WHIV 2039.6- Checking The Locks: Out Getters

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Checking the Locks: Out Getters
Preseason 2039

Hat tip to Edmonton's Chris Robillard who introduced this awesome format.

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2038 TEAM PITCHING LEADERS
ERA	Mauro Flores 	4.40
Wins	Hyun-sik Chang 	14
Losses	Hao Kun 	12
Winning Pct	Mauro Flores 	.636
Saves	Shawn Huber 	33
Games Pitched	Shawn Huber 	64
Games Started	Hyun-sik Chang 	33
Complete Games	Bert Hugill 	2
Shutouts	Hao Kun 	2
Innings Pitched	Hao Kun 	223.0
Hits Allowed	Hao Kun 	253
Home Runs Allowed	Chin Kim 	39
Strikeouts	Mauro Flores 	204
Walks Allowed	Hyun-sik Chang 	74
Walks per 9 IP	Chin Kim 	2.08
Hits per 9 IP	Mauro Flores 	8.45
Strikeouts per 9 IP	Mauro Flores 	9.16
WHIP	Mauro Flores 	1.19
OAVG	Mauro Flores 	0.244
OOBP	Mauro Flores 	0.293
OSLG	Mauro Flores 	0.416
OOPS	Mauro Flores 	0.709

Here's the deal. The Hustlers expect to carry 12-13 pitchers this season. They have seven Sure Fire Locks and four Near Locks. That means there are at most two open spots, and possibly only one. With so little openings on their staff the Hustlers surprisingly opted to bring 26 pitchers to Spring Training. That means there are FIFTEEN pitchers technically vying for 1-2 spots on the Opening Day Roster, but the reality is much more focused.

Sure Fire Locks (7):
Mauro Flores (SP)
Hao Kun (SP)
Chin Kim (SP)
Shawn Huber (RP)
Augute Balun (RP)
Javier Garcia (RP)
Wayne Muirhead (RP)

Flores, Kun and Kim are the top three in the rotation once again. No surprises there. Las Vegas made it to the Landis last season largely on the back of their stellar bullpen. The "Four Horsemen" are back again in Huber, Balun, Garcia and Muirhead.

Near Locks (4):
Hyun-sik Chang (SP)
Alvin Chartrand (SP)
Tony Medine (RP)
Bert Hugill (RP)

Surprised to see Chang here? You shouldn't be. He didn't look like himself last season, and now the scouts are noting a downturn in his abilities. Even in his reduced form, Chang can be a innings eater and a decent performer. That, plus his contract, figure to put him in line for a rotation slot. No Hustler had more interest on the trade market this offseason than Chartrand. Underwhelmed by the offers, Las Vegas instead figures to give him a third and perhaps final shot at a rotation slot. It's hard to foresee a scenario where Medine doesn't make the bullpen, and Hugill remains valuable as a swingman.

Trying To Get In The Door (11):
Ryosei Akahori (SP/RP)
Jose Garcia (SP)
Roman Sanchez (SP)
Matsuo Yamamoto (SP)
Wayne Jackson (RP)
Senzo Kobayashi (RP)
Wayne Mawle (RP)
Sandro Plumey (SP/RP)
Dean Rackham (RP)
Jose Ramos (RP)
Poto Tornatore (RP)

Here's where it gets crowded on paper, but not really. Let's cut through the numbers. Garcia, Sanchez, Yamamoto and Mawle are in this category because of their status on the 40-man roster. Kobayashi and Rackham may have a slightly better chance, but are still not real contenders at this point. The Hustlers like Plumey, but they want to keep him pitching on a regular schedule so he's ticketed for Milwaukee. So that brings us down to the four that are truly competing for probably two spots, and this is extremely tricky. Ramos is a Rule 5 pick, so he's either going to make the team, or be sent back to Seattle. Tornatore and Jackson are out of options. Akahori has options, so he's probably bound for Milwaukee. Vegas always prefers to have at least two lefties in the bullpen, so Jackson certainly has every advantage here. So in the end it comes down to Ramos vs Tornatore. Can the Hustlers find a trade taker for the big-time arm but control issues that Tornatore offers?

Breaking In The Back Door (NRI) (4):
Jaime Sanchez (SP)
Floyd Davis (RP)
Joey Flannery (RP)
Angel Lorenzo (RP)

An interesting mix of youth and depth comes to camp for a quick looksie. Sanchez and Lorenzo can expect to spend a couple weeks with the big club, gaining valuable exposure, before being sent back to the minors. Davis and Flannery were two offseason minor league signees who will offer some emergency depth in Milwaukee.