As the Valencia front office looks toward the 2064 season, it is starting to look at who is expected back, who is leaving an who is waiting in the wings. At that point the holes and surpluses can be determined.
In this edition of the Pipeline Report we will be focused on the relievers coming out of the bullpen.
Leaving the team in 2064: Luis Perez, Pedro German, Alphonse Lease, Michael Dixon (all via free agency) and Pedro Vasquez (minors)
On the fence: Pedro Hernandez
Coming back: Dave Furman ($500K) and Juan Evans ($500K)
Waiting in the Wings: Raul Fierro, Steve Wauchope, Rashid Umrani and Miguel Diaz
While the bullpen cupboard seems to be pretty bare, the Valencia faithful cannot be too disappointed with the Closer spot being occupied by Dave Furman. Dave recorded 31 saves in 36 opportunities to go with his 4-7 record and 2.79 ERA/1.11 WHIP.
Having Juan Evans in the same bullpen is also considered a plus. The fourth overall pick of this past draft made quick work of progressing through the Valencia farm system before recording 9 saves in 14 appearances while compiling a 0.59 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP during his brief stint in AAA. Juan's 60/80 overall rating is a good addition to Furman's 75/75 rating.
After that things go south quickly. Pedro Hernandez may stay on staff depending on how active the Stars' front office is in the reliever portion of the free agent market. Pedro has a 100mph fastball but only a 4 rating in control. After coming off the DL, the 25 year-old appeared in 11 games walking 9 batters in 19 innings on his way to a 6.16 ERA.
The corps currently in AAA is led by Raul Fierro. At the age of 20, Raul had a 2.77 ERA in 43 games while in AA followed yup with an ERA of 3.38 ERA in AAA although that was only over 2.2 innings. With a potential rating of 60 and a current rating of 40, Raul may need another year in AAA unless he has a productive off-season.
Next up is Steve Wauchope. The 30 year old has been a saves machine over the last four years with 96, but his ratings are not overly impressive with a 6/4/5 set of Stuff/Movement/Control ratings. Steve may find a home in Valencia next year if the free agent market does not bring in a few more capable relievers.
After that is journeyman Rashid Umrani. Rashid does an excellent job of keeping the ball in the park and had a decent 2062 with an ERA of 4.54. After a rough start this past season it looks like he has regained some of his form in AAA with a 2.31 ERA in 17 games. Don't be surprised if Rashid spends some time back in the BBA during the 2064 season.
Closing out the list is Miguel Diaz. Miguel went 8-3 with a 3.06 ERA record which will be enough to get him to Spring Training next year. Time will tell if he will do enough to wiggle into a spot in the BBA.
After this evaluation, this could very likely be the most active portion of Valencia's free agency this off-season. By this reporter's best guess, there are four or five spots that are open. How many are filled with the people on this list versus free agency is anyone's guess.
Whether or not Valencia has a new-look bullpen or a no-look bullpen after its top two relievers in 2064 is yet to be determined. Stay tuned until Spring Training to find out.
