Boardwalk Empire - 2035.18 - Domínguez, Richardson Claimed

[Joshua Biddle]

Jorge Domínguez, Randy Richardson Claimed off Waivers by Boise

Outfielders Jorge Domínguez and Randy Richardson, who were both designated for assignment prior to the auto-renewal of their league minimum contracts, were both officially claimed off of waivers by the expansion Boise Spuds.

Dominguez, 23, was drafted with the 23rd pick in the 4th round of the 2031 BBA Amateur Draft by the Atlantic City Gamblers organization. Dominguez spent the 2034 season with the Gamblers, finishing the season hitting .268/.319/.428 with 47 runs scored, 18 doubles, 5 triples, 49 RBIs, 28 stolen bases in 50 attempts (.560 success rate), and a -0.1 WAR in 362 at-bats. In 855 2/3 innings in right field, Dominguez recorded 4 errors (.980 fielding percentage), 4 assists, a 2.03 range factor, a -2.5 zone rating, and a .980 defensive efficiency. Dominguez played well in his rookie campaign during the 2033 season for Atlantic City, finishing the season hitting .279/.341/.484 with 83 runs scored, 28 doubles, 9 triples, 23 home runs, 73 RBIs, 17 stolen bases in 41 attempts (.415 success rate), and a 2.0 WAR in 273 at-bats. Defensively, Dominguez recorded 5 errors (.985 fielding percentage), 13 assists, 1 double play, a 2.11 range factor, a +7.1 zone rating, and a 1.037 defensive efficiency in 1,357 innings in right field. For his BBA career, Dominguez has hit .274/.332/.462 with 130 runs scored, 46 doubles, 14 triples, 33 home runs, 122 RBIs, 45 stolen bases in 91 attempts (.495 success rate), and a 2.1 WAR in 922 at-bats. Dominguez is a left-handed bat categorized as a spray hitter and a normal batted ball profile; he has above average contact, gap power, power, and ability to avoid strikeouts, though his plate discipline is below average. His plate discipline took a hit in his second season with the Gamblers, which along with poor play in right field, ultimately led to his benching.

Richardson, 23, was drafted with the 22nd pick in the 5th round of the 2029 BBA Amateur Draft by the Atlantic City Gamblers organization. Richardson started the season on the Atlantic City Gamblers’ roster, but was optioned to Class-AAA Brooklyn after struggling for the second consecutive season at the major league level. For Atlantic City, Richardson finished the season hitting .153/.231/.254 with 9 runs scored, 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 5 stolen bases in 9 attempts (55.6% stolen base percentage), and a -0.5 WAR in 59 at-bats. Defensively, 137 1/3 innings in center field for Atlantic City, Richardson recorded 0 errors (1.000 fielding percentage), 3 assists, a 2.75 range factor, a -0.8 zone rating, and a .972 defensive efficiency. For Class-AAA Brooklyn, Richardson finished the season hitting .256/.305/.388 with 37 runs scored, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 7 home runs, 21 RBIs, 16 stolen bases in 18 attempts (.889 stolen base percentage), and a 0.5 WAR in 227 at-bats. Defensively, in 472 2/3 innings in center field for Class-AAA Brooklyn, Richardson recorded 2 errors (.986 fielding percentage), 4 assists, a 2.65 range factor, a -1.9 zone rating, and a .980 defensive efficiency. For his BBA career, Richardson has hit .204/.274/.300 with 42 runs scored, 9 doubles, 8 home runs, 40 RBIs, 38 stolen bases in 58 attempts (.655 success rate), and a -0.7 WAR in 343 at-bats. Richardson is a left-handed bat with a ground ball batted ball profile, above average contact and strikeouts avoidance abilities, average gap power and plate discipline, and below average power. After making the jump to Atlantic City from Class-AA Trenton out of spring training in 2033, Richardson never could do enough to stick in his two seasons with the Gamblers; negative metrics in center field (-0.9 zone rating, .972 defensive efficiency) was enough to negate his value as he was never a steady bat in the lineup.

When reached by phone, general manager Joshua Biddle said “We wish Jorge and Randy luck in Boise. We had the ability to pull both from waivers when we were advised Boise put in a claim, but we had already made the decision as an organization that we wanted their salaries cleared if they were to remain with the organization. We were interested in a full season with Brooklyn [Class-AAA] for both had they remained, but we knew there was a decent chance they’d get claimed, especially Jorge. Jorge was the first draftee since becoming GM of Atlantic City that made it to the Atlantic City roster, so Jorge deserves credit for that and his solid 2033 season. But if he doesn’t adjust his attitude, 2034 will probably be the optimistic end of Jorge’s projections moving forward.”

[RonCo]

With Boise and Wichita on the hunt, the waiver wire will be dangerous for awhile.