San Antonio Outlaws Preview

[handaspencer]

2039 was another season near the .500 mark and the Outlaws actually took a small step backwards by going 80-82 after finishing 84-78 and sneaking into the playoffs in 2038. Can the outlaws take the next step and return to the playoffs? We will take a look at this team and see what 2040 has in store for them.

Outfield
The Outlaws find themselves with a decision to make in regards to RF Mark White he was unable to escape spring training injury free and is dealing with a strained forearm that could take up to 3 weeks for recovery out of the gate. One would think the smart decision would be to let him get healthy early in the season. The injuries are starting to mount for White but when he is healthy he provides protection in the middle of that lineup. The CF spot has been a struggle to fill after the departure of Willard Gagne in 2038. Valentin Fitas spent the majority last season in CF and was absolutely dismal defensively and many questioned why he was even playing the position. He had a great season offensively but he is a LF and that should be the expectation this season. The Outlaws seemed to have a plan in place for the CF position this season with promising young CF Dax Norris in the wings ready to take over in 2040. But a clear mistake by the front office failed to protect him in the expansion draft and was drafted by the Charlotte Cougars. This failure resulted in the Outlaws having to bring in Yike Zang and Juan Valverde via rule 5 who are battling for the starting spot. San Antonio does have Tony Vega who is a promising prospect but he appears to be blocked by Fitas so one would believe he could potentially DH.

Infield
The infield has some real talent in San Antonio. Slap hitting 3B Lucio Cuellar is a fun player to watch as he had over 200 hits in his first full season in the BBA. Pedro Suarez is a defensive wizard at SS despite his struggles offensively the pitching staff appreciates someone who has their back. Angel De Castillo has been the model of consistency will return as the starting 2B for the Outlaws. The 1B postion is secure for a few seasons with Tony Hernandez who is an ideal 1B that any team would covet. The catching decision will be interesting for 2040, international FA signingOctavio Moreno was invited to spring training and did well. Offensively he appears ready but he does have some room to grow behind the plate. Since the Outlaws have limited options behind the plate will they be forced to open the season with the 19 year old or will they allow his development to continue at the minor league level? Could the club be on the verge of calling up 2nd round pick in 2038 Alfredo ? Rosas? He was also invited to the 1st half of spring training and did very well early on and certainty didn't appear over matched. Early reports indicate he will be starting the season in AAA skipping AA after struggling in A ball last year. Could the spring results prove he is close? We will find out.

Pitching Staff
This team has a great pitching staff and any team who can pitch has a chance. Aki Kondo will return fresh off signing a 6 year 149 million extension that will keep him with San Antonio for the foreseeable future. This guy is a great pitcher with a clean injury history and low risk guys like this is who you want to invest in financially. Flame thrower Jorge Alvarez will return as the 2 or 3 SP and hopes to bounce back from a somewhat disappointing 2039 campaign. His issue will always be can his electric stuff and velocity hide his lack of control and movement? We will find out more in 2040! Ricardo Rivera debuted during September call ups last season and did extremely well in his 5 starts last season. This guy has the makings to be something special, especially once he can improve his control and his mix of 6+ ptiches, thats correct he has 6+ pitches. The sky is the limit for the 2nd overall pick in 2037. Thats not it! we can't forget about Yrrigs Carpenter who is another flame thrower on this staff. His 2039 season was a huge disappointment in comparison to 2038 but if he can return to form he could make this rotation almost unstoppable. Roberto Lizardo will continue to close out games and he does a very effective job as the teams closer. The bullpen appears solid but adding another piece or two could help hold some of the leads the rotation can provide.

Prediction
This team appears to be at the crossroads as an organization. They could potentially start to have financial issues starting next season as they have 119 million on the books next season so you could see them looking to make moves at the deadline to trim some payroll or you could see them adding pieces to make a run because of the young talent. They have some nice prospects on the verge of joining but appear locked at certain positions. For some reason I think this team could look different in a few months after a few moves so its hard to make a prediction. I think they will continue to remain a .500 club and finish 81-81. If they could add a bullpen piece and get a little more depth at certain positions I could see this team winning as many as 90 games. But as currently constructed I am going with 81-81 finishing 5th in the Frontier.

[bigmike13]

Excellent review! I have some very good pieces to work with i just need everything to come together. Dax was clearly a screw up in my part but i am hoping i was able to plug the hole.

Really need Carpenter to have a bounce back year.

[jleddy]

Kinda scary that Yrrigs is almost an after-thought following 2039...I'm certainly not sleeping on him when we face you guys

[crobillard]

The Outlaws are so good. Don't sleep on them. I think they could take the division easily. They have some incredible talent. Especially on their pitching staff. Dangerous team.