With the memories of an awful September still fresh in the mind of many a Spuds’ fan, some may have forgotten that the Spuds actually have a halfway-decent rotation. The problem last year was, of course, that two-fifths of it went down with injuries, leaving the team scrambling to find decent starters in the latter half of the season (Maziba Isa started 20 games, if that tells you anything about the state of things).Looking forward to 2050, the Spuds find themselves in a much better situation. Of course, one never knows what to expect from players coming off injuries, but if everyone is back to form, here’s what the Spuds rotation looks like for the coming season:
1. Kent Montoya. Unquestionably Boise’s best pitcher last season, Montoya was rewarded with a two-year contract extension through 2051. He finished in the top 10 in the BBA in innings last year, and expects to once again be Boise’s “workhorse” in the rotation.
2. Amayas Moelling. He’s been out since last June with a torn shoulder. Shoulder injuries are always the most difficult to pitchers to bounce back from, so Moelling is probably the biggest question mark in the Spuds’ rotation, but he no doubt has the biggest upside. In limited time with the Spuds last season, his strikeout rate and ERA+ were his best since his Chicago days, and if he could recapture just a little of his old glory, the Spuds would be happy.
3. Tomás Ramírez. This is the guy you probably totally forgot played for the Spuds, since he took the mound for all of one game last season before tearing his shoulder. He is still rehabbing, but if there are no setbacks, he’ll be back sometime around mid-April, when the Spuds hope to finally get a glimpse of the pitcher they traded for. If either Ramírez or Moelling have setbacks, rumors are that Spuds' management has been talking to Sacramento's experimental genetics lab to see if they can help engineer a starting pitcher from one of Ramírez's shoulders and one of Moelling's.
4. Robin Cooper. The face of the Spuds, and the one player who you can be sure isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. His ERA last season was a bit inflated, but his WHIP was the lowest he’s posted since 2044. This was probably a product of Boise’s improved infield defense, which should continue to be a priority, so expect Cooper to be the same dependable arm in 2050.
5. This is where things get interesting. Armando Castro pitched very well last season, so he’s a lock for a rotation spot. But other promising young starters will get looks as well, including Ramón Camacho, who split time last year between the bullpen and rotation with mixed results. There are also a couple young pitchers from Triple-A knocking: Brian Ioneki, Boise’s “Star Sprout” winner in 2048, has been impressive at every level and finally appears ready for The Show. Louis Martínez will also get some consideration, especially since he’s now spent three years at the Triple-A level, so it’s time to either promote him or let him seek a big league paycheck elsewhere.
One thing is clear, it’s always better to have more options than spots to fill. If the Spuds learned anything last season, it’s that it isn’t a question of “if” the injury bug will bite, but “when”. Boise’s depth in starters for the upcoming season should prevent any sort of late-season collapse, at least for reasons pertaining to the pitching. The offense, well that’s another story…