2038-18: 2nd in Power Rankings, 2nd Best Farm: Have we Reached 'Peak Talons'?

[jiminyhopkins]

Phoenix, AZ--

The Talons are flying high right now. Yes, it's only May, but the club currently holds the best record in the BBA. They are ranked second in the Power Rankings, as well as second in farm system rankings.

RF Thad Meyer, fresh off winning the 2037 JL Platinum Stick and Diamond Glove for right field, picked up where he left off and garnered the April Player of the Month award. He leads an offense that is second in the JL in OPS and 1st in home runs. SP Jose Trujillo is tied for the JL lead in wins at 5-0 and leads a rotation that features Lawrence Columbus LaLoosh - as its worst pitcher. The staff has also allowed a league low 29 home runs, and shows all but one of its 12 members with a positive WAR.

Now of course most of this will not last. It's just the nature of small sample sizes, hot starts, and the inevitable regressions. But some are asking wider questions. Is this the best that the franchise can do? Will this peak be short lived, and soon see the club begin an inexorable fall back to its previous mediocrity? After all, expenses are once again forecast to outstrip revenue, and the salary spreadsheet shows very few non-arb players signed past next season. Soon the piper will have to be paid, not to mention Mario Deortez, Bartolo Ortiz, and the rest of the core.

The Talons would love to sign Ortiz to an extension, but upcoming team options for Jean-Luc Lacaze and Andres Martinez are clogging up the books for next season, leaving no room to even make an offer to the 24 year old DH until the Options are denied after the Landis. And speaking of clogging up the books, paying LaLoosh 100MM over the next 4 seasons won't help either. And that 2nd ranked farm system that we talked about? Yeah, every one of those guys is at least three years away from the big leagues.

So enjoy it while it lasts, Talons fans. Nowhere to go but down!

[Ted]

I just checked earlier tonight to see if I'd missed any Team Newses. The Fan Club has been starving.

[RonCo]

Someone should have traded for Thad Meyer when he was available.