Outfield
Predicting the IronPigs roster is difficult enough, but the Phillies keep inviting guys to Clearwater. It’s an exercise in futility, I know. But, I like it anyway. Let’s narrow our focus a bit and make some bold predictions. Today: Outfield
The pool:
“The Jeffersons (We’re A-Movin’ On Up)”
Tyson Gillies
Leandro Castro
Jiwan James
“Old Friends”
Domonic Brown
Derrick Mitchell
Steve Susdorf
“Eastward Bound”
Joe Mather
Jermaine Mitchell
“We Hardly (read: Never) Knew Ye”
Darrin Ruf
Discussion:
From the nine candidates above, I’ll put five with the IronPigs. The Phillies probably need five as well, and they’ll start with Revere, D.Young, Mayberry, and Nix. That leaves one spot. It’s sink or swim time for Domonic Brown. I listed him above because he does have an option year left. I think the scenario where he starts the year with the IronPigs is extremely unlikely. It’s probably even more likely that he’d be traded than that. So let’s put him with Philly.
Delmon Young may need to start the year on the DL. If he does, it opens another spot in the Phillies outfield or on the bench. I’d think Ruf has the inside track on that unless one of the “Eastward Bound” has a great spring. Joe Mather spent last year with the Cubs where he hit a blistering .209. In 2011 he spent time with Gwinnett (note Brundage connection) and Colorado Springs where he predictably did better in the PCL vs. the IL. He bats right-handed. Jermaine Mitchell comes from the A’s, where I believe he had some injury trouble last year. In 2011 is PCL numbers were very good, though. He’s a Lefty and primarily a center fielder.
I don’t think Jiwan James is ready for AAA. The converted pitcher is a good enough outfielder, but I’m not sure he did enough at the plate in Reading to be considered for AAA to start the season. Similarly, with Castro, while he may have earned the promotion, I’ll start him with Reading based on the roster squeeze. Derrick Mitchell and Susdorf could also get squeezed to Reading in certain scenarios.
Bold Predictions:
Out of nine, two to Philly: Brown and Ruf (with D.Young to the D.L.). Two to Reading: James, Castro
Five to LHV: Gillies, Mather, J. Mitchell, Susdorf, D.Mitchell
Kram’s Keys: (What to watch for during Spring Training to see if I’m on track with my predictions):
1. Health. It’s always first, but here we need to know if Delmon is recovered from offseason surgery and if he’s managed to avoid the food truck. We also need to know if Tyson Gillies can make it through S/T unscathed.
2. Fielding. We pretty much know their spots in the outfield, but it will be interesting to see if guys get time in unexpected positions. Also, if Delmon’s on the field, watch to see how he does fielding the ball (he was a DH for much of last season). This goes for Darrin Ruf as well, to see if the Phillies think he can contribute as an adequate Left Fielder defensively.
@Kram209
Middle Infield
Predicting the IronPigs roster is difficult enough, but the Phillies keep inviting guys to Clearwater. It’s an excercise in futility, I know. But, I like it anyway. Let’s narrow our focus a bit and make some bold predictions. Today: Middle Infield
Yesterday, Decal posted some interesting info about contracts and opt-outs which he got from Todd Zolecki from Philadelphia. I urge those interested to go back and read that information in the comments section of the “odds and ends” post. Usually, I don’t get worried about opt-outs and the like until after the season starts. Guys are playing well and I want them to stick around, so I get worried they’ll opt-out. Sometimes I refer to it as a “Dewayne Wise.” Recently, though, it seems a few NRI (non-roster invite) guys have come into Spring Training with immediate opt-outs if they don’t make the team out of camp. The interesting one this year, from Decal’s comment/re-post, is Yuni Betancourt. As the Phillies make a decision about what to do with Yuni, the ripples will be felt all the way down the system for the initial rosters.
Here’s our pool:
“Old Friends”
Pete Orr
Andres Blanco
Michael Martinez
“Prospects”
Cesar Hernandez
Freddy Galvis
“Vets”
Yuni Betancourt
Matt Tolbert
Not included, are the big boys: Rollins and Utley. If they’re healthy, they’ll have their traditional spots in Philadelphia, of course. Kevin Frandsen isn’t included in my pool, either. He’s on the 40-man and if something happens where he or the Phillies are unhappy, I see him going elsewhere. Otherwise, he can back up every infield position and hit doubles. He won’t be on the ‘Pigs.
So if I’ve got to make a prediction on February 10, here it is:
Of the above seven players, I see one in Philadelphia and four with the IronPigs.
Jimmy and Chase are healthy. Charlie likes vets, so Yuni gets a job to start the season in Philadelphia.
Joe Jordan’s comments lead me to believe that I’m not the only one who wants to see Freddy start at AAA and play every day to begin the season (it’ll change fast, and he’ll be up sooner rather than later). Pete Orr can play third, so they keep him around. Blanco will be the AAA shortstop once Galvis receives the inevitable call-up, and Tolbert is a vet with experience who can help fill 2B should Utley go down for an extended period. That leaves Hernandez and Martinez. Cesar gets pushed back to Reading to start the season. It’s temporary and I know he has nothing to prove at that level, but he gets caught in the opening-day numbers game. Martinez does too–doesn’t handle it as well and gets cut just before opening day.
So that’s my take on it at this moment. What say you, Pig Nation? I know I had to make a lot of assumptions in my prediction, and we all know how that works out. So leave your own in the comments below. Thanks for dropping by,
@Kram209
February Odds and Ends
It’s February now, and folks are counting the days until Pitchers and Catchers report (9 days, for the Phillies, as of this writing). In fact, many of our favorite players are already in Clearwater, finding a place to stay and settling in so that they can hit the ground running. I’m not sure if they have a Florida State University scrimmage this year, but the MLB campers open their Grapefruit League games on Saturday, February 23 at 1:05ET versus the Astros.
In the mean time, here in the land of the pigs, we’ve got a couple things that normally happen during February:
First, Season Ticket Holders have the opportunity to purchase single-game IronPigs tickets before they go on sale to the general public. I’m not sure the date’s been announced yet, but I often take advantage of this, stocking up on extra seats for games when I estimate that I’ll have guests in town over the summer. Often I need 9-12 tickets semi-together. It’s not enough for a “group” but tough to get if you wait until later in the season.
Second, Season Ticket Holders have the opportunity to purchase single-game Phillies tickets before they go on sale to the general public. I’ve done this in the past, too, but it’s not much of an advantage. They put the same access code out on Twitter last year for anyone to go on and buy tickets. Also, with the recent popularity of the Phillies, the seats are not that good. Perhaps with the .500 season last year, some Phillies season ticket holders who buy on “speculation” in order to re-sell tickets, will be discouraged. I’ll probably check it out, but more than likely I’ll hold off and buy tickets closer to the time I wish to go down to a game (if I even do this year).
I forget, but at some point, season ticket holders will be able to pick up our packages. It might be into March. I know National Pig Day will be Saturday March 3, though, so those non-season ticket holders who need single game tix can pick them up starting then. I’ve heard it’s a good time: hanging out at the park and hot dogs and festivities and whatnot. I’ve never been, but maybe this year. I’ll check my son’s indoor soccer schedule. Any excuse to spend time at the park…
Here’s something: Tyler Cloyd’s wife Tonya writes a blog about “Married Life in Minor League Baseball.” It’s quite good and offers a lot of insight about the players and their families and the game from their perspective. Her latest entry was about their trip to the AAA All-Star game in Buffalo last season. Give it a read here .
One last thing; here’s an old story from a previous season*:
“The Episode of the Lost Radio”
Once upon a time at a Minor League park, there was a staffer named “Boris.” “Boris” was leading a tour of the ballpark for out-of-town guests early one afternoon before a game. While he was showing his group the home-team dugout, he accidently left his Walkie-Talkie there on the bench. Soon, he realized his error. He returned, but found that it was gone. A search was initiated. But, alas, no luck. The Walkie-Talkie was nowhere to be found.
Later that evening during the game, emergency calls began over the radios: unruly fan behavior, indecent exposure, fans getting ready to run onto the field, and other “emergencies.” Stadium security was dispatched each time to investigate. Each time they found nothing. It didn’t take long to figure out that a player had gotten ahold of that lost Walkie-Talkie, and was using it for maximum amusement. Personally, I would expect no less from young men charged with playing 144 baseball games over 152 days.
The next day, the radio was returned. “Coincidently,” that same day, a player–let’s call him “Potato Chip”–was traded away for no compensation. Since then, though, this minor league team has had no difficulty with lost radios or player practical jokes.
*Names changed to protect the guilty
@Kram209
2013 Phillies Winter Banquet
Thursday evening, the NoiseNation represented at the 2013 Phillies Winter Banquet to support IronPigs Charities at the Sands Event Center in Bethlehem. There were bells (OK, A bell) and an auction and some time to hob knob with the VIPs. Here are some highlights:
(It’s worth stating, right here at the top, that all photos and video were provided by Cheryl Pursell { @CherylPursell }. They are excellent and I hope I can display them here properly. The pictures and video below will tell you much more about the evening than I ever could by typing. I showed up with an iPhone and a FlipHD camera which was woefully inadequate given our seating. Perhaps next year we all need to pitch in to pay for Cheryl’s ticket…)
The Stage at the Front of the Sands Center
Photo by @CherylPursell
DiPro got there early and cleaned out the casino. Dan provided the Kenny Rogers’ (Know when to walk away…) advice to get DiPro to the banquet on time. As per usual, the NoiseNation was well represented and there early. You’d have thought they were giving away bobbleheads or something (they weren’t).
We entered at the side of the Visions Bar to see a giant Championship Jersey:
Photo by @CherylPursell
DiPro, with his new-found wealth, inquired about bidding on the large jersey. I then wondered if we could sneak a bunch of fans into the IronPigs games Trojan Horse-style…
We walked up the stairs to the VIP area. The first person I saw was Charlie Manuel just standing at a pub table by himself. Of course, I couldn’t think of anything cool or witty to say quickly enough, and he was gone by the time we visited the open bar at the far side of the room.
The young ones (and DiPro) got pictures with some of the VIPs (Kevin Frandsen, Dave Brundage, Charlie Manuel, and Erik Kratz. Reuben Amaro Jr. joined in later.) They whisked us in and out of the photo room pretty quickly; it had been made clear ahead of time that we were not supposed to ask for autographs during the picture sessions. The photo holder they gave us did have a spot for autographs. I suppose had we stayed later in the evening there was opportunity at the end.
It got crowded in the VIP are quickly. The hors d’oeuvres were good and plentiful, and sodas and drinks were complimentary. Matt Provence and Jon Schaffer were around, as well as some media members and some of the front office guys from the Phillies who were in attendance. The local ESPN radio guys were doing a broadcast:
Charlie with the radio guys.
Photo courtesy @CherylPursell
We made our way to our table downstairs, and soon Matt Provence was urging the same for the 1,100 in attendance. This took some time, but we made the best of it while the kiddos planned on how to attack the cupcakes, which were already on the table:
Phanatic Cupcake
Photo: @CherylPursell
There was a video about IronPigs Charities, and some salad, then Chicken for 1,100. The food was probably the low-light of the evening. I was not disappointed because I really had no expectations: I knew they wouldn’t have super dinner for 1,100 people. With that in mind, though, they should have been able to serve it more quickly.
Then, the introductions, and the program. It was great to hear Tim Chorones’ voice again, you know? The remainder of the pictures, and the videos of the program, follow:
Frandsen with Amaro Photo: @CherylPursell
Frandsen, Amaro, and Manuel (@CherylPursell)
Kratz Frandsen Amaro (Photo: @CherylPursell)
Kevin Frandsen looks on as Kurt Landes presents the IronPigs Charities’ Awards (@CherylPursell)
Dave Brundage Speaks (photo: @CherylPursell)
We’re Gonna Like the New Skipper…
(@CherylPursell)
Charlie Signing
Photo Courtesy: @CherylPursell
@Kram209
PS: Thanks again, Cheryl
Tiny Bobbles
Tiny [Bobbles]
In the wine
Make me happy
Make me feel fine
Tiny [Bobbles]
Make me warm all over
With a feeling that I’m gonna
Love you ’til the end of time
So here’s to the golden moon
And here’s to the silver sea
And mostly here’s a toast
To you and me
-Don Ho
Yeah, I’m gonna go there again. And, here’s the thing: I like the giveaways. Yup. I said it. It’s unpopular with the kool kids and the baseball purists, but I love the swag. Give me more stuff, man, I’ll take it! (no, I won’t fight anybody over it and I won’t complain, but…) I’m on my second bottle of Rhone tonight and I’m willing to admit to about anything. I love that they give the club level patrons guaranteed giveaways. I drive over 55 sometimes. Golly, somebody stop me…
The IronPigs released a preliminary promotion schedule today, and here are the highlights:
- Thursday, April 4 – Fleece Blanket Giveaway (First 3,000 adults 18 and older)
- Friday, April 5 – Friday Night Fireworks, Dueling Pianos
- Saturday, April 6 – 2013 Magnet Schedule Giveaway
- Sunday, April 7 – “Pigs to the Bigs” T-Shirt Giveaway (First 3,000 adults 18 and older), Dog Day # 1 (Bring Your Dog to the Park)
- Tuesday, April 9 – Kevin Frandsen Bobblehead Giveaway (First 3,000 adults 18 and older)
- Wednesday, April 10 – FeRROUS & FeFe Salt & Pepper Shaker Set (First 3,000 adults 18 and older)
- Saturday, April 20 – John Mayberry Commemorative Glass Giveaway (First 3,000 adults 18 and older)
- Sunday, April 21 – Knit Cap Giveaway (First 3,000 adults 18 and older) Dog Day # 2 (Bring Your Dog to the Park)
- Saturday, May 4 – Margarita Glass Giveaway (First 3,000 adults 21 and older)
- Sunday, May 5 – Adult Cap Giveaway (First 3,000 adults 18 and older)
- Tuesday, May 7 – Tyler Cloyd Bobblehead Giveaway (first 3,000 adults 18 and older)
- Monday, May 20 – Youth Cap Giveaway (First 2,000 youth 17 and under)
- Tuesday, May 21 – Erik Kratz Bobblehead Giveaway (First 3,000 adults 18 and older)
- Sunday, May 26 – Mini Barbie Q. Bobblehead Giveaway (First 2,000 youth 17 and under)
- Saturday, June 1 (6:35 p.m.) – Russian Bar Trio Performance
- Monday, June 3 – Team Photo & Autograph Session (First 5,000 Fans)
- Monday, June 10 – Adult Cap Giveaway (First 3,000 adults 18 and older)
- Thursday, June 13 – Beach Towel Giveaway (First 3,000 adults 18 and older)
- Sunday, June 16 – Fathers Day Bucket Cap Giveaway (First 2,000 men 18 and older)
- Sunday, June 30 – Youth Replica Jersey Shirt Giveaway (First 2,000 youth 17 and under)
- Monday, July 8 – Ryan Howard Bobblehead Giveaway (First 3,000 adults 18 and older)
- Wednesday, July 10 – Adult Cap Giveaway (First 3,000 adults 18 and older)
- Thursday, July 18 – Scoreboard Clock Giveaway (First 3,000 adults 18 and older)-Turn Back the Clock Night
- Friday, July 19 – Friday Night Fireworks + Umbrella Giveaway (3,000 adults 18 and older) + Dueling Pianos
- Saturday, July 20 – Acrylic Cup Giveaway (First 3,000 adults 18 and older)
- Sunday, July 21 – Piggy Bank Giveaway (First 2,000 youth 17 and under)
- Thursday, August 1 – Team Card Set Giveaway (First 2,000 youth 17 and under)
- Monday, August 26 – 2014 Magnet Schedule Giveaway (First 5,000 fans) – Dog Day # 4 (Bring your Dog to the Park) / IronHeads Night
- Tuesday, August 27 – Foam Finger Giveaway (First 3,500 fans)
- Saturday, August 31 – 2014 Wall Calendar (First 7,000 adults 18 and older)
- Monday, September 2 – Fan Appreciation Day
- Tuesday, September 17 – 2013 Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game
My favorites are bolded, and there are many other regular events, such as the Friday Night Fireworks. Additional nights will be added, but the big ones are above. Enjoy. And get your tickets early. March, they say.
@Kram209
Piggy Nation Comes to the Noise Nation!
Need a laugh or some humor during the off season? Piggy Nation has offered to share their comic strip with us! Stay tuned for the first one coming soon!
From the Piggy Nation:
Los Angeles Man Takes On Piggy Behavior
Richard Rosser is on a mission to rid the world of piggy behavior. After a man stole a parking space from his mother-in-law, Rosser decided…
No more dogs pooping on neighbors’ lawns!
No more drivers parking in two spaces!
No more yelling on cell phones!
Having worked on children’s programs for Nickelodeon and The Disney Channel, Rosser considered a children’s book the natural outlet for his frustration with piggy behavior. Teaming up with illustrator Shane Sowell (The Simpsons, King of the Hill), the two created Piggy Nation: A Day At Work With Dad, an award winning children’s book that focuses on piggy behavior in an amusing update of the Golden Rule. The main character is a piglet named Sammy who joins his dad on Piggy Patrol. As they search the town for piggies, Sammy learns about rude behavior!
After the book was published, Rosser began performing school assemblies (seen by 7000 students to date). The kids responded so positively that Rosser adapted the story into a full-length musical. With composer Alec Wells (theoutsidejoke.com), the two crafted a show richly layered with Rock, Blues, Rap and Gospel influences. Piggy Nation The Musical premiered at The Pierson Playhouse in Pacific Palisades, California and is available through Steele Spring Theatrical Licensing.
Building on the concept of Piggy Behavior, Rosser and Sowell developed Piggy Nation the comic strip, which runs each Sunday in The Sunday Oklahoman and online at uskidsmags.com which publishes Jack & Jill and Humpty Dumpty.
School assemblies have led to writing workshops, which spawned a chapter book, Piggy Nation: Let’s Go Camping. In addition, Rosser has created educational programs including The Piggy Tales Story Bee which he recently transformed into a storytelling game, Piggy Tales Story Cards.
Contact Piggy Nation for more information about School Assemblies,
Piggy Nation The Musical or Piggy Tales Story Bees818-404-1642
richard@piggynation.com
Filed under Uncategorized
Quick Thoughts on the IronPigs’ Ball Girls
It was announced today that the IronPigs will be presenting their first ever class of Ball Girls this year, at games and in the community. Read more about it here:
Here are my initial thoughts:
- Yes! Wonderful idea. This makes it feel more like a big-league game. My life just got a little bit better.
- Now I’m REALLY looking forward to sitting in the Hot Corner.
- Wait, I wonder if I could apply. Doesn’t really say that dudes are excluded. Oh, I have no softball experience. Darn. I have a softball in my trunk, though. I’ll have my kids throw it to me to give me experience.
- Dan, you’ve played softball before, right? We should apply. It’s probably the best chance I’ll ever have of getting on the field during a professional baseball game. We meet all the requirements. There’s no way they turn us down!
🙂
It’s all good!
@Kram209
Not-so Quick Stab at the 2013 IronPigs Roster
Yesterday on Twitter and Sulia I took a quick stab at the roster again, with the news that old friend Rodrigo Lopez had been signed to a minor league deal. I think we can expect to see him hold down a spot in the IronPigs rotation and contribute some veteran leadership there. He should be able to eat up some innings for the early part of the season until things shake out for the youngsters. It was pointed out that his age may be a problem and that his ERA was 5.++ last year for the Cubs and AAA Iowa. It was also pointed out (thanks, Decal) that he pitched very very well with Gwinnett two years ago for our new manager Dave Brundage. His only loss prior to going to the Cubs was to the IronPigs.
I’ve considered the roster a little more over the last 24 hours. Enough to generate 1200+ words! However, I think I’ve got to look again at the Philadelphia 25 before I can fine tune my stab. Injuries, suspensions, and trades can have an impact here; since I’m not going to predict any more of those, we’ll assume perfect health and behavior.
Phillies:
Catcher (2):
Kratz, Quintero
Discussion: Chooch starts on the suspended list. I’d expect to see Quintero move on and Kratz stick as backup after the first 25 games. The only other possibility is Valle, who is already on the 40-man. I’m just not sure he’s ready.
Starting Infield (4):
Howard, Utley, Rollins, Young
Discussion: Really, after the past two years, can they figure out a way to get Utley’s knees ready for April rather than June? I could really care if he plays in Florida or not. Just get him ready so that the IronPigs don’t have to subsidize the Phillies infield for the first two months.
Starting Outfield (3):
Mayberry, Revere, Brown
Reserve Outfield (1):
Nix
Discussion: There may be a platoon here with Nix. An additional reserve my be involved (see below). Also, can’t completely rule out another trade–or Ruf.
Other Reserves (3): Frandsen, Martinez, Inciarte
Discussion: Frandsen is already on the 40-man, where Orr is not. Galvis is, but I think they’d like to have him start the year playing every day (at AAA) rather than on the bench. In the case of an injury or suspension, Galvis would be up right away and has 40-man status. Martinez is only signed to a minor league deal, but I think they like is ability to back up multiple positions, including CF. Then again, if they’re going to keep Rule-5 guy Inciarte on the roster, perhaps he’s their CF backup (and indeed, Mayberry and Brown can play CF as well.) Personally, I’m not sure Inciarte makes it. He doesn’t seem like he’s advanced enough to warrant a 25-man spot. But, that’s something to watch in Spring Training. He could stick as part of a trade and then get optioned, I guess.
Starting Pitchers (5):
Halladay, Hamels, Lee, Lannan, Kendrick
Relievers (7):
Papelbon, Adams, Aumont, Stutes, Bastardo, Horst, Diekman
Discussion: Really, there could be a number of choices here, most of whom we’re familiar with. The only guy without options is JC Ramirez, which may force a decision there. I’m not sure if he’s pitched well enough to be in demand by other teams, though. I’m also not sure which of these guys fills the “long guy” roll. I would assume, though, if Kendrick’s in the rotation, then the sixth starter will come from the IronPigs: Cloyd probably, with the other starters as possibilities depending upon who’s throwing well and whose turn it is. Pettibone, Martin and Rosenberg are all on the 40-man while Lopez is not (although he’s the most veteran.)
IronPigs:
Catchers (2):
Valle, Suomi
Discussion: I think they start Joseph in Reading and I don’t think they’re confident enough in Valle to let him back up Kratz in Philadelphia. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see any 2-3 of Quintero, Valle, Suomi, Lerud, Joseph with the IronPigs to start–or at any time during the season. Here’s another thing: I don’t want to get into predicting trades, but reportedly, they’ve already tried to trade Valle once (to the Astros, whose pitcher failed his physical). If they want Joseph at AAA, Valle could be moved.
Starting Infield (4):
Overbeck, Hernandez, Galvis, Fields
Discussion: As above, I’m predicting that they want Galvis to play every day to start the season. If this is the way it plays out, we likely won’t have him for long. The first sign of any infield injury with the Phils, and that’ll be it. There was some talk of Galvis trying third base, as well, although I’ve seen nothing official about this.
Starting Outfield (3):
Ruf, Gillies, Jermaine Mitchell
Discussion: Can Gillies get from here to April 4 without getting injured or suspended? Will Ruf earn a spot in Philadelphia? (As with Galvis, I think they’ll want to see him play every day before Charlie will trust him in important spots in Philadelphia) Can Jermaine hold off his brother-from-another-mother(-and father) Derrick for the starting spot? Can he replicate the .731 OPS he put up in the PCL? Will we expect too much from a PCL bat again? What’s going on with Susdorf? Where will Hudson land? A lot of questions here. Stay tuned.
Reserves (4):
Blanco, Orr, Derrick Mitchell, Castro
Discussion: As I said above, it’s only a matter of time before we lose Galvis to Philadelphia–or maybe Ruf. Ruf can back up Overbeck, as can Suomi. Castro has earned this promotion. I would start Susdorf in Reading before Derrick, but you could make the case otherwise. I don’t think Jiwan James has done enough to be in this group.
Starting Pitchers (5):
Cloyd, Pettibone, Martin, Rosenberg, Lopez
Discussion: As I said above, I think this is where additional starters come from for the Phillies. Rosenberg ended the year as more of a starter, so I’ve kept him there–and there aren’t a ton of other options. Further, I don’t think there’s much more to prove at AA for Ethan Martin, but I think Adam Morgan will start there for now.
Relievers (7):
Schwimer, DeFratus, Valdes, Robles, Savery, Ramirez, Friend
Discussion: Schwim and JD start with the ‘Pigs but could be up at any time. Valdes is the odd lefty out, but could switch with Horst or Diekman. As I said, Ramirez may need a change of scenery based on lack of options, but that remains to be seen–I don’t see him making the 25-man. I wonder if Savery gets thrown into a deal with Valle if the Phils have seen enough? Friend has proven himself at Reading and should get a spot. A couple other pen guys could find their way up sooner rather than later as the Reading pen looks to be rather crowded. Zach Miner and Cesar Jimenez are strong possibilities for spots here, too, if Ramirez and Savery move on.
Analysis:
This appears to be a strong team, to me, even with the unknown spots and the possibility of injuries and trades. I see the strengths as fielding and relief pitching, while hitting-for-power and starter depth appear to be possible weaknesses. There aren’t really any starters-in-waiting around. It seems like the Braves of Gwinnett were always rather competitive, so I’d predict that the new manager will not be a hinderance to our success. The biggest note, though, is that this is most likely to be the most “prospect”-laden squad we’ve seen at Coca Cola Park in six years. I count as many as 12/25 as current or very recent prospect-level players. It should be fun to watch!
@Kram209
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