2054.10: A Few More Bears Before Hibernation

[BaseClogger]

9/16/2054

My active roster swelled to 33 players as rosters expanded for September. Below is a summary of my additions.

C Ramiro Cherón
Differing from the usual route of calling up players from the minor leagues, you'll see I added players to the roster from a variety of sources. Cheron was a salary offset in the recent Ramon Gonzalez trade and after playing some DFA games in August, September finally gives me the chance to add him. Rather than risk adding one of my veteran catchers in AAA to the 40-man roster and have to waive somebody else--only to lose them if I need to waive them before the offseason--I'll just give Cheron a little playing time as my third catcher. Cheron's bat has to make him the best third-string catcher in the league?

CF Rocky 'Rusty' Allen
Rocky Allen came over in the same trade as Cheron for the same reasons. The 37 year-old CF also spent some time in DFA and now gets a chance to once again contribute at the Brewster level. He actually fills a needed role of platooning as a RH hitting OF, particularly in CF where he can platoon with 38 year-old Po-sin Shi.

1B Ken Donahue
Donahue has unequivocally transitioned to "post-hype sleeper" at this point. I took him in the rule 5 draft heading into my first season with the Bears, 2051. He immediately bumped and looked like he could be a potent bat in his prime, but it's never fully come together for Donahue. He's a career .284/.325/.411 in the BBA, which just isn't enough production when you consider my ballpark and his limited defensive abilities. I'll play him at 1B against LHP and he'll get a little playing time in the outfield down the stretch just to give him some more PAs. It's up in the air whether I'll save a spot on my 2055 roster for Ken.

2B Pang 'Magician' Zou
This is a reward for a guy whose been a loyal organizational solider for me the past two seasons. A career .275/.365/.395 hitter in AAA, Pang Zou's strongest tool is his 11 speed. He should be average defensively at 2B and offers some versatility elsewhere around the diamond. He'll get a little playing time against LHP down the stretch and at only 24 years-old I wouldn't say this will be his last opportunity in the Brewster--it just might not be in San Fernando.

P Slawomir Trzcinski
Slaw was signed as a free agent in mid-August and left in DFA until September expanded the rosters. He's a 11-6-8 relief pitcher with a 65 POT rating whose production has been stellar at times in his BBA career but is trending in the wrong direction. Still just 27 years old, I'll pay him a pro-rated $875K salary this season as a trial run to see if I want to offer him arbitration for 2055. A relief pitcher conversion is also an option to drop his 2-rated changeup.

P Bruhier Najeeb
Najeeb's spent time in my bullpen in each of the last three seasons with poor results to show for it. The 27 year-old has good ratings, 12-5-7. I've never liked his pitch mix--his two best pitches are a fastball and a sinker--but he added a 7-potential splitter during his time in my org that has kept him around. This season it's the walks doing him in, but ultimately I expect his career to come down to whether he can keep the ball in the yard. He's essentially trying out for the 2055 Bears bullpen.

P Fernando Ferretti
Finally, a player who fits the mold more closely of a prospect September call-up. Alas, because Ferretti spent the 2051 season on my active roster after being selected in the rule 5 draft he doesn't actually have prospect eligibility. But he's only 24 years-old and has chugged along in the upper levels of my farm system. Last season's 3.91 ERA is what put him back on the big league radar, but unfortunately his ERA ballooned over 5 this year. The weirdest thing about Ferretti is his five pitch mix that's limited by a 5-rated fastball but also includes a 10-rated changeup. I am tempted to convert him to a reliever soon to improve that fastball and showcase the changeup, but I hate to give up on three other decent pitches.

[Trebro]

Slawomir was just too damn frustrating for me and I gave up. Something just isn't working for my team and pitchers who should be better than they end up playing for me.

[BaseClogger]

Slawomir was just too damn frustrating for me and I gave up. Something just isn't working for my team and pitchers who should be better than they end up playing for me.

The last ditch effort to save him would be the conversion. Maybe it’s the crappy change up holding him back.

[Trebro]

Slawomir was just too damn frustrating for me and I gave up. Something just isn't working for my team and pitchers who should be better than they end up playing for me.

The last ditch effort to save him would be the conversion. Maybe it’s the crappy change up holding him back.

possibly but so many guys have a bad third pitch. i think I just have to accept that I'm not doing something right.