2038-14: Talons Season Preview Series: Rotation

[jiminyhopkins]

Welp, here it is. The Starting Rotation article. A source of much pain and consternation amongst Talons fans recently, an article about the rotation is probably something that fans want to avoid thinking about. But we gotta put one out anyway, otherwise what's the point of a Season Preview Series? Besides, we won't even mention that one of the rotation members is still injured from last season.

ML Starters:
Lawrence Columbus LaLoosh (6/6/8 Talents)
Jose Trujillo (9/8/5 Talents)
Maxime Manceau (6/8/7 Talents)
Cesar Aguilar (7/6/6 Talents)
Charlie Iron-Knife (9/6/4 Talents)

Yeah, ol' Lumpy is back. Now sporting ratings that are truly heartbreaking to look at, LaLoosh is the "ace" only due to reputation and salary, which is an ungodly $25 million for the next four years. Holy crap. Anyway, with 54.7 career WAR, LaLoosh's HOF chances are in serious doubt if he can't reverse this decline at least a little bit. Maybe he can be a finesse guy, who knows. The next Frank Tanana maybe. The #2 man is old favorite Trujillo, no stranger to injury problems himself. He missed some significant time to a back issue last June and July, but managed to turn in a 4.5 WAR season, despite a 10-10 record.

The third starter was supposed to be Corrigan, discussed below. Instead, for the time being, it will be Manceau, acquired in trade this offseason. Maxime is definitely not a flamethrower, but he'll keep the ball in the yard and limit walks, while inducing many grounders to the infield. Slotting in at #4 is Cesar Aguilar, the former top prospect in the Carlton Winson trade (yes, we know we keep bringing it up). He had a rough season last year, but actually pitched very well in the playoffs. Still only 23, he can provide some steady innings, and will make a good #5 once Corrigan comes back.

Speaking of #5, here he is. In a deal that pundits either love or hate, Iron-Knife was brought over in trade for the raw, but talented Sancho Torres. Charlie will be pressed into rotation duty while Corrigan recovers, and most likely will do either very well or very badly, with no in-between. But he's as ready as he'll ever be, and out of options.

Injured: Bob Corrigan (8/7/5 Talents)

Another recipient of the magic torn labrum, which has plagued the franchise for years. Corrigan hopes to be back by May, but its hard to say how he will perform. A return to his 3-3.5 WAR ways is a big stretch and likely not achievable. He is cheap, however, and does have a solid track record.

Major League Backup: Nate Horswill (8/6/7 Talents)

Nate will be discussed in the relievers article, but he does have the ability to start.

Minor League Depth: Guenther Poppmeier (6/5/5 Talents) and Leon Cuevas (5/6/5 Talents)

Poppmeier has pitched in the majors in the past, though not effectively. Cuevas hasn't, and probably shouldn't.

Prospects to Watch: Jafar Haamid (9/3/8 Talents) and Alejandro Lopez (7/7/5 Talents)

Phoenix has never been known for pitching prospects, and the tradition continues here. It's too bad Haamid throws so flat, otherwise he'd likely be quite good. Lopez is ranked #7 among Talons prospects, but we're not sure why.

[Ted]

Guenther Poppmeier might be by favorite name in the Brewster, although the way I pronounce it I replace one of those "p"s with an "o".

[RonCo]

It is hard to see LaLoosh fall off like that.