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)
NAME | AGE | THROW | LEVEL | W-L | ERA | WHIP | K/9 | BB/9 | WAR | SCOUTING GRADES |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Carlos Díaz | 22 | R | AAA | 4-3 | 5.32 | 1.42 | 6.8 | 3.2 | 0.4 | 6(10) / 2(2) / 7(7) |
Leroy Hoffman | 23 | R | BBA | 3-4 | 4.63 | 1.26 | 7.0 | 2.2 | -0.2 | 6(6) / 4(4) / 7(7) |
Celio Marin | 33 | R | BBA | 15-7 | 6.17 | 1.52 | 5.4 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 4(7) / 3(3) / 6(7) |
Kent Montoya | 21 | L | AAA | 10-13 | 5.54 | 1.34 | 5.8 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 6(7) / 4(4) / 5(7) |
Taisuke Suzuki | 34 | L | BBA | 12-12 | 5.45 | 1.55 | 6.0 | 3.8 | 1.0 | 4(5) / 5(5) / 6(6) |
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.