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The Sim: 3-0 vs. POR, 1-2 vs. SAC - 4.5 GB of division
The Good: How about RP Mark Moore? His 400 ERA+ is 2nd to only one pitcher (shout out to Todd Stone) with 22+ IP. It won't last of course but man has he been good. He's also got 2 Wins, 2 Saves and 4 Holds in 18 games. Another guy who deserves some shine is RP Roberto Ramirez. The 35-year-old was scooped off the FA scrap heap in March of 2055 on a Minor League deal with no bonus. He's probably not the same guy he was, as the veteran has logged 573 BBA games, but this season he has been fantastic boasting a 312 ERA+ (good for 3rd best amongst pitchers with 25+ IP).
You know what, just give it up for the entire bullpen alright? Des Moines is ranked 32nd in positional strength for RP but boast a 3.66 ERA as a group. That's good for 6th in the FL. Not to mention last years mainstays of the pen are gone or haven't really shown up: Scott Davis left in FA for $6M. Susila Kartosuwiryo has moved to the rotation. Manuel Camacho has been hurt most of the year and is also in the rotation now. This group is a bunch of 45-50 OVR veterans and rookie Closer Garth Dobbs.
The Bad: I signed Girolamo L'Archibudelli and Robert Chenoweth in late April - early May for what I thought would be a great DH platoon, PH, spot start grouping. Giro the lefty. Cheno the righty. Against opposite handed pitchers, which they will see most of their ABs, Giro is at a .668 OPS and Cheno a .503 OPS. Now, it's early, they are old, probably still shaking off rust after missing ST, but man... they are making a combined $10M!
The Ugly: Speaking of money related poor play... In the playoffs I had to make a huge decision. I was leaving before the Championship out of the country and would miss the first off-season and few FA sims. My choices came down to... A) Letting Aaron Haney walk, spending that $20M to re-sign LF Hasheem Makin and IF Felix Parreno or B.) Keep Haney and let the other two walk. I decided "A" was the better option, signed them longterm, and felt good about having two 75/80 OVR type players in their late 20s. So far this season, Haney is pacing a 5.2 WAR, Makin is pacing a 4.0 WAR and Parreno... 0.8!
The Minors: Went 1-0 in the season debut at both Rookie League and Short-A. The other three teams are playing well, despite Triple-A only a wild card contender.
Down in Double-A, LF Ryan McSwain currently has a 3.2 WAR through 53 games. That's the highest Win Above Replacement of any hitter, at any BBA level, besides Resurrection Santos III (3.7) in the BBA. Now, Santos has 250 PA and McSwain just 214, you could argue, the latter is having the best season of any BBA organizational player. Now, he's not really a prospect. He's 24 and fully developed. He probably doesn't sniff the BBA. But... he's hitting .371/.967, with 20 SB, while playing all three OF Spots. I'm sure he will cool off and probably disappear into a sea of career minor leaguers, but if for one moment, he matters.