Key Departures:
Michael Sullivan departs from the Pilots after a successful 7-4 2059 campaign. Sullivan finished the season with 4.25 ERA and a solid 2.6 WAR, but the Outspoken left hander from Florida wore out his welcome in the Pilot's clubhouse.
Al Garrett has been a fixture in centerfield for Sao Paulo for the last 4 out of 5 seasons. Garrett is one of the best defensive centerfielders in the GBC as they are very hard to come by. He struggled at the plate in 2059 for the pilots batting just .216 with a .301 on base percentage, ultimately leading to his departure.
Key Additions:
Tye Whitford was signed to a one year deal worth $850,000 after Moscow declined to re-sign the hard throwing righty from down under. Whitford has a blistering fastball and a solid slider as his 2nd pitch. He struck out 63 batters last season while only walking 25, and should be a solid addition to the Pilot's bullpen.
Jose Nunez was invited to Spring Training camp by Sao Paulo and ultimately signed a minor league deal with the club. Nunez spent most of the 2059 season with Johannesburg's AAA club. He looks to earn a spot on the Pilot's 26 man roster.
Starting rotation
Sao Paulo employs a 5-man rotation strategy led by hard-throwing Owen Geddes. 2060 will be Gedde's ninth season with the club that saw him lead the league in innings pitched for five years straight from 2054-2058. In the #2 spot is Jim Watson, who has battled injuries and split last season between Sao Paulo and the Laguna Anglers in the AAA. Egyptian right-hander Kaden Umair looks to iron out his control issues from last season that saw him walk 59 batters en route to a less than stellar 6.20 ERA. Kelyn Lomond was acquired via trade with Moscow in August of 2059. The Canadian has one of the league's best fastballs, followed by a solid curveball and a serviceable change-up. The 5th rotation spot is up for grabs but is currently occupied by the aforementioned Jose Nunez.
Infielders
Big hitting Katsunan Hashimoto will begin his fourth season at 1B for the Pilots. 2059 saw Hashimoto blast 35 HR and lead the GBC in OBP with.392.
He is a threat to launch one out of the park every time he steps up to the plate and will serve Sao Paulo well in the clean-up spot in the lineup again this season. Juan Benitez may just be the best defensive 2nd baseman in the GBC and is seen as one of the leaders in the clubhouse.
Abbad Bin Rashad is a solid defensive shortstop and holds down the middle along with Benitez. Third baseman Santiago Duran was promoted from Launda and takes over the starting duties in 2060. He has solid pop to his bat but will need to cut down on his strikeout rate this season.
Outfielders
The Pilots have one of the hardest-working left fielders in the league, Pablo Martinez. What he lacks in defense, he makes up for in effort and offensive contributions. Replacing the recently departed Al Garrett is Francisco Sanchez. Sanchez is the captain and leader of this Pilots team and looks to use his leadership skills to help this clubhouse gel as much as possible this season. He will need to work on his defense if he is to make a difference on the field for the Pilots. Holding down the #9 slot in RF is Abdul-Ra'uf Yasar, who hit 14 HR and drove in 42 runs last season for Sao Paulo.
DH
Munir Bin Rayhan is back for his fourth season with Sao Paulo. The Kuwaiti-born hitter hit .285 last season, driving in 50 runs. Rayhan is one of the faster players on the team as well as one of the most skilled baserunners. He legged out 21 doubles and 2 triples last season.
2060 Outlook
The Sao Paulo Pilots have the pieces in place to compete in 2060 for their division. But to do so, they will have to dethrone the reigning kings of the AFSAMOC Division and defending GBC champion, the Cairo Pharaohs.
