2064 Las Vegas Hustlers: Team Preview

[neugey]

The memory of the Hustlers’ championship three-peat may be starting to fade, but there’s no denying that the franchise always finds a way to stay competitive and remain in the mix. This is demonstrated by the fact that over the last 18 seasons, only one campaign (2055) resulted in a losing record.

Seemingly every year, many in BBA circles anticipate that this might be the year that Las Vegas makes the shift from solid contender to Brewster juggernaut. The hardcore Hustlers fans perpetually envy the current dynasties of Charm City and Nashville, thinking “man, that is how we used to do it”.

The offseason activity indicates that GM Matt Rectenwald believes the team is close. The front office seems to be making just a few pitching and catching changes to complement their strong core. Will this be successful? Is the team as close as management thinks? Let’s take a long look at the offseason activity surrounding Las Vegas.

In November, the team announced that Jose Gutierrez would be their new trainer, signing him to a four-year contract. Gutierrez lacks BBA experience but has great injury prevention techniques that will hopefully keep bodies off the IL – something that is quite important in today’s baseball environment.

The Hustlers then demonstrated that they believe they’re generally on the right track with their current team. There is no rebuild to be found here – or they’re reaching the end of what one would perceive a rebuild should look like. They retained 14 players via contract extension, including closer Rafael Gonzalez, fan favorite and 2054 first-rounder 2B Randy Wright, and RF Tankut Saltik, an original scouting discovery for the Hustlers back in 2050.

Leaving the team in free agency was SP Carlos Berrera (8-12, 4.38 ERA in 2063), who subsequently signed with Cape Fear. Also departing was decorated 1B Tadataka Yoshikawa, now with Long Beach. An ACL injury cut his playing time in half 2063, and at age 37 Las Vegas decided it was time to make room for a younger and healthier option. Alonso “Huckleberry” Flinn, who was acquired in a 2063 mid-season trade with Des Moines, will likely receive the bulk of Yoshi’s playing time.

Las Vegas did not acquire any players in the Rule V draft, but lost C Pedro Flores and SP Jesus Piloto. Piloto’s loss is the more significant of the two because he is just 25 and was a 12th round gem uncovered in the 2060 draft.

In late December, the Hustlers were able to reunite with C Claudio Morgan, who had just entered free agency. The trusted 3-time All-Star signed a 2-year agreement that pays him 2.8 million per season. Sometimes it’s easier to negotiate with a free agent than a rostered player.

The Hustlers’ first big free agency splash came in the form of longtime GBC star SP Afzul Chishti. Las Vegas signed the Pakistani to a 5-year, 69 million contract, albeit with a player opt out and team options mixed in. Continuing their hunt for improved pitching, they lured promising minor league free agent SP Rahman Muslim to Vegas with a 3-year, 10.5 million contract. We’ll have to see if there’s a rotation spot for Muslim, or if he will be seasoned in the high minors for a while. He’s only 23 and has just 1 full year of AA experience, but scouts like his promise, ranking him as the BBA’s #81 overall prospect.

The Hustlers then decided to pair Morgan with a younger BBA catcher that is on the rise. They traded a few prospects to Long Beach and obtained Ricardo “Chick-Fil-A” Castillo, a 23-year-old with a solid bat and precise framing.

Taking a wide view of the situation, one can see why the Hustlers opted to stand pat with their young hitting core. The infield is young and flush with talent. 3B/SS Antonio Edison, their 2061 first round pick, has a high ceiling and is worth keeping an eye on. The same applies for Armando Diaz, who shares 3B/SS duties with Edison and was the first round pick from 2060. CF Roberto Hampton has two Zimmer awards for his defense and can swipe bags with the best of them. LF Angel Trejo has the talent to contend for a Johnson batting title at age 26.

The ace in this year’s rotation will still likely be Jim Fleming. The 33-year-old righty looks a cut above all other rotation mates. Complimenting him as SP2 could be southpaw Claudio Rodriguez. Pepe Rivera, originally drafted by Edmonton 7th overall in 2057, will likely be placed in the rotation somewhere. The other spots, and several spots in the bullpen, could be up for grabs as Las Vegas seeks enough pitching to complement their promising offensive core.

My conclusion? You’d have to look hard to find holes or blemishes on this roster. If Flinn and Edison in particular start raking, you can pencil the Husters into the playoffs. There seems to be enough raw talent to take to the Frontier by force like the Hustlers used to. We’ll see if Matt and the gang can capitalize on it.

[jleddy]

Outstanding preview. Looks to be another solid squad out in the desert.

[Chuck V]

I had Rivera for the first three years in the BBA as a starter, reliever, you name it. He was horrible. Suddenly he goes to Vegas and becomes an ace. I am happy with the trade though as I got Jorge Madrid out of it.

[BaseClogger]

I had Rivera for the first three years in the BBA as a starter, reliever, you name it. He was horrible. Suddenly he goes to Vegas and becomes an ace. I am happy with the trade though as I got Jorge Madrid out of it.

His FIPs were pretty good in Austin.

[neugey]

I had Rivera for the first three years in the BBA as a starter, reliever, you name it. He was horrible. Suddenly he goes to Vegas and becomes an ace. I am happy with the trade though as I got Jorge Madrid out of it.

I noticed that. I drafted him when the franchise was still Edmonton and gave him that "Cheese Dog" nickname.