2045 Montreal Blazers Preview

[StormZ_23]

The Montreal Blazers are one of the most interesting teams in the league. Last year they made arguably the biggest trade of 2044 by trading for Angel Zalapa. While they didn't make the playoffs, this was clearly a long term move. The Blazers will be fighting many teams in the JL for a playoff spot. Do they have what it takes? Let's find out.

One of the other big trades the Blazers made last season was for young catcher Joe Bradshaw. He hasn't quite performed to his potential on the offensive end, but he is an above average catcher with double digit home run power. That's valuable to any team. Although, what does this mean for Ramiro Cheron? He's also a young catcher that can start for many teams in the BBA, but he's a couple of tiers below Bradshaw. Maybe he will be a trade chip somewhere down the line.

This is an elite infield. I'm pretty jealous of it. The weakest link is first baseman Cesar Feliciana. He spent much of his 2044 season on the IL and he hasn't shown the offensive potential from his scouting reports as a prospect. But, he's still only 26 years old. He can still turn it around and if he does, that would be great for the Blazers lineup. Lineu Aldo is not a great defender, but he can hit. I mean, 23.9 WAR in 4 seasons is quite a big deal. Expect more of the same from him. Angel Zalapa would be an elite second baseman, but he's been a shortstop for a long time. With his bat, Aldo and Zalapa may be the best middle infield duo in the BBA. I wonder if Joey O'Brien has a place on this roster. He's been pretty awful since he signed with the Mounties after the 2042 season. By the way, I would like to apologize to Montreal for having to pay O'Brien. 23 year old third baseman Eduardo Gonzalez is another good fielder with a great bat. Orlando Lopez will likely be the main backup infielder, but look for Fernando Rodriguez to get some reps too.

Next is the outfield. While this group is not on the same tier as the infield, there are still some key pieces here. I'm curious if Peter Crocker will be the starting left fielder on opening day. In 80 games with the Blazers in 2044, he produced a 126 wRC+. Not too shabby. Although, Justin Jackson signed a 4 year contract for a reason. Maybe he will be the DH. But, what happens to William Drew? Maybe he can DH or play in right field. Having too many options is a good problem to have. The best defender in this group is center fielder Manoell Whanon, another player the Blazers recently traded for. Although, he didn't impress in his first season with the Blazers. Right fielder Keith Schultz will likely have a spot on the 27 man roster, it's a matter of whether he starts or not.

As for the pitching staff, I will say it's very promising. I wouldn't say any starter if clearly a #1 guy, but there are a couple that can make cases as #2's. Two of those guys are Lance Harrison and Jorge Moreno. However, you can also make that same case for In-sung Yi and Dani Garcia. I don't if I am overrating these guys, but if I am in the playoffs, I would be comfortable putting these 4 in the playoff rotation. However, that's based off pure skill, not results. Who knows how they will perform this season? As for the bullpen, the main pieces are rookie Bill O'Connor and 24 year old Carlton Casson. Hopefully, some of the other relievers can step up.

I'd say this is a well-balanced team. There are no clear weak links, except for the lack of a good 5th starter. Perhaps the Blazers can trade for another pitcher or two. Other than that, this team should compete for a playoff spot. Although it won't be easy. A lot of things will have to go right for this team to make the playoffs considering how many players underperformed last year. If this team can play at least close to its full potential, they have a good shot. I have faith that the Blazers can do it. I'm predicting an 84-78 record, 3rd place in the division, and the final wild card spot in the JL.

[HerbD]

Thanks for the preview @StormZ_23 .

Our fifth starter was on the IL at the time of this writing. Don Jaramillo had a decent rookie season in 2044 13-11, 3.49 ERA, 3.7 WAR, 116 ERA+ making the jump from A ball. We expect him to only get better this season.