SP Matthis Belisle
The Bishops offered a decent size salary (4 yr, $3.4M total) to starting pitcher Matthis Belisle to lure him back to the EBA. The 25 year old reliever started his career with Munchen in the EBA and was signed by Greenville of the MBBA back in 2020. During 4 seasons of minor league ball he continued to work his way up through the Moonshiners system and reached AAA Gotham a few times, struggling in his recent stint (4-10, 5.24 ERA). Team scouts believe that Belisle has gained some control on his pitches, a great fastball, a decent changeup and forkball, and a 4th out pitch, a curveball. He is an innings eater who will keep the ball on the ground. The front office believe that he will be a tremendous asset in London.
SP Jesus Santos
Santos was a 24 year old free agent that had most recently pitched for Brooklyn’s AA affiliate in Memphis (4-13, 5.60 ERA in ’24). He started his career in the EBA with Belfast and has pitched with multiple organizations in the MBBA. He has not shown great stats yet (high 4’s ERA) but he has talent and a high work ethic. The team hopes that the youngster will develop a bit and utilize his great stamina and decent array of pitches to become a good back of the rotation starter.
SP/LR Blakely Gabriel
Gabriel is an interesting project for the team. The scouts found the 25 year old pitching in an independent league over in the stats and he has no professional experience to speak of. The Michigan native apparently has been pitching for various non-pro leagues since leaving high school and is somewhat of an unknown. He has shown great stuff and decent movement and control on his pitches. He throws only 2 pitches, a fastball and a slider, but he throws both equally well and far above average. Gabriel throws in the mid 90’s and as such has shown he can go deep into games. The team will give him a shot to compete for a starting role in spring and can also use him as the first player out of the pen. He was given a 2 year deal worth $1.3M total and will be given every chance to succeed.
RP Evan Hansen
Hansen was selected via the new Rule 7 (or VII as Hoot would request) draft from Tucson after the Cactus matched the Bishops 8 year, $11.2M deal on Alberto Escobedo. Hansen is a 29 year old lefty middle reliever with a small amount of playing time in the MBBA (93.2 innings over 85 games in 4 years). The scouts like his great pitches, a fastball and curveball, and his ability to eat a decent amount of innings out of the bullpen. He has good stuff and decent movement and control on his pitches. The team expects him to be the workhorse of the restructured bullpen.
C Mike Hunter
Hunter was drafted with the 3rd overall pick in the 1st round of the EBA’s Rule 5 draft from Munchen. Word on the street is that Munchen lost some paperwork on the way to the league office and Hunter was mistakenly left available in the draft. What is one teams loss is another team’s gain as the Bishop immediately made Hunter an offer. He has only seen 18 games over 3 seasons with the Brauers, most recently in 2022, but his stats in AAA Ratisbon last season made the London front office take notice (.340, 18, 87). He has shown a great arm throwing out basestealers (35 of 102 last year) and has good defense behind the plate (+2.7 ZR, 1.053 EFF). The team hopes that the 24 year old continues to develop in his game calling ability and that his prowess behind the plate continues. Hunter will get a chance to play every day and will likely bat 5th or 6th in the revamped lineup.
2B Joseph Mohan
The Bishops signed the 34 year old second baseman to a 2 year deal worth a total of $1.9M to fill their gap at 2B. The team loves his above average defense at 2B and the fact that even when he isn’t hitting well he will add value (career +64.8 ZR and 1.046 EFF at 2B). He will play mostly against right handed pitchers but is serviceable against lefties. Mohan has shown a great skill at drawing walks and not striking out so he could fit nicely into the #2 spot in the order against righties and take a lower spot when he happens to play against lefty starters.
3B Paul McKinney
It’s been a while since McKinney was a household name in baseball circles but the Bishops hope that the 32 year old infielder can resurrect his career in London. He had a series of great seasons in the late 2010’s with Marquette, who drafted McKinney in the 1st round of the 2015 amateur draft. He started with the big league club after a short stint with AAA Racine and had a career year in 2018 when he posted a 4.7 WAR and .273, 21, 62 stat line. He signed a 3 year, $27M total deal with the Suns in 2019 and saw his production drop every year since. He was picked up by Huntsville in 2023 but played sparingly and was cut mid-season. The Bishops signed McKinney to a 4 year deal worth $4.8M total. His skills at the plate have eroded and wouldn’t work stateside but the team hopes he can provide above average production in Europe. His defensive skills at 3B (career +131.3 ZR and 1.084 EFF) have never bene in question. McKinney will play every day at 3B and batt in the lower half of the lineup.
