like last year when they charged hard at the end to force a one game playoff. I see them 5th place unless Hartford collapses and then 4th will be their zenith.
Norfolk, has the best hitting in the league, a strong pen and a very good starting staff. This club is well rounded and should add another pennant to their resume. Will they have some competition? Yes, mainly from Pensacola. Any time you have three A-Z’s at the top of your rotation you have to be considered a contender. The Neptune’s have a very deep pen and utilizing it will even out the supposed pitching supremacy of the Piranhas. Plus, in any slugfest the “Fish” cannot match Norfolk’s firepower. Could there be other challengers? Yes, Union Station can score runs; the question is can they stop them from being scored against them. Their rotation lacks the glamour of the other two but it is decent, the bullpen however has only one A*-Z. They also only have one B-Z starter so that cannot be compensated for with their three A*-No Z relievers.
Can anyone else challenge for the Western flag? No. Hartford is very similar in makeup with Union Station. Their starting staffs are almost equal but Hartford has the edge in the pen that USMC makes up for with a more explosive offense. The Hurricanes need a poor performance from the Cowboys and an inspiring offensive outburst from someone like they got from Dan Uggla last year. San Diego can never be counted out but there seems to be just too many top teams in the division for them to realistically compete for the title. Seattle, on paper, just does not have enough starting pitching or hitting prowess to make an impact on the standings. Memphis is in a total re-building mode, they will not or did they expect to be in the running for a post-season berth.
Disclaimer: