The off-season is now in full swing, with plenty of rumour surrounding the Brisas as they embark on their first full season under the stewardship of Conor Swain. Swain has made no qualms about wanting to elevate the Brisas offense in the off-season, an offense that propped up many offensive categories last season. Their early signings look to have set the tone for what might be to come.
The Brisas often ran thin in lefty bats last season, so it is no surprise to see that a number of Swain’s first signings this off-season were left-handed hitters. Former Sao Paulo catcher Xiao-Gang Peng was signed as part of an all new catching cohort for the Brisas, alongside former Sydney catcher Enrique Mendoza – Mendoza is of course a righty, but put up 1.8 WAR in 124 games last year, as the Brisas look to replace the Gold Glove runner-up Miguel Hernandez, who has signed with Cairo.
Outfielder Grant Prince spent most of last season in the Tokyo ABA-affiliate Pretoria, where he put up 3.7 WAR and an OPS of 1.024. The former Twin Cities and Vancouver outfielder will be look to assert himself in the GBC, having made less than 100 ABs between stints at Jerusalem and Tokyo.
One wildcard to watch out for is the addition of Mark Moon (pictured). Listed as a 1B, though will likely end up playing as a DH, Moon has not played competitive baseball since being released by the Omaha organization in 2054, but did put up respectable numbers in nearly 400 games at the BBA level, hitting 57 home runs and playing well above league average at every level. The Brisas scouts liked what they saw in his profile, and a 1-year $700,000 deal could be his route back to regular baseball.
With lefty bats bolstered, Swain has also looked to improve the depth of his infield, and has signed former New Orleans first round pick Gary Robertson to provide competition as well as a leader in the clubhouse. Robertson is a veteran of nearly 300 BBA games, and also has a ring from his contribution to the 2051 champion Crawdads.
There has also been activity on the pitching side, with Swain looking to reload both the rotation and the bullpen following the departure of several pieces. Starter Bogdashka Filov is a player who could perhaps be put in the same category as Mark Moon – he has not played competitively since 2054, but has danced around several BBA organizations, most recently spending a week in the Des Moines minor league system last season. It’s not known whether he will fill a spot in the Brisas rotation, but his skillset is an intriguing one for Swain to pick up.
One new acquisition who will likely find himself in the bullpen is former Montreal pitcher Arsenio Lambrinos. The Greek pitcher has not pitched since 2053, and it will be interesting to see how handles GBC offenses after his time away – scouts were particularly impressed at his knuckleball, which could wreak havoc.
Swain has wasted no time in looking to put right the woes of last season, and will be banking on some of these unfashionable names breaking out to drive the Brisas back to the post-season in 2057.