Trail Droppings 2042-3 Calgary Picks Up 5 in Rule 5

[indiansfan]

Calgary Picks Up 5 in Rule 5

You win a few, you lose a few. In the case of the Rule 5 the Pioneers gave and got 5 players. The new players coming to the team were selected for specific roles. It is doubtful that they will all stick so let’s look at them in the order of the odds of them making the 27 man roster

SP Arturo Rivera - With New Orleans incredible farm system, it is no surprise that Rivera was left unprotected. The surprise is that he lasted to the 31st pick. With all the teams needing starters someone should have taken a gamble on him. So we were really happy to get him and he will be in the rotation to start Spring Training. The #5 spot in the rotation is up for grabs and Rivera will be one of the players competing for it. If he can’t hack it there, the team will try to make a spot for him in the pen. He has 3 great pitches, but we assume most teams didn’t like his 3 for control. However, he has a very reasonable career 1.36 WHIP so we can live with a few walks.

INF Jack Douglas - We have had our eyes on Douglas for awhile. The Pioneers have made a couple of deals with Brooklyn the past few years, so we have heavily scouted their system. Douglas’ glove, speed and bunting ability put him on our radar. Assume that his lack of a bat stunted his way up through the Robins system, just like what happened to a couple of the guys we lost. He will be in the fight for a utility spot with the team, but it is a crowded competition.

CF Tashfin Modupe - The team is holding an open competition at CF this season and Modupe is in the mix. He is a lefty that hits better than his numbers suggest he should and he has the glove we are looking for. He has no power, sucks at stealing bases and has a mouth on him. All negatives and probably why Hawaii left him unprotected. However, he will be part of an honest competition as the team looks to be going glove over bat in CF this year.

RP Jorge Alonzo - For a 25 year old, he sure carries on lot of stamps on his ticket. He has got one of the best fastballs in the game and a great slider. The problem is he never knows where the ball is going to end up. He has been bounced around organizations and moved up and down levels like a yo-yo. Drafted way back in 2034 by Vancouver, he was dealt the next year in a deal to Calgary that was primarily a swap of aging pitchers. Long Beach grabbed him in the 1st round of the 2039 Rule 5 only to release him back to Calgary and then trade for him on the same day. Boy I bet they wish they hadn’t have made that deal when you look at who they traded away. Valencia signed him and now he is back in Calgary for his 3rd stop. A long shot to make the staff, but wouldn’t it be fun if he did.

CF Yi-ke Zang - Zang will be competing with Modupe to be the lefty in CF. He can run better, but gets on base less. He also is also 31. Zang will see some action in Spring Training, but he will probably end up back on the bus to Brooklyn.

[Lane]

I didn't realize how loaded this R5 was!