2051.4: Bad News Bears - First Half Performers

[BaseClogger]

Below is a summary of the five most dissapointing first half performances for the 2051 San Fernando Bears.

Pedro Mendoza - OF
It's fair to question whether the pressure of being the primary replacement for Angel Gonzalez in RF got to Pedro Mendoza this season. With a slash line of .186/.232/.312, Mendoza has been worth a staggering -2.0 WAR, making him the least valuable position player in the BBA. This is despite the fact the Bears haven't even played him every day. Some of Mendoza's performance can be explained by a lowly .197 BABIP (compared to a career .288 BABIP). Pedro Mendoza recently requested a trade.

Carlos Martinez - IF
The Bears were looking for a RH, glove-first middle infielder to partner with Marcelo Custello. At the end of spring training they landed on Carlos Martinez, a minor league FA signing with more than 4,000 career BBA PAs. Bears GM Kurt Imber had to learn the hard way that despite the solid scouting reports, the back of a baseball card speaks for itself as Martinez has now been worth -13.8 WAR over his major league career. Now on waivers, Martinez hit .190/.255/.252 before the Bears finally cut bait. Even more damning, he wasn't even worth positive value in the field. At 32 years old, it's difficult to imagine another Brewster GM falling for Martinez again.

Ramon Gonzalez - P
Ramon Gonzalez has been worth 0.1 WAR on the 2051 season, so he makes this list because of higher expectations going into the season. Gonzalez was given a chance to crack the rotation in April, but after just one dissapointing start was moved back into his more familiar place in the bullpen. Despite the comfortable digs, Gonzalez has been pedestrian serving as the Bears' closer. His 7.2 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 are career lows, and his ERA sits at 4.68. He is under contract for one more season.

Jorge Moreno - SP
Expected to be the team's ace going into the season, Jorge Moreno continues his decline into mediocrity. Moreno signed a six-year, $43M contract before the 2046 season and was a very good pitcher for the Bears for three years. The last three seasons have been a different story, as Moreno's ERA has ballooned to 5.15, 4.73, and 6.68 respectively. There are some reasons to hope for improvement as Moreno heads into his final year under contract in 2052, with his FIP of 5.42 being more than a run lower than his ERA. Still, a 2.1 HR/9 doesn't play anywhere and Moreno is surely a disappointment for the Bears faithful.

Alan Gray - P
Another piece of the return for Angel Gonzalez, the Bears thought they had another over achieving starting pitcher in Alan Gray. Gray did not win a spot in the Bears rotation out of spring training, but they hoped he'd help bridge the gap to their better relievers in the bullpen. The new role did not take, and Gray saw his ERA increase from 3.56 in 162 innings last season to 5.92 before he was waived and stashed in the minors. Gray continues to work out of the bullpen, having thrown 14.2 innings of 3.92 ERA. He'll have to finish the year strong to get back into the mix for the Bears' major league staff.

[Jwalk100]

Down years for a lot of players.