Off Topic
Yellow Springs fans have been taking to social media and virtual reality havens to basically decry the BBA’s fascist, socialist, libertarian, communist (pick your poison) Rule 5 procedure, in which upstanding and hard-working teams are forced to fork over players to those of lesser stature simply because they don't have room for them on the artificial construct called the "40-man roster."
“We’re always giving away free talent,” one fan complained.
“And we don’t even get a dinner,” another replied.
“Or a ride home,” continued the conversation.
“Speak for yourself, baby,” came the next.
Anyway. The league’s Rule 5 process has come and gone, and the Nine are left (as usual) to sort through the rubble to see what’s left. Fans, however, simply want to know what the damage is. We are here to help.
Let’s take a look at the team’s losses and see what we can figure out.
SP Can Behramoglu (to Brooklyn)
Behramoglu came to the Nine recently in the trade that sent Josh Henson to Valencia. At the time, the club’s front office put out vibes that said they saw the right-hander as a bit of a project, and were expecting him to throw in A-ball (he posted a 5.43 ERA in 71 innings with the Valencia Short-A club, so that made some sense). Brooklyn swept him up, and will presumably attempt to ride out what will almost certainly be a Very Tough Year for the 21-year-old Turk in hopes that the development fairy comes calling, or at least doesn’t take a big bite out of Behramoglu. The Robins appear to be on a fairly major rebuild, and can take the chance we suppose.
Bottom line, we’d guess that Brooklyn GM Ben Heuring will not be returning Behramoglu.
From the Nine’s view, is this a loss? Yes. Of course. It’s a chunk of possible future value that they acquired in return for a solid major league pitcher. At best it’s a weird self-inflicted fumble to take a guy swept up in the Rule 5 draft as return on Henson. That said, Henson probably had to go for financial reasons, and the club wouldn’t have dealt him if there we’re replacements in the wing. So as damage goes, it’s probably only a flesh wound.
RP Doug Campbell (to Charm City)
At 23 years old, Campbell was a bit buried in the Nine organization chart, but he’d moved from A > AA last year, and posted some very nice number s(1.16 ERA in 31 innings). AT the end of the day, his ability to stick with Charm City will probably depend on his walk rate, which made good strides by the end of the year. If things work out well, we’d see him being a useful piece of the back end of a bullpen. Charm City seems to be in limboland on trying to win now and build at the same time. We shall see what they do with Campbell. Looking at the collection of arms they already have, though, one wonders if Campbell might be coming ack to the Nine fold—we’ll give it a 50/50 shot at present. Maybe 60% that the Jimmies keep him around.
The loss will likely impact the Nine to at least a bit of a degree—mostly because they’ve taken the tack of stocking the minors with a plethora of arms and hoping to ride a robust development system to keep the parent club filled with big league arms. Campbell throws 98 and keeps that mall mostly in the park, so what’s not to like. Team insiders expected he’d find value with YS9, but probably not until 2051, give or take.
SP Wilson Banditelli (to San Fernando)
Banditelli is a Venezuelan who pitched effectively in both A and AA ball last year. He throws 100 MPH, which will always draw attention, but scouts generally leave sessions less than impressed with the overall package. That said, he’s 23 and he can start a little. If the numbers translate after the jump, well, we could see it—almost, anyway. At least after a few stiff ones.
That said, we think the selection says more about San Fernando and their apparently never-ending quest to find pitching than it does about Banditelli. Team insiders say he was unlikely to ever start in Yellow Springs, and that there was a general conversation rolling around the executive suite regarding the value of pushing him into the bullpen full time. One wonders if that’s on the Bears’ mind. That said, a propensity to give up longballs in Chico’s Bail Bonds Field has to give one pause. I guess what we’re saying is that there’s a not unreasonable chance that Banditelli will return to the Nine’s fold.
If he doesn’t we’re not sure fans will miss him.
RP Bryan Longstaff (to Las Vegas)
The Hustler’s selection of Longstaff is the most intriguing loss of the bunch. The guy has been on a very long and slow development path since being drafted in the 2045 class, never posting an ERA lsee than 6.41 in three minor league seasons, and rarely budging the development needle until this past season. Despite being 25, scouts still love his topside. The club almost expected to lose him because they figured some team would be willing to take the hit on 2049 performance in order to see if that topside would flesh in. Facts are facts, after all. Unless scouts are just whacky, the 7/7/5 current ratings on his chart say that Longstaff won’t get BBA hitters out. At all.
That makes is odd that Las Vegas, of all teams, decided to draft him.
Can Vegas give away a roster spot in 2049?
The answer is … well … um … maybe?
Let’s just say, however, that I’m happy to have drawn “returned by April” in the office pool. Barring injury I’m not sure I can see him making the club on performance, and the Frontier is too competitive to let the Hustlers leave him to rot for a season. Stranger things have happened, though. Maybe Longstaff will get smitted (or smotten? … I love making up words on the fly) with the rod of Big Stuff Growth and be worth the gamble.
2B John Weber (to Boise)
Weber was in a weird limbo, bit available for Rule 5 and waived. As a RHB with limited power, it was kind of odd to see him in the DH role for the Nine last year, and to be direct we’re guessing he won’t be there again this season. So when Boise selected him, it made some sense. The guy can contribute somewhere, and the Spuds are trying to get their acts together.
Of course, the club returned Weber immediately.
So, there’s that. The most unsurprising guy selected gets returned first. Life is weird, right?
The future is uncertain, of course. But sitting here in January, I’d expect Weber will spend time mostly in Indianapolis, with the possibility of being used as injury replacement.
# # # So, there we have it. The damage done.
Five players, one already returned. It’s Rule 5, of course. So We’re not talking mega-stars, but the club did lose a couple workable prospects in Behramoglu and Campbell. Banditelli is a bit of a wild card, and Longstaff is likewise. Ignoring the total unfairness of a system that lets weaker teams eat of the edges of our glorious and good ball club, we admit to being intrigued to watch all these guys actually perform in the big leagues.
Good luck to them all.
It is, after all, not their fault that they play in a world that is full of such unjust practices!
