2044: San Antonio Outlaws

[RonCo]

Mike Calvaruso’s Outlaws have been discussed as an up-coming team for, well, for a long, long, long damned time. In the past, it was injuries that most would argue dropped them down. I mean, seriously, the Outlaws were always laid low by an injury barrage that would strike as fast as a rattler on acid, and was just as deadly. We know the rest of the story, though. Along came a bunch of young gunslingers with names like Rivera, Stinson, and Bustamante, and like a tumbleweed lifted by a dust devil, the win total jumped from 61 to 91 games in 2042, and then again to a division winning 104 last year—a division title that was the first for the franchise since 2006.

Yes, Virginia, there was a 2006.

Of course, this is 2044, and the page has turned. The issue on everyone’s mind is whether the club can recover from the loss of more than 10 WAR of the rotation (in Aki Konda and Yrrigs Carpenter), and another 1.5 in Tony Hernandez.

The answer is: probably.

Or maybe the answer is maybe. Dunno. All you can say for certain is that the gunfighter is going to go down to the OK Corral at high noon with a loaded six-shooter, and that that gunfighter is still pretty damned good.

The Rotation:

The loss of Kondo is going to be an issue. Yes, he had his career year last season, so maybe even Kondo wouldn’t have replaced Kondo. Calvaruso brought in 33-year-old veteran Julio Alicea to plug the hole, and that’s a pretty solid plug. What makes Alicea better is that the Outlaw gang returns Ricardo Rivera (arguably the best pitcher in baseball today) and Ruben Vazquez (arguably the best pitcher in baseball tomorrow). Add in Luis Pasillas as an inning eating #4 and you’ve got a solid core.

As with most team, I’d guess the quest for a solid #5 might bounce around to a few guys, which makes me wonder whether we’ll see Melvin Simpson, one of the team’s better prospects, up in June or July. Simpson has a solid year in AA Beaumont in 2043. He’s looking nearly ready.

Overall, I suppose it’s hard to say the Outlaw rotation might be a quarter step back from 2043’s, but that could just be a mirage.


The Bullpen:

Expect the bulk of high leverage innings to go to Augate Balun (29 SV, 3.31) and Luis Pena (6-2, 12 SV, 1.80 ERA). The team signed 30-year-old Tony Medine, who’s 3.96 ERA in Omaha’s bandbox make him an interesting candidate to join Jorge Luna in throwing better than league-average innings. Ramon Sanchez is another solid pitcher in the pen.

As long as you don’t lift the hood and peer in too closely, the gang looks pretty solid.

At issue, perhaps, is that the group leans as right as a Tea Party Republican and that after those names the organization depth is probably not as solid as most would like. Over 162 games, I’d guess there will be times when the pen is gassed, and the team pays a premium for it.

Still, I’d say it’s an above average group and, depending on how bad the injury snake bites, could be expected to show it. I definitely like the addition of Medine, who is one of those low-profile additions who could wind up making everyone else better by simply doing his dirty work in the middle innings.

That said, even if the gang falls a bit, there’s the offense.


The Gloves And Bats:

Second base may be a bit of a mess, but one can argue that back when the team acquired SS Chip Puckett, they set the team into true motion. Puckett remains an elite quality defender and a total table setter at the top of the order. Put Mennac Shakes’ upper quartile glove in center and Octavio Moreno’s acumen at catcher into the mix, and you’ve got a team that’s is pretty solid up the middle defensively. The corners were, perhaps not so great, especially in the outfield. Still, the club finished at an above average 6.2 Plays Above Average last year, and I don’t see why it should regress too much this year.

Unless, of course, Puckett, at age 28, choses now to take a step back. Let’s assume not.

And the fact is that for the corner’s defensive wartiness, the Outlaws get a helluvalot back in luimber.

You’ve got to start with 2043’sSawyer Silk winner, Larry Stinson, who blasted 55 homers and drove in 138 runs last year. Yeah, I know, RBI are so gauche. But the numbers are the numbers. Stinson was among the most productive hitters in baseball last year. The team is enjoying the last of his min salary years, too. And, yeah, Stinson can actually play defense at first, too. Look for him to win a Zimmer someday.

If, for some godforsaken reason, you don’t like Stinson, well, feast your eyes on Pedro Bustamante, 2042’s third overall pick. Bustamante hit .335 to lead the league last year. His glove is a bit hodge-podge, but the power bat (38 doubles and 32 HR from the left side) will play for a very long time.

Valentine Fitas in left field and Alfredo Rojas at 3B are a similar collection of issue-y fielders but big bats.

It’s also a balanced set of players: throw lefties to negate Bustamante, Fitas, and Shakes and you have to face Puckett, Morena, Rojas, and Stinson. Throw righties and you flip the coin.

So, yeah.

The Outlaws are going to score runs. Lots and lots of runs.


Overall

I admit I don’t see the team winning 104 games again. The Frontier should be a bit better, and it’s angsty to suggest the revamped rotation is going to be quite as good as the gang was with Kondo around.

So, let’s say 99 wins.

Will it win the Frontier? That’s a harder question, but this is a fun little piece, so what the Hell, right? Let’s say it does.

[CTBrewCrew]

Nice write up!

[bigmike13]

Excellent! Thank you

[bigmike13]

Well, hopefully i fixed my 2; issue qith Tu-fu Wong signing