2060 Nashville Bluebirds Preview

[Krathan]

The Bluebirds made some big changes this offseason but look to continue their dominance.

The Bluebirds are coming off of a remarkable 126 win regular season wins. An early exit from the postseason left fans in Nashville frustrated but there was no question that the team was full of talent. However, in a league with a salary cap, young dominant teams built on minimum contracts create situations that require the front office to make tough decisions about where to allocate their money to ensure future success.

On the day that Majd bin Nawaf was named the 2059 Puckett award winner at DH, he was traded to the Yellow Springs Nine for a group of prospects who helped Nashville cement it’s top position in the league’s system prospect rankings.

Just before the start of the 2060 season, the team also traded presumed starting 3B Jorge Cano to the Brooklyn Robins.

Other key departures include 14 game winner Steven Clayton and relievers Ross Brown and Harold Northard

Do these departures bring Nashville’s reign over the Heartland into question or will the Bluebirds maintain their place among the elite?

Pitching Staff:

Mark Lolololo, Eric Stevens, Barney Lindsay, Giustino Modica, and Bill Kelly still make up a strong rotation. Lindsay and Kelly have each shown some signs of lumping but should still be able to provide quality innings. The other members of the rotation are still among the best in the league.

The bullpen, anchored by David Molina, has some question marks, but there are enough interesting pitchers in the mix that the group should be able to be successful overall.


Catcher:

Veteran Jesus Rodriguez and his outstanding defense looks like he will move into a backup position to make room for youngster Michael “Shotgun” Cantu. Cantu is also a fantastic defender and brings strong leadership to the table as well. The youngster doesn’t look like he is fully developed from an offensive standpoint but he has been a good hitter during his time in the minors the last two years at the A level. Offense is never likely to be his calling card, but Bluebirds fans hope that the teenager doesn’t become an automatic out in the lineup. He did successfully complete his stint in the dev lab working on his plate discipline as the team hopes he can draw a few walks if nothing else.

Infield:

First baseman Wafid Bishr has posted 5.2, 6.2, and 6.8 WAR over the last three seasons and shows no signs of slowing down. Second baseman Colby Triska has a career OPS+ of 123 with a career ZR of -37.4 at 2B. His 10.8 career WAR in about 3 ½ seasons paints the picture of a consistently productive player who will continue to be a force in the Nashville lineup. After the Cano trade, it seems likely that Francisco Calderon will take over the daily responsibilities at the hot corner. His combination of contact, power, and speed make him an intriguing candidate to fill the role. Fresh off of signing a huge contract extension, star shortstop Brooks Eliot will continue to lock down one of the most important positions on the diamond.

Outfield:

Juan Rivera was able to stay mostly healthy in 2059 and turned it into a Silk and Puckett Award season with 7.4 WAR. He figures to spend most of the year as the DH but will also likely fill in as a corner outfielder from time to time. Left field will be manned by Akeem Joffer who was fantastic in his 49 game stint with the big league club in 2059. A back injury kept Crissy Tingle out of the lineup for a few weeks in 2059 but when he is on the field, he is brilliant. Right field will be covered by [url=https://statsplus.net/brewster/reports/ ... 68642.html]Alfonso Gonzales. He has been in the league for two seasons and already has 2 Puckett awards, a Silk award, 2 All-Star selections, and a Cartwright Cup MVP. Gonzales figures to continue his dominance in 2060.

The Bluebirds may not have a superstar at every position, but they still do at most. While there is no guarantee that their youngsters will play at a high level as they debut this year, it seems likely they will do at least enough to keep the Bluebirds at the top of the Heartland. This team won’t win 126 games, but they will still win a lot. I have Nashville down for 105 wins and a good chance at a deep run in the playoffs.

[Dington]

I think I’m gonna run Modica in the bullpen. Need depth in there especially with Molina so vulnerable to injury. Leaving Calderon in AAA to prove himself a bit more, but confident in Ramos/Vatne platoon for the time being. Should give me improved defense and I can afford to lose some offense. Good preview and I expect 105 wins, too.

[ae37jr]

I think I’m gonna run Modica in the bullpen. Need depth in there especially with Molina so vulnerable to injury.

That was my biggest takeaway from looking over Nashville. You lost the two SP, which is fine cause you had 2 great ones in the pen to plug in. But moving them to the rotation hurts your pen a lot(along with losing Norstrand). And if the injuries increased, which looks to be true so far, Molina doesn't stand a chance to last the entire season.

That and Rivera being old and prone. I stand by my statement that he is the most important player on the team. If Molina and Rivera go down early for an extended time, I could see Nashville falling short of 100 wins. But if 95 wins is a terrible season, life isn't so bad.

[Dington]

I think I’m gonna run Modica in the bullpen. Need depth in there especially with Molina so vulnerable to injury.

That was my biggest takeaway from looking over Nashville. You lost the two SP, which is fine cause you had 2 great ones in the pen to plug in. But moving them to the rotation hurts your pen a lot(along with losing Norstrand). And if the injuries increased, which looks to be true so far, Molina doesn't stand a chance to last the entire season.

That and Rivera being old and prone. I stand by my statement that he is the most important player on the team. If Molina and Rivera go down early for an extended time, I could see Nashville falling short of 100 wins. But if 95 wins is a terrible season, life isn't so bad.

Rivera lumped pretty hard in the outfield, which is a bummer, but expected. On the bright side, he will be DH and less likely to be injured. Hopefully.

[BaseClogger]

The Bluebirds have a high floor because if any glaring needs arise Chad can trade from the best farm system in baseball to fill the hole.

[Trebro]

The Bluebirds have a high floor because if any glaring needs arise Chad can trade from the best farm system in baseball to fill the hole.

Excellent point, though best farm is by OSA ranking so it's a little more suspect than it looks.

[Dington]

The Bluebirds have a high floor because if any glaring needs arise Chad can trade from the best farm system in baseball to fill the hole.

Excellent point, though best farm is by OSA ranking so it's a little more suspect than it looks.

I would’ve argued I had the best farm before trading bin Nawaf and Cano.