Baseball Barista - 63.06

[neugey]

It's that time of year where the kids go back to school, the football season kicks off and many a would-be GBC or BBA pro get their shot at the bigs via a cup of coffee. With that in mind, here's a look at the players called up to your Moscow Thunder Bears, along with their perceived chances of remaining in the majors in 2064.

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Group 1 - "We like you, but please make a good first impression":
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SS Eustachio Columbo - With both Moscow's middle infields leaving very soon in free agency, this is Columbo's gig to claim for 2064 if he plays well. He was drafted in the third round by Moscow in 2063. He's also a switch hitter for a major league unit that is in big need of left-handing bat swinging ability. As long as he doesn't stink up the joint he is probably the most likely to stick in 2064.

RP Marcos Amaya - Drafted in the 5th round in 2061, this righty has been doing nice work as a setup man in the minors. If he can put out a few fires in September, he should be able to stay on board next year given Moscow's youth movement and the quantity of over the hill pitchers who will be departing.

CF Eng-hee Shen - Shen has been rocking and rolling in AAA with a .287 average and 3.0 WAR. He was the second round pick back in 2060. He should get plenty of playing time since incumbent CF Safwan bin Kedar has been nursing a nagging back injury and was day-to-day for what seems like most of the summer. bin Kedar's back is starting to feel better, but it's conceivable that he could be traded or demoted to clear a spot if the young Shen does his thing at the plate.

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Group 2 - "Their probably won't be a spot, but crazier things have happened":
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SP Trevor Lawrence - Not to be confused with the old-time NFL quarterback with flowing golden locks of hair, Trevor's been working hard in AAA this season and he had enough impressive starts to warrant a look. He actually signed as a free agent this time last year after being cut loose by Charm City's deep farm system. Back in 2055, he was an 11th round pick for the Jimmies. He's currently listed as the #57 prospect in the GBC minors. At age 25 and with numerous Moscow starters getting shelled this season, this is a perfect time for this lefty to make his mark. His strongest pitch is a cutter and his changeup is strong enough to possibly stay put for 2064. His cup of coffee results will mean everything here ... he could easily go back to AAA for 2064 for one more year of seasoning.

3B Osmo Tarnawska - Osmo was drafted 3rd overall by Moscow and has looked solid. But it appears he's blocked by Julio Flores who has superior defensive skills and arbitration years remaining. Barring a trade of Flores, it's likely Tarnawska will be in AAA again for 2064. He'll likely need to go gangbusters with his bat to factor in the T-Bears immediate plans.

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Group 3 - "Not if you were the last baseball player on Earth":
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RP Jalil bin Mu'awiyah - I've spent too long spelling out his name and now don't feel like writing about him. Jalil is as meh as it gets.

RP/SP Shimpei Ono - Ono's 2062 rotation numbers (3.62 ERA, 12-9 record) turned out to be mirage as his 2063 ERA and WHIP skyrocketed and he scuffled with a 1-9 record before losing his rotation spot. Like Mu'awiyah, he's just here to mop up a little and exit stage left after game 162.

C Ben Wilkins - Wilkins was recently signed as a free agent for the specific purpose of getting the Thunder Bears catchers a little rest and serving as a late-game defensive replacement. His defense is about all that he has working for him.

CF Shafiq Zahir - Like Wilkins, Zahir is a short-timer who is expected to flash a little good defense, do some pinch running and serve as a brief mentor to bin Kedar and Shen. He's currently 35 and this may be his last stop before retirement. In his prime, he spent quite a few seasons with Hawaii as a defense-first CF.

[Jwalk100]

Zahir was on the Tropics 2054 and 55 playoff teams. Those were his best seasons in Hawaii with 2.7 and 2 WAR.

[neugey]

Shen homered in his first GBC at-bat! Never a bad thing, right?