Boardwalk Empire - 2049.8 - 3 Make Team, Melucci Doesn't

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Boardwalk Empire - 2049.8 - 3 Make Team, Melucci Doesn't

Post by Joshua Biddle » Sun Jan 09, 2022 2:11 am

Outfielders Trejo, De La Cruz; First Baseman Wheeler Make Gamblers Roster

The Atlantic City Gamblers added three players to their 40-day and opening day roster, while top prospect Joe Melucci failed to make the opening day roster out of spring training. Making the Gamblers out of spring training was left fielder Pedro Trejo, right fielder Raúl De La Cruz, and first baseman Fletcher Wheeler.

Trejo, 27, was drafted with the 12th pick in the 5th round (162nd overall) of the 2039 BBA Amateur Draft by the Gamblers. Trejo joins the Gamblers after three full seasons with Class-AAA Brooklyn, where he has hit a cumulative .265/.317/.352 with 171 runs scored, 64 doubles, 15 triples, 12 home runs, 107 RBIs, 64 stolen bases in 101 attempts (.634 success rate), and a 2.9 WAR in 1,612 plate appearances (393 games / 370 starts). His best season with Class-AAA Brooklyn was his 2047 season, where he finished the season hitting .299/.352/.380 with 56 runs scored, 22 doubles, 5 triples, 3 home runs, 40 RBIs, 25 stolen bases in 41 attempts (.609 success rate), and a 2.1 WAR in 551 plate appearances (134 games / 131 starts); and finished the 2048 season hitting .261/.301/.340 with 52 runs scored, 17 doubles, 4 triples, 4 home runs, 26 RBIs, 17 stolen bases in 33 attempts (.515 success rate), and a 0.9 WAR in 499 plate appearances (126 games / 108 starts). Trejo first seasons in left field were average defensively, but he showed marked improvement in 2048 recording 1 error (.996 fielding percentage), a +9.0 zone rating, and a 1.047 defensive efficiency in 964 1/3 innings at the position, winning the 2048 RHML(AAA) GL Clayton Chancey Glove Award at Left Field. Although the decline in offensive production last season compared to two seasons ago is a concern, Trejo would be expected to deliver above average defensive production in spot duty while also having a solid contact bat. Trejo played for the Gamblers as a September call up in 2047 and 2048, hitting two doubles in four plate appearances with a run scored and RBI.

De La Cruz, 25, was drafted with the 6th pick in the 9th round (301st overall) of the 2042 BBA Amateur Draft by the Gamblers. De La Cruz spent three season with Class-A Long Island from 2045 through 2047, hitting a cumulative .271/.334/.453 with 199 runs scored, 95 doubles, 18 triples, 49 home runs, 232 RBIs, 1 stolen base in 4 attempts (.250 success rate), and a 4.9 WAR in 1,690 plate appearances (401 games / 390 starts). His 2047 season with Class-A Long Island was his breakout season; he finished the season hitting .295/.360/.522 with 65 runs scored, 22 doubles, 4 triples, 25 home runs, 70 RBIs, 1 stolen base in 2 attempts (.500 success rate), and a 3.3 WAR in 514 plate appearances (129 games / 123 starts). After a brief stay (seven games in 2047) with Class-AA Trenton, De La Cruz was promoted to Class-AAA Brooklyn in 2048, finishing the season hitting .277/.358/.470 with 38 runs scored, 11 doubles, 2 triples, 16 home runs, 51 RBIs, 2 stolen bases in 7 attempts (.286 success rate), and a 1.9 WAR in 372 plate appearances (99 games / 90 starts). De La Cruz missed a significant chunk of the season due to bone marrow edema in his wrist suffered in April, but returned and produced. De La Cruz has shown average defensive metrics; his role for the Gamblers will be as a reserve right fielder who can show some power as a reserve particularly against right-handed pitchers.

Wheeler, 26, was drafted with the 4th pick in the 3rd round (110th overall) of the 2041 BBA Amateur Draft by the Gamblers. After eight seasons in the minor leagues with the Gamblers organization, Wheeler will finally get his first chance at BBA action, in all probability as a designated hitter against left-handed pitchers. Wheeler had notable performance during the 2045 season with Class-Short Season A Bogota, where he finished the season hitting .363/.414/.495 with 36 runs scored, 20 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs, 40 RBIs, 14 stolen bases in 18 attempts (.778 success rate), and a 1.6 WAR in 309 plate appearances (73 games / 71 starts); and during the 2046 season with Class-A Long Island, where he finished the season hitting .339/.377/.526 with 89 runs scored, 50 doubles, 5 triples, 15 home runs, 97 RBIs, 13 stolen bases in 17 attempts (.765 success rate), and a 2.3 WAR in 608 plate appearances (139 games / 137 starts). After his 2047 season was split between Class-A Long Island (.281/.343/.382, 4 home runs, 22 RBI, 0.2 WAR) and Class-AA Trenton (.300/.322/.412, 2 home runs, 20 RBI, 0.3 WAR), Wheeler spent the 2048 season with Class-AAA Brooklyn, finishing the season hitting .286/.326/.413 with 57 runs scored, 31 doubles, 3 triples, 10 home runs, 43 RBIs, 17 stolen bases in 27 attempts (.629 success rate), and a 1.0 WAR in 562 plate appearances (138 games / 136 starts). Wheeler is a terrible defender and will exclusively work as a designated hitter. If he fails to perform, it's likely he'll be a strong candidate for being designated for assignment.

As for Melucci, he will start the 2049 season with Class-AAA Brooklyn, where he finished out the 2048 season after a late promotion (.333/.364/.762, 3 home runs, 4 RBIs, 0.3 WAR in 22 plate appearances). Melucci spent significant portions of the 2048 season with both Class-A Long Island and Class-AA Trenton. He finished the 2048 season with Class-A Long Island hitting .271/.349/.482 with 50 runs scored, 11 doubles, 2 triples, 18 home runs, 51 RBIs, and a 2.0 WAR in 370 plate appearances (88 games / 83 starts); and finished the 2048 season with Class-AA Trenton hitting .302/.400/.594 with 31 runs scored, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 15 home runs, 43 RBIs, and a 2.3 WAR in 227 plate appearances (51 games / starts). Melucci will likely be a quick promotion to the Gamblers roster if he produces at Class-AAA Brooklyn and there is a lack of production at the designated hitter slot in the lineup for the Gamblers amongst rookie Fletcher and veteran José Calderón.
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