set the channel description: News, notes, and explorations about the Oregon Explorers system
We're shaking up our lineup some to try to get a bit more run production out of our outfield. Juan Lopes (110/217/137 in June; 209/312/345 on the season) will go to AAA. Taking his place will be a highly-regarded prospect, 23 year old Lou O'Slattery (370/440/623 in AA)
I'd also like to find room on the roster for scrap heap signing 1B Steve Horn (289/319/556 in Eugene), but right now there's just not room for him.
The most likely candidate to go down would be DH Jeff Geddes, who was called up when Jon Simpson hurt his knee. Geddes is only hitting 245/330/392 in the majors, but he was scorching the ball at a 647/632/1176 clip before his callup, and he's hit better in June (314/400/529)
I've been wondering if I'm putting too much stock into team chemistry. IF Hisamitsu Ito is on the team because of his leadership (he's the team captain) and his glove. Although he has also managed to hit 345/424/414 in limited duty.
Meanwhile, OF Jim Wilson is languishing in AAA even though he might help with production from the outfield, because he's a clubhouse cancer. (Although Wilson also strikes out too much.)
(Of course the flip side of the chemistry coin is that we won 17 in a row earlier this year.)
In another move to bolster the outfield, we’ve brought in CF Carl Neil from Georgia
The lineup and bench are both getting crowded; I’m counting on team chemistry and (more importantly) winning to keep everybody happy.
The bizarre injury to Alfredo Cabrera leaves a number of questions about the Explorers' rotation heading into the playoffs
Leonardo Mendoza and Nate Simpson will start in the postseason, but after that are question marks.
It's still TBD whether we'll go with a 3- or 4-man rotation for the playoffs. Either way, there are three primary candidates to get starts after Mendoza and Simpson.
Rodrigo Gomez (6/5/9 ratings) moved into the rotation at the end of June. He's 6-3, 4.25 as a starter, but has improved every month.
Christiaan van Meel (8/5/8 ratings) started the year in the rotation, but moved to the bullpen to be a shutdown LHRP after Don Cahill went on the DL. van Meel was 10-8, 4.26 as a starter this year, but has a 1.31 ERA in relief. And if he moves back to the rotation, there is no strong candidate to pitch out of the bullpen from the left side.
Pancho Padilla (8/4/8 ratings) was a mainstay in our rotation for several years, but recently has had more success out of the bullpen. He's got a 2.23 ERA and 10 saves in 60 relief innings this year. His last starts were in 2044, when he went 6-5, 3.62 in 24 games started.
It’s also probably worth nothing that all three will be on the playoff roster either way, so mixing and matching based on matchup is always an option.
The Explorers are excited to announce an international signing of OF prospect Kumanosuke Oishi out of Japan.
It's everybody's favorite time of year: time to talk about spring training position battles!
We'll start with the rotation. As always, I'm going with a 6-man rotation in spring training, even though I will switch between a 4- and 5-man rotation during the season depending on off days
The top two starters are locks. Alfredo Cabrera (RHP; 28; 10/4/6) returns from the hiking injury that forced him to miss the playoffs, and Leonardo Mendoza (LHP; 29; 10/4/7) is steady as always. I expect both pitchers to be stalwarts at the top of the rotation as always.
Meanwhile, longtime starter Nate Simpson (LHP; 34; 3/6/9) is starting to show the effects of age. Scouts report that his pitches in general have straightened out a bit (though he's still above average there) and that his velocity has dropped a bit more. The velocity probably wouldn't be a big issue if not for the fact that he used to live by his excellent changeup, but it's now close enough to his cutter speed that he's not fooling many hitters with it.
Simpson will probably stick in the rotation at least to start the year, but the transition to long relief / emergency starter may not be far off for him.
Rodrigo Gomez (RHP; 30; 6/5/8) has been a steady contributor as a swing man for many seasons. The most likely outcome here is that he throws innings both as a starter and in relief once again this season.
Meanwhile, Christiaan van Meel (LHP; 26; 8/5/8) is trying to move back into the rotation after a move to the bullpen in 2045 after our best option as a LHRP went down. I like van Meel as a starter long-term, so my preference is for him to settle in there.
Finally, Pancho Padilla (RHP; 34; 7/4/8) is trying to move back into the rotation again. He transitioned from starting to relief back in 2041, and has bounced back and forth since then. Most likely, the only way he makes the rotation is if Nate Simpson really stumbles in the spring.
There are a few dark horse starting candidates on the spring roster, but with all of them working out of the bullpen this spring, making the rotation is a longshot. Kevin Brooks (RHP; 30; 6/5/6), Sergio Delgado (LHP; 29; 7/4/5) and Don Ford (RHP; 29; 6/6/5) will try to turn heads in limited opportunities.
The bullpen seems more straightforward. Miguel Angel Núñez (RHP; 30; 10/6/7) returns to the stopper role after his reliever-of-the-year performance in 2045. Ken Crosby (RHP; 26; 10/6/6), and Nate Raines (RHP; 28; 9/7/6) are also near-locks to make the team.
Meanwhile, Steve Hamilton (LHP; 32; 6/6/7) and Haico van Overbeek (LHP; 31; 6/6/7) will compete for the LHRP role until Don Cahill (LHP; 24; 8/5/7) returns from his torn labrum around the all-star break.
I usually go light on pitching, but with the expanded rosters this year, there's a chance I'll carry 11 arms instead of my usual 10. At any rate, several players are all competing for those last 1-2 spots. The most likely candidates are Dan Harris (RHP; 31; 8/5/5) or rookie Kenkichi Inoue (RHP; 22; 8/5/5) Harris is a two-time reliever of the year award winner, although he has struggled in the majors ever since his 2042 elbow injury. Inoue has starting rotation upside, and is the kind of player I like to have spend a year in the bullpen.
Other relievers in camp include Oscar Buizer (RHP; 34; 6/5/9), Dan Martin (RHP; 31; 10/3/6), and Jose Silva (RHP; 30; 5/6/8)
Catcher is straightforward: Sander Mertens (RHB; 26; 8/8/10/5/5) will start, Derek Allen (RHB; 25; 6/7/6/5/7) will back him up, and former starter Luis García (RHB, 30, 5/6/7/4/6) will be in AAA hoping to get his mojo back in case there's an injury on the big league club.
(to be clear: i’ll keep rambling regardless; it helps me sort through the extended roster)
Things start to get trickier in the infield. 3B Frank Baker (RHB; 30; 7/7/8/6/7) just won a gold glove and will start at the hot corner; 1B Dan Jackson (SHB; 8/8/8/6/7) will start, but he's a defensive liability so the preference is that he's the DH.
There are several candidates to start at 1B (assuming Jackson is DH). Longtime incumbent Jon Simpson (LHB; 33; 6/5/7/7/6) is strictly a platoon player at this point, and it remains to be seen how much he has left in the tank. Dennis Christopher (RHB; 33; 8/6/3/6/10) has learned first base while with the club, but he doesn't really have the batter profile I like in a first baseman. Bob Ramsey (RHB; 26; 5/6/6/5/6) needs to develop more, but he's shown some signs of being a late bloomer, so he's on the spring squad.
At second base, Hector Roldan (RHB; 26; 6/7/3/9/6) is fresh off a gold glove and will likely get most of the playing time. Christopher is also available at second base, but he's a defensive liability at this point, so the preference is to limit his exposure at the position.
At shortstop, prospect Anibal Escobido (LHB; 21; 5/7/2/5/4) is getting the spring starts, but he is likely at least a year away. Last season, longtime utility infielder Víctor Martínez (RHB; 28; 6/6/3/3/8) took some playing time away from longtime starter Dave White (RHB; 31; 5/7/4/5/7); they wound up in something of a platoon. White is spending the spring learning as much 2B and 3B as he can, so he's better suited as a utility infielder if the trend continues.
Also on the spring squad in the infield is Hisamitsu Ito (RHB; 31; 4/4/3/5/5). He doesn't have much of a bat, but he's a very good fielder and the team captain, so he is almost certainly going to be on the club. Jim Hankins (RHB; 24; 5/5/3/4/7), on the other hand, is just here for some seasoning, barring a spate of injuries.
The longest shot in the infield, though, is 3B António González (RHB; 30; 5/5/4/6/6). He could see some reserve time if Baker goes down for an extended stint, but most likely I'd fill in from other infielders first.
With fourteen outfielders in camp, I could field a full team just with these guys if I didn't care about D. Obviously, there will be some heavy culling going on, likely starting between the two ST sims.
We'll start with the guys who will make the club. Álex Luna (RHB; 25; 7/7/7/5/7) will likely start in LF, although he's also solid in RF. Carl Neil (RHB; 27; 7/7/6/3/9) came over in a trade last year to play CF. He may stick there, but he's cross-training in RF as well. Yunosuke Yamane (LHB; 24; 5/8/6/5/5) is the club's best defensive CF by a wide margin, and will make the team (though hopefully as a reserve).
LF Ken McCarthy (RHB; 31; 6/7/6/4/7) came in last season to platoon in the outfield. He's likely to make the squad again in that capacity, though it's not a lock. RF Dave Hines (RHB; 28; 6/7/7/5/7) is cross-training a bit in LF and CF to improve his versatility. RF Jeff Geddes (LHB; 26; 5/6/9/6/5) brings great power, especially vs. RHP, but he's a statue in either outfield corner. If Jackson winds up playing 1B, Geddes is the likely DH (perhaps in a platoon). But if Jackson is DH, Geddes might not even make the team. RF Lou O'Slattery (LHB; 22; 6/8/6/3/6) is trying to learn CF this spring. He might make the team even if he can't pick it up.
LF Juan Lópes (LHB; 28; 5/6/7/6/7) had some good years in seasons past, but he's struggled the last two years and at this point has been passed on the depth chart by newer acquisitions. LF Jim Wilson (LHB; 25; 5/7/6/8/3) is running out of chances to fix his strikeout problem and his attitude problem. CF José Aguilar (RHB; 36; 4/6/4/5/6) is trying to come back from a major injury last year, but he looks pretty cooked at this point. CF Quentin Waycott (RHB; 26; 5/7/5/5/6) is a bit of a dark horse to make the club since he can play all over the infield and outfield. RF Ken Mann (RHB; 32; 5/6/7/5/7) has probably been passed on the depth chart. RF Chris McCormick (RHB; 24; 5/8/6/6/7) isn't quite ready to crack the roster, but he's knocking on the door. And RF José Mendoza (LHB; 20; 5/8/5/6/5) is with the team for seasoning but is also likely a year away.
This is both a younger and a deeper team than I thought. Some guys like Geddes have been lurking around the roster fringes forever; it's easy to forget that he's still just 26. Looking at the lineup, there are only a couple of likely contributors above 30, so hopefully we won't see big declines in productivity (and maybe even some young guys taking a step)
With the pitchers, Nate Simpson's apparent decline is going to be tough, but I can probably piece a rotation together as long as we don't get weird fluke injuries like the hiking accident.
The first round of cuts are here! Heading to the minor-league camp are:
• SP Kevin Brooks
• RP Oscar Buizer
• RP José Silva
• 3B António González
• SS Jim Hankins
• LF Jim Wilson
• CF José Aguilar
• RF Ken Mann
Additionally, 1B/2B Dennis Christopher sustained a minor injury throwing the ball. It looks like he'll be ready in time for opening day, so for now he's not going on the DL.
Dennis Christopher has suffered a setback in his recovery and will begin the season on the IL. Also starting on the IL will be Dan Jackson, who suffered a day-to-day injury in ST, but it is lingering, and I don’t want to risk long-term injury to him.
Longtime Explorers SP Nate Simpson has retired. He had shown some signs of slowing down in 2045, with a significantly lower strikeout rate than his historical average. Still, he started the season in the rotation this year but struggled through three starts before being sent to AAA. He wasn’t really able to right the ship in Eugene, either, and he called it a career on October 6. https://afblbaseball.com/reports/news/html/players/player_6194.html
Simpson finishes his career with a 155-138 record, career 3.56 ERA, and 52.2 WAR.
He was an all-star three times (2040, 2042, and 2044), and won a gold glove in 2039.
Once again, the Oregon Explorers are mired right around .500 as we get about a quarter of the way into the season (20-23 this year).
Last season, the biggest issue was the bullpen. This year, the bullpen is performing better, but the starting rotation has regressed a little. But the biggest issue is that we’re just not hitting.
In an effort to get things moving, I’m abandoning the offense/defense platoons I’d been using and focusing on a balance of offense and D from the infield…. this means Dan Jackson moves back to DH and Dennis Christopher is being sent to AAA to work out his swing. If he shows he can still hit for average, he’s got a shot to play 1B for us.
In the meantime, Jon Simpson comes back to the big club, and will platoon with Bob Ramsey at 1B.
in the outfield, we’re going to give up a little bit of defense and have a lineup of Luna - O’Slattery - Neil from left to right. TBD if O’Slattery can be okay enough in CF with his 6 range (and with Yamane working as a defensive sub). If Conner Mendelson were hitting like he did last year, I’d be comfortable with him in CF full time, but this season he’s hitting more like his 6 rating in contact (rather than his 8 potential there). So he was sent to AAA to learn LF and hopefully become more useful as a reserve.
June will be a telling month for the team. If they can get to, say, 3 to 5 games above .500, that will tell me they can compete this year. If they founder or regress, it’s probably a sign that some older guys should be flipped while they still have value.
The hard thing will be if they improve slightly, but don’t really make ground.
Frank Baker (290/352/547) and Leonardo Mendoza (8-5, 3.01) are the most-likely candidates on the Explorers to be voted onto the all star team
Leading candidates in the outfield Lou O’Slattery (342/382/588) and Carl Neil (343/367/503) will have to hope to be selected as reserves, as neither appears on the ballot.
The club is also announcing a few roster moves:
- Catching prospect Jim McCoy appears ready for the show, so he will come to the big club to serve as backup catcher. Current reserve Derek Allen will be demoted to make room.
- Platoon 1B Bob Ramsey will be demoted. Replacing him is utility player Quentin Waycott, who offers significant defensive/reserve versatility.
- LF Ken McCarthy will be demoted to make room for an outfield reserve who plays better defense. OF Conner Mendelson will replace him.
