Shortstop Asher Chuang
Chuang, 26, was selected by the Gamblers in the 2047 Rule 5 Draft in order to add a defensive specialist to the infield. Although he struggled at the plate substantially, he ended up keeping the starting gig for most of the season due to the struggles of fellow shortstop Ewan Allman at the plate. Chuang finished the 2047 season a disappointing .153/.237/.256 with 40 runs scored, 14 doubles, 2 triples, 6 home runs, 25 RBIs, 20 stolen bases in 25 attempts (.800 success rate), and a 0.5 WAR in 389 plate appearances. As poor as he was at the plate, it's amazing Chuang managed a positive WAR, and it was solely based on his amazing defensive performance at shortstop -- in 969 1/3 innings at shortstop, Chuang recorded 5 errors (.991 fielding percentage), a +14.7 zone rating, and a 1.088 defensive efficiency -- figures that should have him in the discussion for the JL Diamond Glove Award. It's likely that Chuang will remain on the roster next season due to his defensive prowess, potentially moving to a reserve utility infield similar to the role former Gambler Sven Burel held.
Center fielder Marat Harutyunian
Harutyunian, 27, finally got his first crack at being a BBA player after improving in each of his three years with Class-AAA Brooklyn. Harutyunian showed elite defensive potential at the center field position with Class-AAA Brooklyn and improved each season in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, and WAR. Harutyunian struggled in his rookie season with the Gamblers, finishing the 2047 season hitting .190/.240/.294 with 38 runs scored, 19 doubles, 2 triples, 9 home runs, 46 RBIs, 20 stolen bases in 32 attempts (.625 success rate), and a -0.5 WAR in 521 plate appearances. Like Chuang at shortstop, Harutyunian provided elite level defensive in center field, recorded 0 errors (1.000 fielding percentage), a +11.8 zone rating, and a 1.033 defensive efficiency in 1,270 innings in center field. Harutyunian showed some signs of improvement in the month of August (.268/.336/.392 in 107 plate appearances), but followed it up with a poor September (.141/.213/.212 in 94 plate appearances). There are questions about whether Harutyunian will make the 2048 Gamblers roster, but his defensive prowess at every outfield position could allow him to stick around as a backup and defensive replacement.
Outfielder Jose Valentin
Valentin, 27, was a colossal disappointment for the Gamblers after he was a surprise contributor during the Gamblers' 2046 season. Valentin finished the 2047 season hitting .209/.283/.333 with 24 runs scored, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 6 home runs, 27 RBIs, 10 stolen bases in 17 attempts (.588 success rate), and a -0.9 WAR in 223 plate appearances. Valentin, an adequate outfielder at the corner outfield positions, primarily served as the team's designated hitter prior to being removed as a starter due to poor performance. His 2047 statistics are a far cry from his 2046 statistics - .280/.349/.499 with 62 runs scored, 16 doubles, 6 triples, 17 home runs, 55 RBIs, 17 stolen bases in 23 attempts (.739 success rate), and a 1.9 WAR in 401 plate appearances. Comparing his 2047 season to his 2046 season, Valentin saw a decline of 71 points in batting average, 66 points in on-base percentage, 166 points in slugging percentage, and 232 points in OPS. Furthermore, Valentin's walk percentage declined from 9.7% to 8.5% and his strikeout percentage increased from 17.2% to 27.8%. As an arbitration eligible player, Valentin is also a non-tender candidate.
