2058.05: Rummaging Bears - Starting Pitchers

[BaseClogger]

2/25/2058


As they rummage a campsite some Bears find picnic baskets while others are shooed away.

Sure-Fire Locks
SP Arnold Cantrell, SP Rubén bin Majid al Din, SP Alexander Swanson, SP Fernando Ferretti

The top four spots in the San Fernando rotation are settled. Cantrell should pitch Opening Day after being worth 4 WAR in 2057. Free agent signing bin Majid al Din will bring his track record of eating innings to the second spot. Alexander Swanson took a step back by going from a 3.60 ERA in 2056 to a 4.77 ERA in 2057 but both seasons included about 180 innings and a 3.3 WAR. His FIP tells us his 2058 baseline should be somewhere in the middle of those two ERAs, although I still think the young pitcher has another gear. And thanks to a career low 4.64 ERA last year Ferretti has the fourth spot locked down.

Near Locks
SP Morgan Tomsett

2057’s big bumper continued to bump this offseason. Tomsett’s potential ratings now read 10-9-9. We anticipate giving the final rotation spot to Tomsett so the 26 year-old can finish developing his 9/10 curveball and 5/8 knucklecurve. He pitched well enough after promotion in 2057, tossing 64 innings of 3.52 ERA ball for the Bears.

Trying to Break-In
SP Candrata Parmar, P Richard Bullock

Depth for the rotation will be provided by Parmar and Bullock. Parmar is still a work in progress as a starting pitcher who may ultimately be held back by his fragile injury rating and poor intangibles. I figure I need to keep feeding innings so he can perfect that 8/10 changeup. He's got another option so those innings can come as a starter in AAA, but he'd also be lethal to lefties as a reliever. Bullock is a swing-man who ideally provides length in the San Fernando bullpen.

Breaking in the Back Door
SP Morris Chapa, SP Omar Thind

Chapa made his big league debut in game 162 last season. His development has stalled out in AAA and he looks more like a middle reliever now than he did when he was a top 100 prospect a couple years ago. Thind is a underdeveloped prospect who had to be added to the 40-man roster over the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. He’s made strides but clearly would benefit from more seasoning in the minors. The Bears will also hope for contributions from Keith Mays once he returns from serious injury in the late summer.

[ae37jr]

I was going to go after bin Majid al Din, but you snagged him before I even made an offer. Ended up getting the guy he is replacing in Dan Small.

[BaseClogger]

I was going to go after bin Majid al Din, but you snagged him before I even made an offer. Ended up getting the guy he is replacing in Dan Small.

When I realized I wasn't going to be eligible for comp I offered Small like a 2/$10M extension and he almost went for it.

I preferred Barron to bin Majid al Din but thought Barron would cost a lot more. I have a small amount of buyer's remorse there after seeing Las Vegas's deal.