Boardwalk Empire - 2045.9 - Two Free Agent Pitchers Signed

[Joshua Biddle]

Gamblers Add Pitchers Nicto, Wils

The Atlantic City Gamblers didn't make a huge free agent splash this offseason, but added two pitchers -- right-handed pitchers Juan Nicto and Douglas Wils. Nicto agreed to a one-year contract worth $2.7 million and Wils agreed to a one-year contract worth $2 million. The tentative plan is for the pair of pitchers to compete for a spot in the starting rotation during spring training, but may also ultimately fill a bullpen role.

Nicto, 32, was drafted with the 8th pick in the 2nd round (38th overall) of the 2028 BBA Amateur Draft by the Halifax Hawks (now Nashville Bluebirds) franchise. In parts of three seasons with Halifax / Nashville from 2032 to 2034, Nicto finished 17-27 with a 4.92 ERA, a 1.63 WHIP, a 4.82 FIP, a .262 opponents' average, a .764 opponents' OPS, 185 strikeouts, and a 2.5 WAR in 318 innings pitched (53 starts). In August 2034, Nicto was traded twice -- from Nashville to the Omaha Hawks on 8/4, and from the Omaha Hawks to the Huntsville Phantoms (now Chicago Black Sox) on 8/25. Nicto finished the 2034 season between the three aforementioned organizations 8-16 with a 4.66 ERA, a 1.62 WHIP, a 4.60 FIP, a .278 opponents' average, a .796 opponents' OPS, 114 strikeouts, and a 2.0 WAR in 204 2/3 innings pitched (33 starts). He would spend the next ten seasons with the Huntsville / Chicago franchise, finishing his career with the franchise 121-84 with a 4.15 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP, a 4.32 FIP, a .255 opponents' average, a .730 opponents' OPS, 1,225 strikeouts, and a 29.6 WAR in 1,880 2/3 innings pitched (320 appearances, 301 starts). After a 14-7, 3.72 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 3.94 FIP campaign during the 2043 season, Nicto did see a sharp decline in his statistics, finishing 3-6 with a 5.13 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and a 4.76 FIP during the 2044 season. The decline in performance is certainly the reason Nicto wasn't in more demand and ultimately had to settle for a one-year deal -- quite the contrast from the five-year, $91.1 million contract signed with Huntsville in June 2039.

Wils, 29, was also drafted by the Halifax Hawks franchise, getting drafted with the 12th pick in the 7th round (197th overall) of the 2031 BBA Amateur Draft. Wils failed to sign with Halifax, re-entered the draft, and was then drafted by the Vancouver Mounties organization with the 20th pick in the 3rd round (93rd overall) of the 2033 BBA Amateur Draft. Wils was traded from Vancouver to the Yellow Springs Nine in November 2034, from Yellow Springs to the Louisville Sluggers in August 2035, from Louisville to the Brooklyn Robins in November 2037, and from Brooklyn to the Hawaii Tropics in June 2039. In two seasons with Brooklyn, Wils finished his career in Brooklyn 6-18 with 1 save in 1 attempt (1.000 success rate), a 5.66 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP, a 5.39 FIP, a .278 opponents' average, a .856 opponents' OPS, 159 strikeouts, and a 1.2 WAR in 217 2/3 innings pitched (53 appearances, 49 starts). In five-plus seasons with Brooklyn, Wils finished his career in Brooklyn 16-12 with 4 saves in 11 attempts (.364 success rate), a 4.61 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, a 5.00 FIP, a .246 opponents' average, a .790 opponents' OPS, 441 strikeouts, and a 0.6 WAR in 435 innings pitched (256 appearances, 11 starts). He had a solid season working 70 of 71 games out of the bullpen in 2044 (3.74 ERA / 1.14 WHIP / 4.49 FIP).