What moves did the Charlotte Flyers make this off season?
Key Free-Agent Signings/Rule 5/Waivers:
• OF Tadataka Yoshikawa (5 yr/$90M)
• SP Buwono Mainaky (5 yr/$30M)
• OF Fuad Demirel (5 yr/$24M)
• SP Stephen Best (3 yr/$18M)
• C Hollis O’Hara (2 yr/$9M)
• SP John Rasmussen III (1 yr/$3.75M)
• OF Stan Seymour (1 yr/$1.25M)
• OF Kyuichi Mori (1 yr/$1M)
Key Departures:
• P Héctor Fuentes (0.5 WAR)—team option voided
• 2B Warren Danvers (0.3 WAR)—non-tendered
• 3B Ryobe Watanabe(0.3 WAR)—non-tendered
• 1B Yalew Angolwisye(0.1 WAR)—non-tendered
The Charlotte Flyers franchise has played 17 seasons since being added to the league in 2040. The organization found its best success between the years of 2046-2051. Their 65 wins last year was the fewest since 2043 when they were still trying to leave the shadow of being an expansion team.
Charlotte general manager Nathan surely recognized the team needs a talent infusion and got to work signing eight players to a major league contract this past offseason. By far the largest contract went to slugger Tadataka Yoshikawa. Yoshikawa averaged 38 home runs the last four years and will immediately bring an imposing presence to the middle of the Flyer order. Buwono Manaiky, Stephen Best, and John Rasmussen III give Nathan several mix-and-match arms who can help fill out the rotation or swing into the bullpen depending on how their young starters come along. Hollis O’Hara gives Charlotte a much needed floor in terms of catcher production thanks to his strong defense after years of struggles finding a reliable backstop. Seymour and Mori look like the start of an inexpensive (if mediocre) platoon for center field. Fuad Demirel is my least favorite acquisition but he’s got strong platoon ratings and is a captain on a team with a lot of changing faces.
Not much value departs the Flyers, which shouldn’t be surprising since every player was allowed to enter free agency by the team by either declining an option or not tendering them arbitration. None of these guys performed well and good riddance.
Overall, it’s clear Charlotte needed to add talent and they did that. The team added a slugger, several good value signings for the rotation, and some low-risk role players. I think they clearly have a better roster than they had in 2056.
Kurt Imber off-season grade: B+
________________________________________
Players to Watch
Team MVP?
Tadataka Yoshikawa, OF: I want to use Robert Menzies for the next category so I’ll choose Charlotte’s other star player, free agent acquisition Tadataka Yoshikawa. He’ll be by far their best hitter and the team just needs some other guys to step up and offer him protection in the lineup.
Most likely trade candidate?
Robert Menzies, SS: If I’m Charlotte it’s time to cash in on Menzies. He’s a superstar shortstop in an era when that is increasingly difficult to find and he’s only under contract thru 2058. Now 35 years old, Menzies probably won’t be a cornerstone player on the next playoff Flyers squad.
Most likely to take a step back this season?
Chris McFadden, OF: This wasn’t an easy category to fill because Charlotte didn’t have many players perform well in 2056, let alone a player who overperformed. I guess I’ll just say I think McFadden’s 2.4 WAR last season will be his career best but I still think he’s a good player.
Who has the most to lose (or gain) this season?
Manny Toledo, 1B: Manny Toledo has the ratings to be an adequate starting Brewster first baseman, but if the 31 year-old wants to continue to make $5M per season he better produce this year. To be honest he’s never been much of a threat at the plate but at least he used to be capable of a .350 OBP. Charlotte is misusing him if they bat him cleanup.
Most likely to have a bounce-back season?
Rubén bin Majid al Din, SP: This guy needs a nickname and an ERA more in-line with his 2055 season. By FIP metrics he was the same pitcher he’s been since coming over to Charlotte in 2050 (3.5 WAR) but the ERA ballooned to 5.35 in 2056.
Likeliest to outperform their projection?
Andrés Gonzáles, P: Gonzales put up some crooked pitching numbers last season thanks to surrendering 25 longballs in 126.1 innings. He struggles against southpaws but that can be remedied if his 10 potential changeup allows him to unlock his 11 potential stuff.
Rookie most likely to make an impact?
Tom Bates, 3B: The Flyers look poised to make Bates their everyday third basemen in 2057. He’s hit .301/.360/.464 in AAA and should be a strong defender at the hot corner. Bates hit .426/.458/.618 in a small sample last season and doesn’t have a lot of competition from other Flyers.
________________________________________
How good is the Flyers farm system?
No. 1 prospect: Tarasios Stroggylis(not in top 100)
Tarasios was a scouting discovery in 2053 whose stuff potential has slowly climbed to its present rating of 12. At 20 years old he just got his first taste of professional ball last season and his actual pitching ratings still sit 3-2-2. None of his three pitches look ready for full season ball yet and there’s a long way to go. His modest movement and control potential will hinder his performance if he can’t develop the full 12 stuff, but at the very least I’d like to think there’s a good reliever here. He’s probably a better prospect than several guys in the top 100.
Organization’s ranking: No. 30
Charlotte’s system isn’t devoid of talent and there are quite a few C prospects. A theme I picked up on reviewing them is all their key prospects have a significant wart. If they can hit they can’t defend, if they have great stuff they have really low movement or control. That means high ceilings which is good news for a team ranked this low despite not winning much in the BBA. But it also means they’re going to struggle to consistently churn out guys who have a role on the Flyers roster for a few years.
What to expect from the Flyers this season?
Kurt Imber season projection: 70-92
I think the Flyers will win more games than last season but still finish well short of .500. The starting rotation has a lot of depth so injuries aren’t a concern there. Cristóbal Águila and Liam Johnston could be a very strong 1-2 punch at the back end of their bullpen but I’m skeptical of most of their other relievers. Offensively, I just don’t see them scoring a lot of runs. Yoshikawa will slug but will he have any protection? Robert Menzies already being injured is a huge blow since he’s their best all-around player. The defense is improved but I expect there to be a lot of automatic outs in the lower half of the batting order.
Bold prediction:
Liam Johnston leads the league in saves after converting from a starting pitcher to the stopper role in 2057.
- sorry this was for last year