From: Bill McGuffin, Curled-in-a-Fetal Position Asst. GM
Date: Jan. 26, 2042
About: First Basemen and Designated Hitters
I'm sorry for the delay on this installment of your position briefings, but I don't think that an hour between posts is unreasonable. Are you even reading these?
OK, here's a look at our First Basemen/DHs:
First Basemen/DH
| Player | Level | Ovr/Pot | Contact | Gap | HR Power | Eye | Avoid K's | Pos. Rating | Range | Error | Arm | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. Simpson | Majors | 70/70 | 5/6 | 6/6 | 7/8 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| A. Budding | Majors | 70/80 | 8/8 | 11/11 | 8/8 | 6/6 | 5/5 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| T. Cochran | Majors | 65/75 | 7/8 | 8/8 | 8/9 | 5/5 | 7/7 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| E. Lugo | AAA | 50/50 | 7/7 | 7/7 | 6/6 | 5/5 | 7/7 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| C. Terry | AAA | 50/50 | 5/5 | 6/6 | 7/7 | 6/6 | 5/5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| R. Clements | AA | 30/60 | 5/7 | 7/7 | 4/7 | 4/5 | 6/6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| F. Rosales | AA | 35/45 | 4/4 | 6/6 | 6/8 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
My only concern here is that Cochran did not get enough playing time last season, and his skill ratings reflect that - they've slipped a touch here and there. One of our new manager's challenges will be finding more playing time for Cochran without cutting into the others too much. We floated Budding last season on our trade block, but didn't get much in the way of serious offers - and now he's developed to the point that we should not remotely consider trading him.
Simpson can opt out after the 2043 season and, assuming he maintains his level of play, it would not surprise me if he decided to leave and shoot for one more big payday.
That would be cause for concern if we didn't have Budding and Cochran in-house, but we do - with Lugo and Clements in the minors. I can't see spending valuable draft picks or free agent capital here, unless we spot once-in-a-generation talent. And even then, I'd advise thinking long and hard about it.
Let me know if you have questions or concerns, beyond questioning the dates on my birth certificate.