One Third of the Way Through: Western Conference

[agrudez]

Much was made of the rising feud between Belfast and Madrid GM's this offseason. One didn't like that the other made a trade to make his team better. The other accused the other of being a a, uh, "lover" of bulls. But has their budding animosity manifested on the field or is the Western conference chugging along without paying it heed? Let's take a look.

London Bishops

While Belfast and Madrid battled in a war of words, the London Bishops went through most of the offseason without a GM - with only a brief pit stop by league control (me, actually) to make sure they had enough players to fill a roster without sinking their financial situation for years to come. The result? First place. Though how they got there is anyone's guess. 6th in the EBA in runs scored and 3rd in runs allowed doesn't seem like that should have them in this spot - and, in fact, by PYTH they are only the 3rd best team in the division. That is to say, we will call their lead 'tenuous', at best. They do; however, have new ownership that may be looking to put their fingerprints on the squad as the season goes along and, as I always say (well, sometimes, at least... like last season, instance), it's better to be lucky (or, at least, not unlucky) than good.

Belfast Northstars

Through the offseason bluster, Dee went, very literally, ALL in with some majors acquisitions - acquisitions that have pushed up to and blown past the limits of financially sustainable for an EBA team. in 2032, for example, they are already projected for a 16.4M payroll. That number would be the #1 payroll in the EBA this season by 2.5M. Needless to say, Adam clearly does not expect to be with this team whenever the chickens come to roost from his torrid offseason. Hell, we might need to do some league intervention (though Matt very likely won't) once he's back in the MBBA to make sure Belfast's next owner isn't completely crippled. But this isn't about how little of a shit their current management gives about the plight of their future management, it is about their present season - and it is tough to imagine that half a game over .500 is what they were hoping for at this point. Their PYTH record is better (30-25), but even by that they would be only second in the division despite Fulton Reed crop dusting the league.

Paris Patriots

Paris only had 3 offseason exports (out of 9 opportunities) and then management promptly vacated as soon as the season started. Needless to say, this was not a team with very much hype entering the season. That said, with very new management having taken over recently, they find themselves in a favorable position. Tied for second in the division in record, but leading the division in PYTH (by 3 games). They have the number 1 offense in the EBA this season - without ravaging their checkbook to get it like some of their divisional competitors - led by the next great Rule 6 draftee, Jean-Luc Lacaze along with an extremely good supporting case - almost all of whom are still in their cost control years.

Madrid Matadors

After finishing above .500 two years in a row this start has to be a giant disappointment for Madrid as they find themselves last in both record (6 games back) and PYTH (6 games back again) and under .500 by 2.5 games. And despite all of the bluster from their GM about Belfast's disregard for finances, Madrid is putting up this level of "production" with the second highest payroll in the EBA (trailing, obviously, Belfast). Granted, a lot of that was inherited by the new management, but they still did rack up 2.3M in payroll for this current season during the offseason. And the result of those 4 acquisitions? A net -0.4 WAR thus far... ouch.

[udlb58]

Still can't believe Lacaze fell to us at #3. I thought he was the clear #1 that year (BTW, how about Alain Pinchon going from 6 OF range to 9?! Makes that 1st overall look like a better pick now).

That was a very good draft for us. 2nd rounder Gene Romanelli could be an all-star in the EBA and even 3rd rounder Doug Hulbert could be a swing-man.

[Bumstead]

Madrid's adds this offseason:

Lee Cuthbertson - 1.2 WAR
Mike Boggie - .1 WAR
Ramon Farias - (.2) WAR


Re-signed Charles Faes - (.2) WAR...had to have a 2nd catcher...not much in the way of better options out there.

I think that is about it. Signed Don James recently to be a utility guy and he only has 3 AB's. .9 WAR improvement. Just wanted to see where your numbers originated. Looks like you missed the pitchers (Cuthbertson was minor league signing and Boggie signed a month ago). Sucks nonetheless. I thought adding Cal Smith would really help the offense, but between the offense still being short a bat or two and not having a reliable 5th starter, this season has really sucked in Madrid. Not to mention that it has been disappointing that we are not at least above .500. London was better than I thought. Oh well...maybe I should rebuild??

Oh, and we lost Bailey Attoehow before the season. He was a 5.0 WAR player last season while gaining Cal Smith in the "deal:" 1.0 WAR...not exactly an even trade-off...

So basically we added 1.9 WAR but lost 5.0 WAR in one player...harder to make up than I expected to be honest. Still, I think we will trend better as the season progresses.

Dug

[Lane]

Cal is at 1 WAR currently, so maybe he'll end up about 3 WAR for a loss of only 2... Not all that bad.


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[Bumstead]

Cal is at 1 WAR currently, so maybe he'll end up about 3 WAR for a loss of only 2... Not all that bad.


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No, I wasn't saying it was bad. It is just really hard to replace a player that puts up a 5 WAR season. Then you want to be better than you were with that 5 win player. Cal Smith is just alright with me.

[agrudez]

Just wanted to see where your numbers originated.

I missed Cuthbertson because he was a MiL signing - he definitely helps the numbers. I simply took the 4 guys from your major transactions page. Faes (-.2), Farias (-.2), Jones (-.1) and Boggie (+.1).

I'd certainly expect better moving forward from at least Boggie.

[Lane]

Your phrased it as 1 vs 5 when really it's 3ish vs 5. That's all I was commenting on.


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[Bumstead]

Trying to avoid going to a 4-man rotation, but that might be the answer with this team.

[Bumstead]

Your phrased it as 1 vs 5 when really it's 3ish vs 5. That's all I was commenting on.


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I hope it ends up that way. With Cuthbertson and Boggie added to Cal, I will probably exceed the 5 WAR for the season. Hopefully there are more wins in the future to show for it...

[bschr682]

Still can't believe Lacaze fell to us at #3. I thought he was the clear #1 that year (BTW, how about Alain Pinchon going from 6 OF range to 9?! Makes that 1st overall look like a better pick now).

This better be insanely rare. Its gonna be pretty BS if players just randomly go from poopy outfielder to stud centerfielder over the course of a few random months.

[agrudez]

Still can't believe Lacaze fell to us at #3. I thought he was the clear #1 that year (BTW, how about Alain Pinchon going from 6 OF range to 9?! Makes that 1st overall look like a better pick now).

This better be insanely rare. Its gonna be pretty BS if players just randomly go from poopy outfielder to stud centerfielder over the course of a few random months.

I remember in another league (or maybe my time in OMA here?) having a guy bump 2 CF rating (so, really his internal positional experience bar) during the offseason. It was accompanied by an in-game PM and HTML Report team news about how hard he's working. Haven't experienced it again since. And have never had jumps in fielding (ie. range, DP, arm, etc.) ratings.

[udlb58]

Still can't believe Lacaze fell to us at #3. I thought he was the clear #1 that year (BTW, how about Alain Pinchon going from 6 OF range to 9?! Makes that 1st overall look like a better pick now).

This better be insanely rare. Its gonna be pretty BS if players just randomly go from poopy outfielder to stud centerfielder over the course of a few random months.

I remember in another league (or maybe my time in OMA here?) having a guy bump 2 CF rating (so, really his internal positional experience bar) during the offseason. It was accompanied by an in-game PM and HTML Report team news about how hard he's working. Haven't experienced it again since. And have never had jumps in fielding (ie. range, DP, arm, etc.) ratings.

I have seen guys go up a point of range before. That doesn't seem all that uncommon (though uncommon enough that you can't count on it). On our club, Chavez has gone from 8/8/2/8 as and infielder and 9/7/5 as an OF to 8/9/2/9 and 10/7/5

Why is is so egregious that a guy would jump in range when a guy can jump in power, eye, avoid k, babip, stuff, movement, control, and even stamina? Especially if it's a fast player increasing range. To me, that's a player who is learning how to anticipate/read the ball off the bat. Now if it were a guy with 3 speed getting a big bump that wouldn't look good.

[agrudez]

Why is is so egregious that a guy would jump in range when a guy can jump in power, eye, avoid k, babip, stuff, movement, control, and even stamina? Especially if it's a fast player increasing range. To me, that's a player who is learning how to anticipate/read the ball off the bat. Now if it were a guy with 3 speed getting a big bump that wouldn't look good.

Well, the difference (to me) is that POW => HR is a direct correlation. Player Range has to be modified by position experience before it manifests in production. So what you described (reading the ball of the bat) feels like it is already rolled up in the positional experience rating. Imo, a player should be at his max range as a teenager and then decrease as he gets older (like a 35 year old SS moving to 3B) and/or grows into his body (I actually thought I remember '15 or '16 advertising something like that, where a 16 year old IFA might be a good SS, but by 20 he has gained weight and becoming a corner OF - haven't seen that manifest itself, though, so maybe I'm mistaken).

Now the relationship between speed and range (which I'm fairly certain is not in the code whatsoever) is a whole 'nother topic.

[udlb58]

Why is is so egregious that a guy would jump in range when a guy can jump in power, eye, avoid k, babip, stuff, movement, control, and even stamina? Especially if it's a fast player increasing range. To me, that's a player who is learning how to anticipate/read the ball off the bat. Now if it were a guy with 3 speed getting a big bump that wouldn't look good.

Well, the difference (to me) is that POW => HR is a direct correlation. Player Range has to be modified by position experience before it manifests in production. So what you described (reading the ball of the bat) feels like it is already rolled up in the positional experience rating. Imo, a player should be at his max range as a teenager and then decrease as he gets older (like a 35 year old SS moving to 3B) and/or grows into his body (I actually thought I remember '15 or '16 advertising something like that, where a 16 year old IFA might be a good SS, but by 20 he has gained weight and becoming a corner OF - haven't seen that manifest itself, though, so maybe I'm mistaken).

Now the relationship between speed and range (which I'm fairly certain is not in the code whatsoever) is a whole 'nother topic.

I think range is loosely tied to speed upon creation. You'll see the occasional 9 speed, 2 range 1B but I can't recall any 2 speed 9 range players; and most players with low speed are catchers/corner infielders/corner outfielders.

To me, the position rating is kind of like the current rating, while the fielding ratings are the potential. As the player gets more experience, his current (pos rating) gets closer to his potential (fielding ratings). Just like as a player gets more experience, his current HR gets closer to his potential HR. A bump in fielding ratings is like a bump in potential HR in that his maximum potential as a fielder increases.

I'm actually kind of with Bret on the fielding, but I feel the same way about pitchers being able to magically learn a pitch and random ass huge bumps too

[agrudez]

but I feel the same way about pitchers being able to magically learn a pitch

If anything, I think this is something OOTP is way too conservative on. I've read so many hype articles during spring training about veteran pitchers teaching young pitchers new grips and arm slots for new pitches. I'm pretty sure Roy Halladay taught at least one pitch to every other pitcher the Phillies had during his tenure.

[recte44]

Paris is benefitting from The Hand of Recte (tm)

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[ae37jr]

Paris is benefitting from The Hand of Recte (tm)

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Paris has been Recte-tified!

[udlb58]

but I feel the same way about pitchers being able to magically learn a pitch

If anything, I think this is something OOTP is way too conservative on. I've read so many hype articles during spring training about veteran pitchers teaching young pitchers new grips and arm slots for new pitches. I'm pretty sure Roy Halladay taught at least one pitch to every other pitcher the Phillies had during his tenure.

I think a lot of that is spring training fluff. Kinda like player x being in the best shape of his life or player y having a renewed focus.

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[bschr682]

Why is is so egregious that a guy would jump in range when a guy can jump in power, eye, avoid k, babip, stuff, movement, control, and even stamina? Especially if it's a fast player increasing range. To me, that's a player who is learning how to anticipate/read the ball off the bat. Now if it were a guy with 3 speed getting a big bump that wouldn't look good.

Its not the fact that it went up. Its the amount. Look at the development report that was linked and find May 11 2026. That is nuts. So from May 11 2026 to March 15 2028 he went from having 0 range in the OF to almost elite CF range at a 9. That's just stupid.

[udlb58]

Why is is so egregious that a guy would jump in range when a guy can jump in power, eye, avoid k, babip, stuff, movement, control, and even stamina? Especially if it's a fast player increasing range. To me, that's a player who is learning how to anticipate/read the ball off the bat. Now if it were a guy with 3 speed getting a big bump that wouldn't look good.

Its not the fact that it went up. Its the amount. Look at the development report that was linked and find May 11 2026. That is nuts. So from May 11 2026 to March 15 2028 he went from having 0 range in the OF to almost elite CF range at a 9. That's just stupid.

Well, the 0 to 7 is just when the fielding ratings first started being tracked. So over that time he 'only' went from 7 to 9

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