November 2057
The Yellow Springs Nine announced today that they had released the following players:
IF Karajala Ankola
P Ryan Bowers
OF Alfredo Flores
P Alan Martinez
IF Nolan Sterling
Of Arnold Campos
OF Abdul-Qahhar Anwar
P Carl Henry
"We always appreciate the hard work and dedication of these young men who worked so hard to get to the Brewster," said GM Rob McMonigal as part of the release. "It is incredibly difficult and I literally visit with dozens of good players year in and year out across our minor league system and have to deliver the hard news that their dream of playing with Yellow Springs is over. While not always, that's often their last time in pro ball.
"These eight players were able to break through and have a chance to show they could be major league players. Some of them were able to do so across multiple seasons. But in the end, our results in 2057 weren't good enough and we have players who are ready to show they can shine under the Utopia Field lights. We wish all of them well and hope they can find a place to succeed elsewhere, even if it is somewhere like Louisville."
The list of players runs the gamut. Some are former Rule 5 picks like Ankola, who struggled to make his promising bat work in the BBA and could not keep up defensively, showing a regression in both areas in 2057, and Bowers, who despite a four pitch arsenal could not get his ERA under 7. Others, like Henry, were waiver pickups that didn't, well, pick up. Flores and Martinez were prospects from trades that just didn't pan out. Flores, like Ankola, struggled to hit at the major league level, not even managing to make it to .200 in two September tryouts. Martinez flashed promise here and there, but like Blowers had ERAs over 7 in parts of two seasons.
Arnold Campos
The most surprising choice was Campos, a former first round daft pick in 2048. The outfielder stuck around for six seasons from 2052-2057, effectively the entirety of McMonigal's tenure as GM. He even started 109 games in 2055 and 94 in 2056, primarily serving as an unspectacular designated hitter. His career WAR is -.3, always on or around a value of nil. It's likely the goal is to find a better hitter for the role in 2058.
Only one of the players, Ryan Bowers, made himself available for comment.
"I never liked playing for Yellow Springs anyway," he told a small gathering of reporters. "I was pissed when I was taken in the Rule 5 draft. I'll find a place where I am better appreciated and make them pay for getting rid of me."
That's likely the goal for all eight players. Time will tell if McMonigal made the right choice.
