2062.06: Rummaging Bears - Starting Pitchers

[BaseClogger]

3/18/2062


How well are our spring campers' picnic baskets secured?

Sure-Fire Locks
SP Morgan Tomsett, SP Alexander Swanson, SP Morris Chapa

Tomsett is solidified as one of the best starting pitchers in the BBA after accumulating almost 9 WAR over the last two seasons. Now 30, he’s a veteran innings eater who keeps the ball in the yard. Swanson, in some ways then, is the poor man’s Tomsett as a control oriented starting pitcher who’s been worth 5.8 WAR over that same two-year span. Chapa made a full season of starts in 2061 and at 28 has secured a place in the 2062 San Fernando rotation thanks to his 3.1 WAR campaign last year. Once again he fits the mold of his rotation mates painting the corners.

Near Locks
SP Ielemia Faletose

Faletose returns from a lost 2061 due to injury. In his lone San Fernando season he threw 193 innings of 3.08 ERA. We expect he’ll take a few lumps getting back into his groove and at age 32 a return to previous production is not guaranteed but he’ll add length to the rotation. It’s a shame he’ll be by far the best compensated of the bunch at $14M.

Trying to Break-In
SP Richard Bullock, SP Jerry Richards

Competing for the last spot in the rotation is veteran swing man Bullock and upstart 24 year-old Richards. We’d prefer to have Bullock as another lefty in our pen and run with Richards but day-to-day injuries have limited his workload in the spring. Durability is a concern so we do expect Bullock to make some starts at some point anyway. Richards was just ok in his rookie season but we need to develop him into a dependable starter on a league minimum contract.

Breaking in the Back Door
SP Zhuo-cheng Sa, SP Cody Glynn, SP Tomas Franco

Sa keeps surviving Rule 5 drafts thanks to his pedestrian pitch repertoire (none above a 5 rating) and poor intangibles but we think he could hold his own as a BOR starter in the BBA. Glynn is a similarly scouted pitcher who made starts for Charm City in 2061 at a replacement level. Franco has slightly better stuff than those two but with less control. He is another veteran depth piece who made BBA starts in 2061, in this case to poor effect with Valencia. Glynn and Franco should be stashed in AAA and only called upon in case of an emergency.


A wild card for San Fernando is the July return of the injured and now wholly lumped SP Rick Marriott.