Delgado (32) is a hard-throwing right hander who has posted an 88-67 career record, mostly in New Orleans. A starter for most of his career, the Crawdads have used him as a swing man the past two seasons, throwing him often out of the bullpen, where he’s been successful despite some uglier numbers in the starter’s role. He threw 101 innings in 2039, appearing in 36 games with 11 starts. He threw a no-hitter in 2034 against the Seattle Storm.Clearly the Nine front office is hoping he recovers some of that magic.
The deal is rumored to pay Delgado $9M in 2040, with a $3M player option in 2041. “My sources said Freddy was looking for three years and $5M a season,” said BBA Weekly analyst Gayle Combs. “So this deal gives him something close to what he wanted in two seasons rather than three—assuming he even sticks around for the second.”
“I’m excited,” Delgado said on a phone interview. “New Orleans is a great team, but I’m happy to have a fresh start, and I hear all the news outlets are saying that Yellow Springs is the place to be in the Heartland.”
Nine Rotation Finished?
While the team’s front office is not commenting on future plans, the deal would appear to solidify the team’s starting rotation going into Spring Training. The top three will likely be Carlos Valle, Ernesto Ramos, and Luis Colon, with Delgado and Adam Barnard throwing from the #4 and #5 slots—unless, of course, either of the team’s top young prospects make a case to push one of them to the pen full time. Tomas Ramirez and Carlos Pineda will be given every chance to do that, of course. But right now, barring another move, the safe money is on that arrangement.
