1 Apr 2059
Boise, Idaho
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by Tony Toney
Whoo, boy. You should see the visible flinch from GM Ben Teague when asked about his opening-day rotation. We can't blame him. He could have anywhere from 4 excellent arms, to a couple of great and a few very good ones. That's not even taking into account guys that could flourish as a starter or reliever and the crowded AAAA pool. And he avoids the mention of even the slightest possibility of a full-strength return this season for former ace 25yo Jeremy Nickerson who could find himself in AAA rehab as early as July.Rotation
SP Doug Eckhoff
30yo RHP Doug Eckhoff - 2058: 32 G, 31 GS, 17-6, 168.1 IP, 3.26 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, +3.2 WAR
Eckhoff is the one, write him down in ink starter at the top of the rotation for Teague. He was already a "co-ace" with the aforementioned Nickerson before the latter went down for the last half of 2058. He bagged an All-Star nod in 2058 and signed a 5yr/$42m extension with the club.
#2's on thru...
39yo RHP Danny 'Padfoot' Leach - 2058: 14 G, 14 GS, 5-4, 70.2 IP 4.08 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, +0.7 WAR
Leach booked only +0.7 WAR in 2058 but that was over just 17 games at the ML level. In his last full season in Rockville, before joining Boise via trade, he notched a 2.8 WAR in 28 games. Still, he is an aged vet that has a lower margin of error, but he is a solid option in Boise with the depth of similar options behind him.
36yo LHP Matt McCartney - 2058: 18 G, 18 GS, 5-8, 86.1 IP, 5.63 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, +0.7 WAR
McCartney shoulder the majority of the LOOGY load in 2058 and will likely do so again this year. This is a walk year for him so it will be interesting to see what he has in the tank to carry into free agency.
32yo LHP Muneer bin Khairy - 2058: 42 G, 5 GS, 4-3, 95.2 IP, 3.57 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, +0.9 WAR
Based on last season, maybe bin Khairy should have shouldered the lefty role. This season, he'll get plenty of chances to do so.
34yo RHP Marvin 'Groucho' Winston - 2058: 30 G, 23 GS, 7-9, 136.0 IP, 4.57 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 0.6 WAR
Winston is an aging arm resurrected from the GBC, where he last appeared in the 2053 season, to serve Boise in 2057. He was better that season, but he wasn't terrible last year. He possesses a 101mph heater and a knee-buckling curve so he does a good job keeping the ball in the park.
30yo RHP Waseem bin Suhayb - 2058: 40 G, 13 GS, 4-7, 111.1 IP, 4.93 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, +0.6 WAR
bin Suhayb brings the most stuff to the rotation with a 98-mph fastball and 3 great breaking balls. The 30yo sometimes seems to prefer pitching out of the pen, but Teague keeps him stretched out as a key hinge in the rotation. He's a flexible option.
AAAA
These guys will definitely make appearances at the ML level in both rotation and bullpen roles:
33yo LHP Aaron Anderson - 2058: 16 G, 3-2, 29.0 IP, 1.86 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, +0.6 WAR
Anderson's time in the Phoenix bullpen last year was stellar, but he made 16 starts in AAA Surprise boasting a 7-7 record in 118.0 IP with a 3.13 ERA, and 1.29 WHIP so he's a good, flexible option for the Spuds.
33yo RHP Mike Alexander - 2058: 36 G, 30 GS, 10-10, 163.2 IP, 5.77 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, +1.1 WAR
A steady option over his career, Teague had hoped Alexander would seize a role in the rotation but it didn't happen. He's still a quality arm to use in a variety of roles.
23yo LHP Mario Reyes - 2058: 28 G, 28 GS, 6-11, 154.0 IP, 4.32 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, +1.9 WAR
Reyes put up some smile-inducing numbers in his rookie year. The starting rotation for Boise leans old, clearly, so having Reyes snag a spot and keep it would be a really welcome outcome.