November 14, 2055
by Banjo Jackson
Nashville, TN
Off the heels of a strong season propelled by veteran stars, the Bluebirds will certainly have a different looking roster next season as several players have filed for free agency. Replacing them will prove difficult and management will likely turn to a combination of free agency and farm system reliance. Nashville has lost 40% of their starting rotation and key pieces of the lineup. Here’s a breakdown of Birds who will test free agency.
1. LHP Barney Lindsay
The most notable departure is the club’s ace, who spent his first 11 seasons with the Bluebirds, collecting a pair of Nebraska awards and 8 ASG nods along the way. This past season, he finished 3rd in Nebraska voting going 17-6 with a 3.01 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 159 K. His displeasure with Nashville’s previous manager led to him opting out of the remainder of his contract, but the Bluebirds fans all hope they can work out a new deal under the new manager. WAR lost: 4.3
2. LF Felipe Vega
Vega was traded to the Bluebirds as part of the River Monsters salary dump a few seasons ago. He’s been a fine player, but nothing like he was in the prime of his career. The 36 year old slashed .293/.351/.544 in 2055, but the Bluebirds would have been on the hook for his entire $17M salary in 2056, so they opted to pay him his $6M opt out. The decision became easier with the emergence of stars in the making, Majd bin Nawaf and Roger Kidd. WAR lost: 3.2
3. SP Manuel García
García was a very under the radar starter for the Bluebirds, but very consistent. Unfortunately, his contract was coming to an end and due to budget restraints, the Bluebirds were unable to offer an extension. Rumor has it he was looking for a very team friendly deal of roughly $4M a season, but the front office was handcuffed. García was 13-9 with a 3.51 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 122 K. Though the Bluebirds #5 starter, he could be another contender’s 2nd or 3rd best pitcher. WAR lost: 2.6
4. 3B Rhys Brickell
Long time Bluebird 3B, Tony Frost, was shown the door in 2055 in hopes for a fresh start at the hot corner. The trade backfired as Frost reverted to his All Star self after a few disappointing seasons in Nashville. When they struck out on Luis Mendoza in free agency, the Birds traded for Brickell after a breakout season in Omaha. Unfortunately, he failed to hit in Nashville, in what turned out to be another poor trade. Brickell slashed .204/.323/.350, but led the league in walks. It wasn’t enough as his failure to hit outweighed his discipline at the plate. There is no immediate farm piece to replace Brickell, though Brooks Eliot enjoyed a breakout season at 2B and is capable of making a transition to 3B. WAR lost: 1.3
5. CF Frédérick Brisset
Another rental piece as the Bluebirds expected Brisset to opt out of his contract at the end of the season when they acquired him from the Hustler in a mid-season trade. Brisset was really a placeholder for Crissy Tingle in 2056. Brisset was a defensive upgrade in CF and hit well at the plate for the Bluebirds in his 48 games with the team, slashing ..224/.323/.413, but didn’t really get it going during the playoffs. WAR lost: 0.7 (48 games)
Despite these losses, the future of the Bluebirds still looks strong. They have $40M in cap space available and several prospects waiting for their shot. In good news, OF Juan Rivera, opted into his final year where the Gamblers will continue to pay half his salary. That’s 4.6 WAR that wasn’t lost and would have really put the offseason into jeopardy had he chosen free agency. The Bluebirds will also have some turnover in the bullpen as Mike Allain wasn’t offered and extension and Samuel Vankrimpen was not offered arbitration. Replacing 13+ wins will be a difficult task, but some clever moves will keep the Bluebirds near the 100 win mark.
