19-May-53 -- Jacksonville Forecast #4: Storm Brews in Center Field

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19-May-53 -- Jacksonville Forecast #4: Storm Brews in Center Field

Post by pandan » Wed Dec 14, 2022 5:15 pm

CF Sawyer Slizz is a household name in Jacksonville, but not necessarily for good reasons. Signed by JAX in 2049 on a 6-year, 73.5mm contract, Slizz was anticipated to be a stud CF that would contribute both at the plate and in the field. Since then, he's largely failed to deliver.

Despite collecting his 300th HR and 1000th career hits with JAX, he's also spent a good portion of his time in JAX on the IL, suffering 8 injuries in the course of the past 4 seasons. While none have been longer than 2 month stints, it's clear the aging slugger's injuries are nagging at his ability to perform.

in 41 games this season, Slizz is slashing a less than inspiring .234/.274/.448 line while posting a nauseating -6.2 ZR in CF. Some executives may be saying, "by god, please get this man out of center field, and probably out of your lineup. Maybe even out of town."

Slizz is far from pleased about his performance, and while his pride may be preventing him from saying as much, teammates report he's a drag to be around, with word in the clubhouse is that Slizz is "very unhappy", particularly in his performance.

However, that does not mean all is lost. Slizz is currently the team leader in RBIs (33), eclipsing his total from 2052 in half as many games. While RBIs aren't necessarily indicative of player quality, they do indicate the team has some good hitters getting on-base and that Slizz, if only opportunistically, is able to drive them in. While he's had 34 hits, 7 of those are doubles and 8 are homeruns. Slizz isn't hitting often or getting on-base much, but he is tearing the cover off the ball when he does make his increasingly rare contact. His hitting is far from anemic at this stage, but the lack of frequency in his contact is certainly cause for frustration. He's hitting well enough to keep him in the lineup, but poorly enough that it's frustrating to do so.

Given that the bat isn't a total lost cause and the glove is failing, the natural move would be to take the 32-year-old former 1st round pick and move him to one of the corners. Unfortunately, the corners are manned by two of JAX's better hitters, LF Dane Licht and RF Norihisa "Knuckles" Yokoyama. Licht is batting .331 and Yoyakama, while off to a slow start, is showing signs of adapting to his new team after signing a 2-year deal.

There is the DH spot where Slizz or Yokoyama could slide into, but Rusty Hutchison, generously listed as a LF, is slashing a passable .283/.330/.392. While JAX may want to get more power out of the DH slot, Hutchison is doing damage out of the 2-hole, keeping the line moving and registering multi-hit games, including a recent 5-hit game against Phoenix earlier in May. Slizz's offensive numbers haven't been strong enough to justify moving Hutchison out of this slot yet. However, it's still early, and fortunes may change.

JAX GM Dan Rigatoni quietly did make a move to bring some support to Slizz in CF, adding veteran CF Manny Garcia, as the team had no solid internal options to backup in center. While Garcia is far from a defensive wizard, he is an upgrade in CF, an area that JAX will be looking to improve in the off-season, if not sooner, should any better players become available. While he quickly made the ML roster to rotate in at CF with Slizz, rumors are flying that Garcia is demanding a job in the starting lineup. Some may argue that Garcia's ego is getting the best of him here, as few can understand how a relative newcomer can be so forthright.

Unless, of course, they're competing for a starting job with Sawyer Slizz. Maybe seeing the slugger become sluggish has emboldened him to ask for more and plant the seed that he is meant for the gig. Many around the league are doubtful Garcia's ploy will yield any fruit.

Time will tell how things shake out in CF for JAX. The team is off to a better than expected start of 24-19, good for 3rd place in a competitive Atlantic Conference. Their peripherals are poor, with the team not ranking close to the top of the conference in any major category. Some fear that the team is only bracing for a slurry of losses as the season drags on, a winning record a fleeting memory and a fool's dream. That said, the team's had a few breakout games and flashes of brilliance, but also stretches of sorrowful play on the mound, the plate, and in the field.

Rumors are flying around the league that GM Rigatoni is willing to eat a good chunk of Slizz's salary to get him off the team. The team has few commitments beyond 2054 and is investing in beefing up the farm. You can bet that they're looking at premium defensive CFers, too, starting with the 2nd round draft pick of CF Dave Hutchinson.

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Re: 19-May-52 -- Jacksonville Forecast #4: Storm Brews in Center Field

Post by Trebro » Thu Dec 15, 2022 2:29 pm

Really nice write up with good. strong details.
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Re: 19-May-52 -- Jacksonville Forecast #4: Storm Brews in Center Field

Post by pandan » Thu Dec 15, 2022 5:08 pm

Thanks! It felt like the most constructive way to rant about an expensive, aging veteran who I don't know what to do with lol.

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