2043 Chicago Black Sox Preview

[StormZ_23]

2042 Review:
Since the team rebranded as the Chicago Black Sox in 2040, the team has been looking to climb the ranks of the FL Heartland. Last season was the franchise's best record since 2036, finishing in 5th place and making the playoffs. Although, the team lost in the Geoghegan Round against the Yellow Springs Nine in 5 games. Furthermore, the team has underperformed in the past 3 seasons in accordance to their expected records. Still, the Black Sox have gotten better over the past few years and you should expect more of the same this season.

2043 Expected 27 Man Roster:
Catchers:
Diesel Dave
Hotha Popo

Dave and Popo are unique catchers that oddly compliment each other. Dave is more of a guy that is looking to crush the ball. The downfall to this is that he strikes out way too much and doesn't draw nearly enough walks. On the other hand, Popo is not much of a hitter, but he can read a pitcher. He knows what he is going to throw, which has led to many seasons where the amount of walks outweigh the amount strikeouts. If only there was some sort of genetic morphing technology that would allow these two players to be morphed into one to become the perfect catcher. You would think that in 2043 this technology would exist. Well, like society in the 20th century fantasizing about the flying cars of the future, it seems we were wrong. I expect Dave to handle the responsibility of being an everyday catcher, although if he hits a slump, Popo is more than capable of taking over.

Infielders:
1B Mark Simpson
1B/DH Aarnoud Budding
2B Rocky Wattson
2B Jose Silva
SS Jaime Ramirez
3B Tomas Duran
3B Luis Gonzalez

This was a pretty difficult group to accurately predict. Looking at the spring training roster, there are a few other players that have legitimate cases to make the opening day roster. Ultimately, I came up with this group of 6. First let's look at the first baseman. Simpson is a lock for the starting first base job. He has proven to be a great signing for the Black Sox and despite a dip in production last season, we shouldn't expect him to regress heavily anytime soon. Next is Aarnoud Budding. Budding can definitely man the first base spot if necessary, but Simpson has that covered. Besides, Budding's value lies in his bat. This 23 year old can crush the ball, so he is made for the DH spot. Next, let's look at young star second baseman, Rocky Wattson. Wattson finally came into his own last season. Not only has shown he is more than capable at the plate, but he is made for the second base position. Great range, can turn the double play, and has little arm strength. A perfect situation. Look for Wattson to keep improving this season. Silva is a solid backup option. He has a decent bat and can play all the positions adequately, a perfect bench player. Now we look at free agent signing Jamie Ramirez. While it's possible that he was brought in as a utility man, I don't really see another viable option for the shortstop position. He can play any position on the field with ease, so no problems there. Ramirez is a guy you put in the bottom of your lineup. He is speedy and can draw a walk, but don't expect him to be a reliable hitter. Tomas Duran is the clear option for the third base spot. He showed promise last season and if he gets more at bats this season, he could be a 3-4 WAR player. Lastly, we'll look at Luis Gonzalez. He is an interesting player because he can play any position on the infield, but not with the same ease as Jamie Ramirez. However, Gonzalez has a much better bat than Ramirez. It will be interesting to see who gets the starting shortstop spot, but look for Gonzalez to contribute to this team in some capacity.

Outfielders:
LF Jose Figueroa
LF Paul Kemp
CF Grant Lee
CF Jim Lorenzen
RF Hao Hang

Like the infielders, this group is a mix of young, rising stars and solidified veterans. Figueroa is a solid left fielder, but I don't think he gave everything he had last season. It does take a while to feel comfortable with a new team, so Figueroa has a chance to prove to the organization that he belongs in the starting lineup of a future Black Sox playoff team. Kemp is interesting because I don't think he has a starting place on this team. Figueroa occupies left field and he doesn't have the arm for right field. He could be sent down to AAA, but he has a solid bat. He can have a real role as a the #1 pinch hitter, the designated clutch specialist is what I would call him. If he does his job the fans will love him, but if he doesn't do his job then the fans will hate him. There really isn't a margin for error in that role, but I think Kemp will be just fine. Grant Lee was signed this past off-season on a 5 year deal worth over $36 million. He is more than capable in the center field spot and has a decent bat. However, I would love to hear the GM's reasoning behind this signing. Lorenzen will be the stereotypical outfielder that can play any of the positions. Although, he could challenge Lee if he starts slumping later in the season. Hang proved how valuable he is to the team with last season's performance, finishing with 5.9 WAR. At 22 years old, he has all the potential in the world.

Starting Rotation:
Amayas Moelling
Luis Gonzales
Pepe Jaramillo
David Bates
Romeu Tameiro

The Black Sox have something that many teams would kill for, a capable starting rotation with a real ace. That ace is Amaya Moelling. Well actually, I don't think he has reached true ace status yet, but he is definitely heading in that direction. Entering his 5th season, Moelling still has a lot to prove. But, he was Chicago's best pitcher last season. I think the goal for him will be to have a sub 4 ERA and have a 5 WAR season. If he can do that, he is truly a #1 starter. I see Gonzales entering the season as the #2 starter, however he really needs to prove himself to stay in that role. If he can pitch like it's 2041, he will be just fine. Jaramillo is the same story. He can establish himself as a mid-rotation starter but he needs to revitalize his pitching mechanics to do so. Bates had a great rookie year and I can see him as a #2 starter on this team. However, he needs to continue his production from last year to do so. For now, I'd put him in either the #3 or #4 role. Can Romeu Tameiro replicate Bates' 2042 rookie season? Well, as he will be sitting in the back of the rotation, I think he has the opportunity to do just that. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if the team decides to stick him in AAA to start the season.

Bullpen:
Gilberto Sosa
Francisco Salgado
Brian Smith
Frits Brinson
Gilberto Cordero
Juan Nicto
James Matarazzo
Juan Alfonzo

Wow. I've never been more jealous in my entire life. There is nothing I can really add that will justify how good this bullpen is. But, I'm going to anyway. Sosa is one of the best young relievers in the league and that shouldn't change this season. Salgado can be similar to Sosa, but he needs to to learn to not give up so many runs. Smith is more than capable as a middle reliever or a lefty specialist if necessary, same story with Brinson. Cordero, a 2042 first round pick, can add real value to this bullpen. However, I wouldn't be surprised if he was sent down for a little while. The last three are all average relievers in my eyes. But if an average reliever is the worst guy in your bullpen, you have a hell of a good bullpen.

2043 Prediction:
This team should make the playoffs. I don't think they will win the Heartland, but they will certainly be a wild card team. Will they take down the powerhouses that are Yellow Springs and Louisville? Maybe not right now. But, I think they can within the next few seasons. Don't be surprised if the Landis makes it way to the south side some time soon. But right now, they might want to make a move for a shortstop or a center fielder, even though they signed two players to multi year deals this past off-season in those positions. I'm not sure if I really trust those two (Jamie Ramirez and Grant Lee) as impact starters on a playoff team. Hopefully Vic can convince me otherwise. And getting another starting pitcher never hurts. I think this team finishes third in the Heartland with a 88-74 record and a wild card spot.

[jiminyhopkins]

Well Done, good read!

[RonCo]

This is a very good team

[HoosierVic]

Nice job, Taylor! You did a surprisingly good job of predicting the roster, given the mishmash you had to look at on StatsPlus. I decided to send Tameiro down to AAA - I don’t think he’s quite ready for prime time yet. Maybe a late season call-up, or more likely next spring. The Sox are still a year or two away from serious contention, I think, although I hope we can be in the wild card hunt again.

As for Lee and and Ramírez - they were the best I could get to upgrade positions of need without gutting my prospect pool. Hard experience here (and multiple postings by Ted over the years) has taught me that’s just not a good idea.