Pharaoh Moans (2046-04): The Rule 5 Draft Class of 2045

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Pharaoh Moans (2046-04): The Rule 5 Draft Class of 2045

Post by woods » Sun Feb 14, 2021 12:31 pm

The Rule 5 draft in the UMEBA exists to provide parity in the league by preventing teams from stockpiling too many major league-quality players in their minor leagues. This is a helpful thing for an expansion team like Cairo, who don’t have much big league talent to begin with, so they can take full advantage of the system, while losing very little (or in the case of this year’s draft, nothing at all).

Cairo claimed eight players in this week’s Rule 5 draft, players who might otherwise have sat in the minor leagues for another year, but who will now get a chance to join the Pharaohs’ major league team.

Any of the players may be returned to their original team before the start of the season, with no cost to Cairo for the “tryout”. But the Pharaohs are looking at all of these players as part of the plan for 2046. They will be given plenty of playing time in Spring Training to see how they adapt to big league competition. And if all goes to plan, a good number of them, if not all eight, will crack Cairo’s roster in the spring.

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The Pharaohs first Rule 5 pick was José Olivas, a bold choice, since he pitched all of one game in 2045 before getting shut down for the rest of the season with a torn flexor tendon. But the Pharaohs brass must like his career mark of more than a strikeout per inning, and his arsenal, which includes three plus pitches. He likely won’t see game action until mid-April, but provided that his rehab goes smoothly, there should be a spot for him in the Pharaohs’ rotation.

Cairo's second pick, Phil ‘Death Rattle’ Brown is a two-pitch lefty who projects to pitch out of the bullpen for the Pharaohs. He became a minor league free agent out of the BBA after last season, which he spent between two levels, posting a 3.75 ERA over 48 games. He got his nickname when he was a lights-out closer in A-ball. Opposing teams knew when they heard the ‘Death Rattle’ that it was game over for them. With the closer role still up in the air for the Pharaohs, there’s a chance they give Brown a look for the job.

Jeff Bayer is another bullpen arm who had been languishing in the lower levels of the Impalers organization before Cairo took him in Round 3 of the draft. A power pitcher who touches 97 on the gun, he has always posted good strikeout numbers while maintaining a impressively low walk rate. Just 22 years old, the Pharaohs will likely ease him into the major leagues with low-leverage assignments. He’s got some stamina, so he’ll be useful in mop-up duty or extra-inning marathons. But don’t be surprised if he becomes one of Cairo’s key bullpen arms by midseason.

Eric Bigalow is a rangy, athletic slick-fielding second baseman, and a natural born hitter at the plate. He spent most of last season with the ABA champion Ndali Barons, so he knows a thing or two about winning. His teammates will tell you he can do just about anything on a baseball field: hit, steal, lay down a bunt, crush a double into the gap. He can bat leadoff or in the middle of the lineup. He absolutely demolishes right-handed pitching, so he’ll probably platoon with Winston Abernathy at second base for the Pharaohs this season. But an everyday role is not out of the question.

Freddy Ayala might be the best defensive outfielder in the UMEBA. He spent the last two seasons in Double-A in the Pearls’ organization, being a human highlight reel in the field and quite mediocre at the plate. But even with his .229 batting average last season, his 1.7 WAR for the season tells you just how valuable Ayala is defensively. The Pharaohs have several options in the outfield this season, so they might use Ayala as a defensive replacement and pinch runner. The addition of Ayala definitely gives the Pharaohs’ bench an extra dimension, so he was well worth taking a flyer on in the draft.

Roberto Souza is a 27-year-old catcher who will compete for a backup role. Scouts rave about his outstanding defense and pitch framing ability, but his drawback is that like Captain Diesel Dave, Souza is a lefty, making it more difficult to envision a platoon situation for the two of them. Souza will definitely get a look in Spring Training, and the Pharaohs will have to decide if his skill behind the dish is enough to lock down a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Rick Chambers is a 23-year-old shortstop who hails from Australia. He was signed and released by two different BBA organizations last season before settling in with the Baghdad Kings and playing for their A-ball club. Cairo clearly believes he’s major-league ready, and the numbers back it up: his hitting is beyond his years, only striking out four times last season in 81 plate appearances. But he also only walked twice, so expect a lot of contact from Chambers. He’ll be in the mix for the starting shortstop job in Spring Training.

Omar Ibarra is a defense-first, switch-hitting second baseman who will compete for a bench role with the Pharaohs. The 27-year-old has five years of minor league experience, but has yet to crack a major-league roster, partly because injuries keep holding him back. If he can stay healthy and produce in Spring Training, he’ll be in the mix with Bigalow, Chambers and others for spots in Cairo’s infield.
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Re: Pharaoh Moans (2046-04): The Rule 5 Draft Class of 2045

Post by recte44 » Sun Feb 14, 2021 12:49 pm

This is awesome to see. Loving the bare bones build

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Re: Pharaoh Moans (2046-04): The Rule 5 Draft Class of 2045

Post by RichY » Mon Feb 15, 2021 4:00 pm

It's a cheap/quick way to build a club. Go Pharaoh's.
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Re: Pharaoh Moans (2046-04): The Rule 5 Draft Class of 2045

Post by allenciox » Fri Feb 19, 2021 6:31 pm

Pretty good choices, will be fun to watch what you can do with them this year.

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