2056.05: Bears' Early Season Shake-Up

[BaseClogger]

4/22/2056

In a desperate attempt to improve our pitching staff we signed Jorge Quiñones to a minor league contract (with a major league option for $1.125M) and immediately inserted him into the starting rotation. We liked that the lefty was good enough to be in Rocky Mountain's bullpen the last two seasons and has a career 4.49 FIP in 491 innings. We think his three-pitch mix that includes a solid curveball and circle change should make him competitive as a starting pitcher. Recently converted starter and home run machine Bruhier Najeeb was DFA'd in a corresponding move. He was claimed off waivers by Seattle where he's got a 7.27 ERA so far in their bullpen.

To bollster the bullpen we signed another 29 year-old pitcher named Philippe Dumont to a minor league contract (with a $1.5M major league option). Dumont's 3.61 FIP across 236 innings in Yellow Springs is better than most of the guys we're running out there. The Bears spent part of April with 15 position players so Carl McIndoe was optioned to make room. McIndoe was highlighted in this season's media guide for his 1.031 OPS in AAA last year but he was off to a slow start and is a clubhouse cancer. Thanks to his positional flexibility he'll see a call-up again eventually I'm certain. 3B Bruce Hillier, a 2055 waiver claim, was DFA'd to clear room on our 40-man roster.


4/29/2056

Adam Barber, on the other hand, was given four starts in AAA to get warmed up for a Brewster campaign after signing his minor league contract (with a $1.5M major league option). He averaged nearly 8 innings per start with a 2.56 ERA so I decided he was better served upgrading our bullpen as a long-man. Barber was handled more tentatively because his BBA production has been poor despite decent ratings. San Fernando optioned Luis Peña to AAA to make room. He's next man up in the Bears' bullpen but was one of only a couple guys with options.