Havana Herald 2034.2- Season in Review: Outfield

[usnspecialist]

This is the second in a 6 part series breaking down the 2033 Sugar King season, with the remaining portions including:
-Starting Rotation
-Bullpen
-Minor League System
-General Manager

LF: Another position that experienced a massive upgrade mid-season, the year started off where the last few left off, with Sheldon Cooper (7/6/2/7/7 Talents, .249/.321/.319, 1 HR, 42 RBI) holding the position down. Unfortunately Cooper took a step back from the steady progression he had been experiencing in his career, and that left GM Randy Weigand looking for an upgrade. With the AAA system staffed mostly by AAAA type players, Weigand went outside the organization and flat out stole Jean-Luc Lacaze (6/6/8/7/6 Talents, .272/.366/.505, 28 HR, 81 RBI) from a flailing Huntsville franchise. Moving over from the CF role he had played in Alabama, Lacaze proceeded to tear the cover off of the ball the short time he was in Havana. With free agency approaching after the 2034 season, and Lacaze rumored to be asking for an average salary in the teens, it will be interesting to see how Weigand handles this delicate situation.

CF: After scuffling a bit in his first season on the island, Abdelwahab Kamade (8/8/4/5/8 Talents, .293/.345/.438, 11 HR, 79 RBI) rebounded with a strong 2nd season, showcasing the potential the organization saw when they traded “ace” Ignacio Rodriguez (10/7/9 Talents) for him following the 2031 season. In addition to improving with the bat, Kamade earned a Zimmer award for his mastery of center field. With a 3 year extension covering his arbitration years at a very reasonable $13 million, Kamade looks set to patrol CF for a long period of time for the Sugar King organization.

RF: In what is becoming a familiar refrain with this franchise, right field was a position that had a new starter to start the season, and a different starter to finish it. Acquired in the offseason from San Antonio in exchange for some prospects, Robert Gowron (7/8/9/3/4 Talents, .257/.283/.472, 26 HR, 93 RBI) was counted on to bring some power and stability to the position. That stability lasted all of 6 weeks before he was sent to Montreal for Jared Gillstrom (9/7/8/6/7 Talents, .341/.395/.573, 27 HR, 90 RBI). A rather controversial move took place in the aftermath, as 19 year old phenom Jose Cortez (8/8/3/6/8 Talents, .300/.364/.426, 6 HR, 48 RBI) was called up to fill the spot. The bat for Cortez was never in question, the kid can flat out rake as he showed by hitting .300 as a 19 year old rookie. The issue was that his glove might as well be made of cement, which led to a negative WAR for the season despite the incredible bat. It is well known that the organization is looking to make moves that would possibly result in Cortez having his glove requisitioned and being banished to the DH slot. Regardless, his combination of speed and lightning bat will ensure that he has a spot in the Havana order somewhere for a very long time.

[recte44]

I shall not reply until you

Recte has spoken

[udlb58]

Gotta love some Gasoline

[usnspecialist]

Gotta love some Gasoline

This is what I hoped i was getting when I traded for him.

[usnspecialist]

I shall not reply until you

Recte has spoken

comment away

[recte44]

Are you able to sleep at night when the Lecaze trade crosses your mind?

[recte44]

Cortez -0.3 WAR. That's a pretty big price to pay for some OBP...

[usnspecialist]

Cortez -0.3 WAR. That's a pretty big price to pay for some OBP...

Ya i am not thrilled with his defense, but with him only being 19 i have some time to figure out a solution to that problem....

With regard to the lacaze deal, i go to sleep at night with a big fucking smile on my face. Even if i decide not to pay him after this year, the price was absolutely worth it.

[RonCo]

A -19 ZR is a pretty healthy hill to climb.