Reason for Optimism in Omaha, Part 2, the returning core.(2051.4)

[niles08]

This is a 4 part series this off-season, where we look at reasons the Omaha fan base should be optimistic heading into the 2051 season.
We look at reason number 2, the returning core.

For part 1 visit: Part 1, Starting Rotation.

After winning just 70 games last season, some would argue that maybe it’s not the greatest thing in the world to have the “core” return to a baseball team. Omaha's fans should feel a little different, though. Just as they watched Emilio Morales (yup, we’re still going to talk about him), his 738 career home runs, and watched teams cycle through players faster than a Nebraskan cycles through a Runza sandwich, the Cyclones franchise has stood behind its players with loyalty and empathy.

Even though this year's "core" might look a bit differently due to the retirement of Morales, would one consider him a part of the core last season considering he wasn't getting regular at bats? You actually have to go back two seasons behind finding Morales having over 250 at-bats. If you consider him the core, then consider it a good thing that his negative 1.8 WAR over the past 3 seasons won't be around. If you instead consider him as the old man that some felt sorry for and nobody wanted to tell to go home, then eliminate his 1.8 WAR from the discussion.

Wilson Estrada is still playing first base this year, his ninth season with the team. He had 4.4 WAR last season and hit his 200th career home run while playing excellent defense.

James Monger, returning for his 18th season in an Omaha uniform, is still patrolling second base, hoping to build on his career WAR of 55.2.

In the outfield, Orlando Ordonez will suit up for his 13th season in an Omaha uniform. Ordonez isn’t far behind Monger, despite being 7 years younger, with 51.8 WAR in his career and a career 80.3 ZR in center field.

Patrolling right field will be Andre Ly, who is one year short of Ordonez in that he is suiting up for the 12th straight season in Omaha. Ly has 45.6 career WAR, 5 diamond glove awards, and a Sawyer Silk award at home in his trophy case.

These 4 players accounted for 12.8 WAR last season combined. If they can produce that again this year, it would go a long ways towards helping Omaha return to the post-season.