A sprained ankle threw a wrench into our plans to start Jose Romero in left field on Opening Day. The 2-3 week injury suffered in the final week of Spring Training meant somebody else would need to fill the vacated position. After reviewing our roster, we decided against activating any of the veteran minor league free agents we signed in an effort to stir up Fan Interest. It just didn’t make sense to convert any of their contracts to a $1.25M major league deal.
So San Fernando turned to the guy we figure will fill the position within the next year anyways, Roberto Delgado. Delgado was a supplemental first round pick in the now renowned 2057 draft. I didn't even intend to take him with that pick--he was at the top of my list and I wasn't able to check statsplus before the selection. I did like him as a player though, just didn't want to prioritize an outfielder yet in a draft saturated with them. Delgado was drafted as a center fielder but his 7-6-7 ratings always made him a better candidate for strong defensive corner outfielder. The now 22 year-old lefty makes consistent contact and slashes the ball into the gaps where he can take advantage of his above-average wheels. He hit the ground running in A ball the same year he was drafted, but it was his .284/.382/.536 performance last season in AA that really caught my attention. He got the call to AAA midyear and continued to hit for average and get on-base but his power disappeared. That's the element of his game I was hoping he would showcase more consistently this year in AAA.
Alas, Delgado's return to AAA Brooks looks less certain now that he's flashed power in the BBA. He went 2-4 in his debut against Portland and Alaric Wullenweber on Opening Day. The next day he hit his first home run. He had at least one hit in each of his first five games, culminating in a two home run game against Vancouver on 4/6. After a week of play, Delgado's season line sits at .381/.462/.857. Soon I'll have to make a tough decision on whether I want to burn an option (that wasn't necessary since he wasn't on the 40-man roster this Spring) or lose a full year of service time. Romero will need at-bats and Delgado will receive inconsistent playing time if he stays. But it's not exactly a losing situation to have a young player performing so well!