C-Notes 2048.01 - For Starters

[GoldenOne]

Despite all the glowing predictions this offseason, Charlotte Cougars GM Brett Golden was not coming into this season with the same high expectations. Yes, The Plan®, is working and still in place. However, seeing a chance to make a run at immortality last season, GM Golden mortgaged what little capital assets the Cougars had in order to make that late season push.

The Cougars brought in players like 1B César Feliciana, OF Dennis French, and OF Manoell Whanon and got the boost they were looking for in their first-ever JL Atlantic Division Championship.

With only Whannon being signed long-term, combined with the losses of players such as OF Ramon Pagan, 2B/3B Roberto Viramontas, and CL Keijo Reini, the Cougars lost a tremendous amount of leadership and firepower.

In order to replace that which was lost, the Cougars were going to have to spend a lot of money in Free Agency as their farm system had been depleted and the youngsters they do have coming up are not nearly as productive as those that were lost. The other problem to this plan - the Cougars did not have the cap space to go out and sign the high-end talent needed. So, GM Golden went looking for some platoon options; a slight pivot in The Plan®.

So, in came the likes of 1B Manuel 'Second Coming' Aguilar, Jr., 2B/OF Jorge Aranda (via the Dennis French trade), and OF/DH Jean-François Hamon. The Cougars also very quietly picked up SP Lance Harrison to be their 4th Starter and hoping the bullpen can absorb the loss of Reini.

When you get right down to it though, this is still going to be a season where the Cougars will go as far as their pitching will take them. The Cougars have never been a team built on power, and while they have a little more this year than in seasons past, they still wont be threatening any HR records this season. But pitching, particularly the starting pitching, is a very talented group and should be able to bring this high-OBP, loves-to-run, small-ball team into the playoffs once again this season.