2032 Indy Grasshoppers Preview

[aaronweiner]

Indy Grasshoppers 2032: Not Enough, But No Harm Done

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The Indy Grasshoppers have fallen upon hard times lately. Over the past three seasons, Indy has lost 113, 106, and 98 games respectively, and while that demonstrates a move in the right direction it's hardly cause for celebration; the marks represent the worst, second worst, and worst records in the BBA in each of those seasons. No team has been cumulatively worse. However, with no financial problems, a nearly clear cap, and a huge glut of cash, the Grasshoppers were one of the most aggressive players in the free agent market this offseason. Was spending over $50 million in free agency enough to make a difference, or did it just make them a better noncontender?

The first place to look is the lineup, where Indy spent over $30 million to try to change their fortunes. Over half of that was spent on Emilio Rodriguez, who is known for turning franchises around and is fresh off a title with Jacksonville. If Rodriguez stays upright he still has star power left in the tank. They gave a multi-year deal to outfielder Manuel Freyta, who should be a decent on-base threat in the outfield and solid defensively, so they could do worse than him as a leadoff man. The team also gave $4 million to see if Esteban Contreras, who was just about replacement level last year if you cancel out his defense. So was Patrick Lue, brought back to replace the ineffective combination of Buck Munoz and Jesus Alvarado.

Their young players are more of the highlight in this lineup: Emilio Morales might be two years away from the All-Star team, Jimmy Starks is being tried out at shortstop, Bob Wagner is woefully underrated, and third baseman Jim Tremblett is coming off a year which saw him finish fourth in the Joe Gillstrom voting. All four of these players make up part of the team's nucleus going forward. Adding the youngsters to the players they signed, Indy may have a chance to rise to league average offensively since the players they replace were wholly ineffective.

Their pitching might have a harder climb. Offseason signing Domingo Castillo could be a very big add if he stays healthy, never a guarantee with Castillo. Starter Mike Bailey had his best season since 2028 last year, reverting back to the form that made him a Las Vegas mainstay. Young starter Joe Clements has risen from top prospect to solid starter, though his propensity to give up home runs serves him poorly. Starter Fernando Pacheco has been rock-solid since joining the rotation two seasons ago. Don't get too excited about Rafael Suarez; he's a mediocre player who works off a changeup, whether starter or reliever. There isn't really a fifth starter on the roster, as none of the candidates appear to be major league pitchers. The bullpen was improved with the offseason moves, but the middle relief has serious flaws and setup man Millard McCoy showed some signs of aging this offseason.


Summary:

There are a lot more questions than answers on this ballclub. Injuries will sink this team in a hurry, especially to Bailey or Castillo. It's hard to rely on anyone in the bullpen at all, even Garza, whose advanced stats have been underwhelming the past two seasons and who has never before been a closer. The moves haven't hurt the team long-term, however, and it might even garner them some sandwich picks or trades. Playing in one of the premier offensive parks in the game, one would expect the Grasshoppers to have a chance to score runs this season with all the additions, and that will win them more games. It's conceivable that with good health the Grasshoppers could break their five-year string of losing 90 games or more, and that would be a step forward for a franchise which feels strongly that they need to take a step forward. My outlook is more pessimistic, as they need a lot to go right this year to rise nine games.


Predicted Record for the Indy Grasshoppers: 71-91

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[cheekimonk]

*sips piña colada in Aruba*

[Spiccoli]

I guess $50 million doesn't go as far as it used to?

I was bidding for a couple of these guys too, but wasn't willing to shell out too much right now.

[aaronweiner]

I guess $50 million doesn't go as far as it used to?

I was bidding for a couple of these guys too, but wasn't willing to shell out too much right now.

Some of these guys will make a little impact, but a seven-game improvement seems right.

I always base my records on averages of my extremes rather than a straight projection, so there's no reason the team can't win, say, 77 games.

[niles08]

Nice write up. We'll be starting Cody Lee in the 5th spot of the rotation and Jimmy Starks is playing short in the minors this year as Lukas Bourdon is going to man shortstop in the majors for the time being.

We lost 98 games last year, but in Sept we were 5-20 after selling off a few members at the deadline(Boys Altenna, Snabel). Prior to that we were 58-75 and on pace for 71 wins. I am hopeful that with the additions made we can improve on the 71 win pace we had last season and finish closer to the 80-85 range.

We just moved the walls in this past offseason so the park wasn't great for hitting home runs prior to this coming up season. I am hoping that will help Munoz, Tremblett, Lue, Alvarado all do some damage in addition to Contreras & Rodriguez.

Like you said however, we need quite a bit to go right for us. Especially on the pitching staff.

[aaronweiner]

Nice write up. We'll be starting Cody Lee in the 5th spot of the rotation and Jimmy Starks is playing short in the minors this year as Lukas Bourdon is going to man shortstop in the majors for the time being.

We lost 98 games last year, but in Sept we were 5-20 after selling off a few members at the deadline(Boys Altenna, Snabel). Prior to that we were 58-75 and on pace for 71 wins. I am hopeful that with the additions made we can improve on the 71 win pace we had last season and finish closer to the 80-85 range.

We just moved the walls in this past offseason so the park wasn't great for hitting home runs prior to this coming up season. I am hoping that will help Munoz, Tremblett, Lue, Alvarado all do some damage in addition to Contreras & Rodriguez.

Like you said however, we need quite a bit to go right for us. Especially on the pitching staff.

You have a division with three likely 90-win teams and some pretty good middling teams in Omaha and Des Moines. Best I can see is that you win as many as 78 games, but the playoffs are completely out of the question as the numbers go. Of course, that's why they play the games.

[RonCo]

The key is that I think Indy will still make money with that payroll. I note that they appear to have cut their staff payroll by some $4M. I think of what they're doing as riding a small incremental wave in preparation for having a window open in a year or two to go bigger.