We Got Wood - 41.08 - The One About Who To Watch in Winter League

[7teen]

While teams gear up for the off-season in the BBA which will be highlighted by free agent moves and winter meetings, teams are also heading south for the Winter League where each team will send down some of its brightest young prospects for some further seasoning. While some look at these games as a tedious job requiring extra work, the young Portland organization will look at this as a way to get some younger guys some more playing time in hopes that some of these guys will be ready to perhaps perform in Portland in 2041.

Today, the Lumberjacks front office released a fan press release in regards to some of the key players to watch this winter down in Coral Gables.

Two names to really watch are Jorge Lopez and Brandon Howeth-Arneson Jr. Both Lopez and BHA are guys the front office are looking at as potential starters in Portland in 2041. Lopez, coming off a Triple-A season in which he had a 6.1 WAR, is the front runner to platoon in LF for the Lumberjacks in 2041. Howeth-Arneson Jr is also a likely candidate to jump Triple-A in 2041 and go straight to the big leagues. Possessing an elite glove in centerfield, Jr's chances of a promotion are increased now thanks to the decision by Jayden Harsnett to test free agency. That will open up a spot in the OF for the 2041 season. While Lopez is a lock to move up, the front office wants to continue watching BHA to see if he can perform enough on the offensive side of the ball.

Also keep an eye on Faical Engeitado and Matt Normore. Both possess bats that are likely ready for BBA play as well in 2041, but unfortunately their lack of defensive ability limit where they can play. The front office appears ready to pull the plug on Engeitado's pitching career and let him focus just on a hitter. He possesses a pretty solid split as a hitter and definitely shows the ratings to be ready for the BBA. But at 19, and having not yet played any AAA ball, the club is likely to wait another season on Engeitado while Jon Mick and Sadaharu Oh occupy the DH and 1B positions. The same goes for 20 year old Matt Normore. A high average guy, he also appears ready for BBA play. But it is likely as well that he'll use Winter Ball as a stepping stone to Triple-A in 2041 and then make the jump to the BBA in 2042 when potential roster spots may free up. Both Engeitado and Normore could also be potential trade bait candidates if things don't open up soon on the BBA roster.

Lastly on the offensive side, or moreso the defensive side, keep an eye on Teruo Jouda. It might sound odd we'd ask you to watch him considering he had a -1.0 WAR last year in Triple-A, but the guy can play 6 defensive positions extremely well. He'd be a perfect candidate for a 27th man on the roster who can fill in for short spans due to injury or be a defensive replacement late in games. Not a bad roster guy as long as he doesn't get more than 100 at-bats in a season.

On the pitching side, there isn't a whole lot to look at. Coral Gables will have a lot of warty type pitchers to watch, guys with low movement but high ratings elsewhere, or guys with low control but throw hard. Perhaps the biggest names to watch will be Terrence Kelly and Flynn Bernard. Bernard doesn't project as much, but as a sidearm throwing left hander that hits 100+ on the gun, he could have a future in the BBA as a lefty specialist. He threw 91 innings as a starter in Double-A last year and had success before finding Triple-A a little more challenging. Kelly, though still a few years away from being BBA ready, does show some ratings that could make him a possible bottom of the rotation starter down the road. Acquired in a trade from Edmonton last season, the fact that Kelly has a movement rating of 7 means he could possibly be effective in the BBA. If his pitches continue to mature and he somehow bumps his stuff to a 6, then perhaps Kelly could be a name Lumberjacks fans see in 2042.

[RonCo]

Wheelz is having a nice winter league.

[7teen]

Wheelz is having a nice winter league.

If he hits like that, he's an all-star.

I overlooked Arthur Daniel as well. He may turn out to be a better hitting version of Wheelz. I put him at 2B in the winter hoping he could learn an infield position since he has nice infield ratings but so far it hasn't done anything.