A Flock of Bluebirds 2041.6- Bluebirds Set Opening Day Roster

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A Flock of Bluebirds 2041.6- Bluebirds Set Opening Day Roster

Post by recte44 » Sun Dec 29, 2019 4:14 pm

Bluebirds Set Opening Day Roster
March 31, 2041

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The Nashville Bluebirds have officially wrapped up their Spring Training and now head north to Tennessee with their 27-man Opening Day Roster set. Time for a quick look at the roster and how it came into shape for the Bluebirds.

Starting Pitcher Rotation (5):
1. Eru Likiliki
2. Chin Kim
3. Elliot Buckland
4. Josh Brown
5. Bob Ramirez

Likiliki gets the nod for Opening Day with Kim slotting in as the #2. Nashville views them as co-aces so the slotting is arbitrary. Buckland and Brown are wily veterans who should eat plenty of innings this season. With Hyun-sik Chang on the 60-day IL, Ramirez earns the nod as the #5 starter but is expected to serve as a swingman throughout the year.

Relief Pitchers (7..well, actually 8):
Closer: Jose Rangel
Stopper: Kidane Ata (two-way)
Setup: Lorenzo de' Medici
Middle Relief: Axel Goulding
Middle Relief: Ta-heng Hor
RH Specialist: Ray Perkins
RH Specialist: Alfredo Perales
LH Specialist/Long Relief: Gerald Abbott

Rangel pitched so well as the closer last September that the Bluebirds are giving him a shot at being the full time guy. In the grand scheme of the Nashville bullpen configuration the closer isn't the most important piece. In case you've been living under a rock, you already know it's Ata. Even de' Medici serves a more critical role than Rangel. Goulding is joined by non-roster invitee Hor as the middle inning stalwarts. Perkins will again serve primarily as a ROOGY, and will be joined in that capacity by Perales (coming off of injury). The plan was to carry Francisco Barrera as the LOOGY, but with him starting on the IL the Bluebirds made the surprise move to name rookie Abbott to the Opening Day roster.

Catchers (2):
vs RHP: Alberto Rodriguez
vs LHP: Ramon Camacho

Rodriguez is the primary backstop here. He's expected to make a step forward in his second BBA season. By selecting Camacho in the Rule 5 Draft, Nashville got back the player they sent to Las Vegas in the disastrous Henry Rectenberg trade. He should be a decent platoon player.

Infielders (8):
1B (vs RHP): Ernesto Souza
2B (vs RHP): Jesus Yan
3B (vs both): Jerome Delage
SS (vs RHP): Francisco Otero
1B (DH vs LHP): Mario Deortez
IF (2B vs LHP): Sam Wade
SS (vs LHP): J.J. McQuade
1B (vs LHP): Nacho Mendez

The Nashville front office feels this is a really good group of players. The key to it all working is whether or not Delage can actually produce against right-handed pitchers. Souza seems ready to bust out this year in his second BBA season. Mendez will platoon with him, and serve in a utility role covering the corners. With Yan and Wade at second base the Bluebirds feel very strong at second base. The same could be said even more so at shortstop with Otero and free agent addition McQuade.

Outfielders (5):
LF (vs both): Gipper Kengos
CF (vs RHP): William Wood
RF (vs both): Sixto Mejia
DH (vs RHP): Alonso Olvere
CF (vs LHP): Kidane Ata (two-way)

The Bluebirds had a boatload of outfielders battling for spots in the spring, and Mejia emerged from that bunch. Not only did he win the right field job, but Nashville will give him a chance to play the majority of the time against both righties and lefties, at least to start the year. Kengos is the steading presence in the lineup, and he'll be penciled in as the left fielder every day. In normal circumstances a team with a player like Kidane Ata wouldn't even consider signing a free agent like Wood. Ata, of course, is a unique beast as a two-way player so Wood was a perfect fit for the Bluebirds. Nashville is expected to mix and match them week to week, alternating Ata between his relief duties and center field, with Wood mixing in when Ata is scheduled to pitch and other times spelling Mejia. There will be plenty of days when the Bluebirds will have Kengos in left, Ata in center, and Wood in right, giving Nashville one of the best defensive outfields in the BBA on those days.

Placed on 7-day IL (1):
P Francisco Barrera

Optioned to Minors (11):
P Pedro Sanchez
P Rafael Torres
P Aleixo Urgeses
P Ben Velez
OF/P Gustavo Munoz
LF Anibal Gracia
CF Alfonso Colon
CF Jose Gonzalez
LF Pedro Saldana
LF Toby Peck
3B Javier Bultron

Assigned to Minors (11):
P Ash Davenport
P Robert Moran
P Ricardo Ortiz
P Juan Perez
C Jesus Ayala
C Teegan Nyland
1B Juan Reyes
3B Tony Frost
RF Aloysius Gonzaga
RF Stephen Lord
SS Derrek Kennedy

Designated for Assignment (1):
LF Frank Underwood

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