Tater Talk: 2042.014 – Position Battles Royale: 5th SP

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Tater Talk: 2042.014 – Position Battles Royale: 5th SP

Post by jleddy » Tue Mar 24, 2020 3:27 pm

Image A multiple-part series leading up to the start of the 2042 season, "Position Battles Royale" will examine multiple players vying to make the Boise Spuds 27-man roster, either within the starting line-up or the active roster as a reserve/platoon. Part four of five is the open competition for the 5th starter in the Boise rotation.

Thanks to the late January signing of free agent Júlio Alicea, the Spuds rotation is nearly all but set. Pancho Germán will be making his fourth consecutive opening day start for Boise, followed by Alicea, Robin Cooper and Frank Metcalf.

Vying for the final spot are Leroy Hoffman and Taisuke Suzuki, both on the 40-man roster, Celio Marin, and non-roster invitees Carlos Díaz and Kent Montoya.

LAST YEAR BY THE NUMBERS (AGE IS 2042 OPENING DAY)
NAMEAGETHROWLEVELW-LERAWHIPK/9BB/9WARSCOUTING GRADES
Carlos Díaz22RAAA4-35.321.426.83.20.46(10) / 2(2) / 7(7)
Leroy Hoffman23RBBA3-44.631.267.02.2-0.26(6) / 4(4) / 7(7)
Celio Marin33RBBA15-76.171.525.42.80.94(7) / 3(3) / 6(7)
Kent Montoya21LAAA10-135.541.345.83.11.16(7) / 4(4) / 5(7)
Taisuke Suzuki34LBBA12-125.451.556.03.81.04(5) / 5(5) / 6(6)
OUTLOOK
Marin and Suzuki were regular members of the rotation last year, but that might not be in their favor based on their numbers. Suzuki had the most promise early in 2041, actually performing as the second-best arm behind Germán for the first two months of the season before the wheels fell off in the final two months of the season. Marin currently finds himself in baseball purgatory: designated for assignment and on waivers, however refusing to be demoted. His $8M salary -- the final year of his contract -- may keep him employed with Boise, however after seeing his skills erode over the last two seasons, his best, if not only, shot at making the roster is as a long reliever in mop-up duty. Hoffman dominated out of the gate in AAA, going 2-0 in four starts with a 2.84 ERA and 0.89 WHIP, earning him a call-up, where he bounced from the rotation and bullpen as needed. Two separate stints on the injured list with shoulder problems shelved him for most of the year, but he showed more than enough promise to get a long look this spring now that he's healthy, albeit injury prone. Montoya arrived in the Boise organization around this time last year via a trade with the Blazers, and the club sent him directly to Triple-A with just 15 innings of Single-A experience with Montreal. While he looked overmatched at times, the club's initial timeline of pitching in the majors in 2042 still holds, however it appears a mid-season promotion is more likely than making the Spuds rotation right out of the gate. Díaz has seen his stock drop in the last two years, with some thinking his best chance at a long career could be as a reliever, however at 22, he's got time to reach his potential. With the bullpen looking strong, it's likely the Spuds will let Díaz figure it out as a starter in 2042 but expect that to be Salt Lake City, at least to start the year.

VERDICT
Marin's days as a starter are all but over, so he's likely not even an option at this point. Realistically, it's a three-man competition for one spot between Hoffman, Montoya and Suzuki. If Hoffman or Montoya don't earn the spot, expect them to start the year atop the rotation in Triple-A. Suzuki, if he doesn't get the #5 nod, he could be of some value working out of the bullpen in as a lefty in long relief. Don't discount other options the Boise coaches could consider, from a four-man rotation to the use of the opener-follower, which the later would likely involve Marin and Suzuki as a second pitcher.
"My $#!? doesn't work in the playoffs." - Billy Beane Joe Lederer

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Re: Tater Talk: 2042.014 – Position Battles Royale: 5th SP

Post by HoosierVic » Tue Mar 24, 2020 4:13 pm

Not exactly a hall of fame pool to draw from there, unfortunately. Given that none of them get much movement on their pitches, I'd be more inclined to look at one of the left-handers given that lefty batters are more likely to go yard in your ballpark. Montoya's the better overall talent, but you might want him to season more in AAA. Interesting choice here ...

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Re: Tater Talk: 2042.014 – Position Battles Royale: 5th SP

Post by jleddy » Tue Mar 24, 2020 4:25 pm

HoosierVic wrote:
Tue Mar 24, 2020 4:13 pm
Not exactly a hall of fame pool to draw from there, unfortunately. Given that none of them get much movement on their pitches, I'd be more inclined to look at one of the left-handers given that lefty batters are more likely to go yard in your ballpark. Montoya's the better overall talent, but you might want him to season more in AAA. Interesting choice here ...
Is that your personal assessment or the findings of the Kocherschmeltz Group?
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Re: Tater Talk: 2042.014 – Position Battles Royale: 5th SP

Post by HoosierVic » Tue Mar 24, 2020 4:27 pm

Can we really separate the two at this point, Joe?

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