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McClure Clunker Causes Concern
With Xanthos Failing to Impress, What's Next?
October 8, 2062 | Marshall Islands Mike McClure's down season was bothersome enough that the team brought semi-prospect Ares Xanthos up for a September trial that, unfortunately, went about as bad as things can go (0 HR, .143/.379/.286 29 PA). He looked timid at the plate and did nothing to solve the Krill front office's dilemma.
McClure Enigma
Clouds Krill PlansMcClure is heading for 29 years old, and he just posted a perfectly replacement level season of exactly 0.0 WAR. He drilled 22 homers, but that's down from 26 the year prior, which was down from 33 before that. He led the league with 186 strikeouts, 29 more than both of his last two seasons. His glove, which rates well, has never really risen to the cause. All that taken into account, he's been quite productive at times, and his quiet but steady presence in the clubhouse has been a constant positive. His teammates love Mike McClure.
Now entering his third arbitration year, however, he projects to make something north of $3.5M. Oh to have $3.5M just sitting around to gamble with, right?
Bottom line, this leaves the team with an uncomfortable decision to make. With Xanthos's flub, the next options in the organization are 22-year-old Guillermo Arce (17 HR, .301/.344/.440) in AAA or 21 year-old Mauro Oksuzian (12 HR, .339/.380/.480) in AA. Both should be competent. The financial scales suggest one of these two would be the proper course. But if McClure provides the Dr. Jekyll side of his performance rather than the Mr. Hyde side, the money is worth it. Arce is probably ready.
And then there's the sense, too, that the team needs to rip the band aid off the doldrums that seem to surround it. This is a franchise that has been moving along, but at a past of one step forward, another back. It hasn't been able to make it across the hump to being able to compete year over year. How long can the Krill keep bringing the same knives to the same dogfight and expect to keep the fans happy? Will they see resigning of McClure as the front office being passive and weak?
The One Thing That Won't Happen?
Fans are stirring up righteous anger over the idea that a team owned by multi-trillionaire P. Moreau Westmoreland should be able to afford a premium first baseman, but unless something quite unexpected happens, the one thing we can probably say for certain is the we don't see the Krill dropping a bunch of cash to bring in a big Free Agent bat. First, that's not really Collins's primary MO, and second, the team's cash issues (Westmoreland or not) appear to be real.
So, What's the Answer?
The other thing we can say for certain is that the Klub's Pacific division rivals are not going to be sitting still. The Krill will need to get the answer to this question right or face the prospect of fading even further from relevance than their meager 78-win season shows this year.
With Xanthos Failing to Impress, What's Next?
October 8, 2062 | Marshall Islands Mike McClure's down season was bothersome enough that the team brought semi-prospect Ares Xanthos up for a September trial that, unfortunately, went about as bad as things can go (0 HR, .143/.379/.286 29 PA). He looked timid at the plate and did nothing to solve the Krill front office's dilemma.
McClure Enigma
Clouds Krill Plans
Now entering his third arbitration year, however, he projects to make something north of $3.5M. Oh to have $3.5M just sitting around to gamble with, right?
Bottom line, this leaves the team with an uncomfortable decision to make. With Xanthos's flub, the next options in the organization are 22-year-old Guillermo Arce (17 HR, .301/.344/.440) in AAA or 21 year-old Mauro Oksuzian (12 HR, .339/.380/.480) in AA. Both should be competent. The financial scales suggest one of these two would be the proper course. But if McClure provides the Dr. Jekyll side of his performance rather than the Mr. Hyde side, the money is worth it. Arce is probably ready.
And then there's the sense, too, that the team needs to rip the band aid off the doldrums that seem to surround it. This is a franchise that has been moving along, but at a past of one step forward, another back. It hasn't been able to make it across the hump to being able to compete year over year. How long can the Krill keep bringing the same knives to the same dogfight and expect to keep the fans happy? Will they see resigning of McClure as the front office being passive and weak?
The One Thing That Won't Happen?
Fans are stirring up righteous anger over the idea that a team owned by multi-trillionaire P. Moreau Westmoreland should be able to afford a premium first baseman, but unless something quite unexpected happens, the one thing we can probably say for certain is the we don't see the Krill dropping a bunch of cash to bring in a big Free Agent bat. First, that's not really Collins's primary MO, and second, the team's cash issues (Westmoreland or not) appear to be real.
So, What's the Answer?
The other thing we can say for certain is that the Klub's Pacific division rivals are not going to be sitting still. The Krill will need to get the answer to this question right or face the prospect of fading even further from relevance than their meager 78-win season shows this year.
