December 16, 2063 — 6 Qs for '64
Winter is when the real work begins. Front offices across the league have shifted from lineup cards and box scores to arbitration figures, trade calls, and free agent negotiations. The grind of roster construction takes center stage, where budgets are balanced, holes are patched, and futures are mapped out.
This is the season for decisions that don’t make highlight reels but decide pennants all the same. So let’s take stock of Johannesburg’s biggest questions as the Gold chart their course into 2064.
1. Which prospects could make the leap in 2064?
If you’re the type who bookmarks prospect lists, you already know the names. Thiago Cana is the shiny toy: #1 in the Gold system, #17 in the GBC, and somehow already survived a full year in AAA at just 22. ERA (4.43) was fine, WHIP (1.38) was a little less fine, but the poise is real. Does Luna throw him in the deep end or let him marinate another year?
Then there’s Mario Torrigiani, who’s got a changeup mean enough to make a grown hitter cry and a sidearm delivery you could study in a geometry class. He’s a bullpen piece now, maybe a setup man by June.
Nokrashy Mbingu could also sniff the bigs, but with Rozinov vacuuming up grounders at short, his glove-first profile is a bench luxury, not a need. Mike Albert and Makin Amin? Fun bats, but they probably need more seasoning unless another Cordero-style jump comes out of nowhere.
2. Who’s on the infield corners?
Third base was a merry-go-round in ’63, and the ride wasn’t always fun. Juan Anaya came up in September and assaulted opposing pitchers to the tune of a .382 batting average. Derek Folland was steady if unspectacular. And then there are the BBA reclamation projects: Ruben Alvarado, last seen playing organized ball in 2062, and Tom Bates (small-sample OPS+ hero from Omaha two years ago). Oh, and this just in: as I'm preparing to send this article to my editor, the Gold announced signing Jack Acheson to a minor league contract. Acheson manned the hot corner in Athen's last season and is just another name to add to the 3B position battle this spring.
First base is a Gold-level mystery. Montgomerie’s gone, bin Uthman’s best as a pinch-running/late-inning nuisance, and the AAA cupboard has two options: Jorge Pena, a lefty bat who punished right-handed pitching in AAA (.497 SLG), and Gerek Radwanski, a glove-first righty. There’s also the Adam MacDonald option of sticking the Gold Glove LF at 1B and see if anyone notices. Folland, Alvarado, and Bates could also factor in at 1B if they lose out grabbing top spot at third base.
3. What’s the ceiling for Emilio Cordero?
You can’t talk 2063 without talking Cordero. The man skipped AAA entirely and still hit .290 with 23 bombs. Mostly faced righties, mostly mashed. The questions now are:
- Does he play more LF to give the roster flexibility at DH?
- Can he hit lefties, or will Luna keep him in his happy place against right-handed pitching?
- Did we just witness his peak, or was that the warm-up act?
4. Who’s setting up behind Cesar Torres?
Torres is The Guy in the ninth. The problem? The 6th through 8th innings sometimes felt like a trust fall with no one catching you.
Options:
- Fabiao Marcha, rookie ERA of 3.33 but a WHIP that looked like a phone number.
- Mario Torrigiani (see Question 1 above)
- Tony Tighe, the 34-year-old lefty who reinvented himself in AAA with a 1.64 ERA.
5. Can Simao Hayagawa do it again?
42 HR. A .306 batting average. Over 100 runs and RBIs. FROM A CATCHER. Those aren’t numbers you just pencil in two years in a row without your hand shaking. Pitchers will adjust. Simao will get more days off. And it’s entirely possible the HR total dips. That said, the floor here is still “best offensive backstop in the league.” At 25, with plate discipline to match the power, Simao’s far more than a one-year wonder. Just don’t expect him to hit like Yuu Suzuki in perpetuity. Of course unless he does, in which case I’ll gladly eat this column.
6. Who’s the fifth starter?
Three spots are spoken for: Dawe, Bridges, Bannon. We all hope to see Kiminobu Seki toeing the rubber by late April once the shoulder heals, so that leaves one, maybe two, chairs for:
- A free agent TBD. The market is soft and the arms are softer but that won't stop Luna from trying to pluck a needle from a haystack to round out the rotation.
- Marshall Taylor, the former BBA first-round pick who's just now starting rehab from his mid-season injury last year.
- Bronson Beaton, who had a 1.08 WHIP in AAA.
- Cana, if Luna’s feeling brave.
- Manny Costello, who should only start if the alternative is forfeit.
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Final Thought: The Gold enter 2064 with expectations instead of hopes. That’s new. The roster’s not perfect, but Luna’s first year proved he’s not afraid to patch holes creatively. The questions above? They’ll decide if ’64 is a championship encore or a cautionary tale.
Stay tuned for more updates from the Winter Meetings this week. Until then...
-Jakob
