Month: June 2020 Page 2 of 3

Spring Training Preview: Miami

On June 20, 2020

In 2000 Spring Training, Team News

The final 2 rotation slots are likely to be pulled from Don Newcombe, Ramon Martinez, and Livan Hernandez, but both Jose Mendez and Eustaquio Pedroso have outside shots as well.
- Rube Waddell has been excellent, but neither Camilo Pascual nor Tommy Bridges as good as expected. As such, there are a lot of open slots. Pedroso has seized 1 of them with some great performances, and Mendez has an edge on the other, while Hernandez has been pretty awful.
  - Hernandez has pitched himself back to AAA, while the front of the rotation has solidifed as Waddell, Pedroso, Martinez, and Bridges.
  - That leaves Willis, Pascual, Newcombe, and Mendez competing for the final rotation spot.
In the bullpen, while Aroldis Chapman and Bill Landrum are solid, and Tony Fossas can succeed in a situational role, doubts exist about Dalier Hinojosa and Ed Bauta especially.
- Unfortunately, Fossas, Bauta, and Sandy Consuegra have had a rough go of it. Miami has recalled Ryota Igarashi, Dontrelle Willis, and Alex Colome to help find some bullpen solutions to get to Chapman and Landrum.
  - Both Bauta and Hinjosa have solidified their roster spots, if not their exact roles, while Fossas has moved to AAA. Igarashi could join him, but deserves another couple of appearances.
2B, 3B, and SS are all up for grabs: Cookie Rojas and Paul Molitor are neck-and-neck at 2B; Evan Longoria, Manny Machado, and Gary Sheffield at 3B; and Robin Yount and Chico Fernandez at SS.
- Molitor is on the verge of playing himself out of the league behind Rojas (which would clearly open a role for Dihigo, but he hasn’t hit a lick either). But he’s doing better than Longoria, who is literally hitless so far, at the bottom of a muddled pile at 3B, led by the surprising Willie Kamm.
  - Molitor and Longoria were both sent to AAA to work it out, with Tito Fuentes getting a shot in major league camp.
- Yount has taken control at SS, so there’s that, at least.
In the OF, the talents of Alejandro Oms and Martin Dihigo are undeniable, but there are questions about whether they are ready for the WBL.
- The OF is still crowded, with Jose Cardenal, Ryan Braun, and Eddie Milner all arguing for playing time and Ozzie Canseco being sent to AAA.
  - Oms and Dihigo don’t have to hit much to earn a roster spot due to their versatility and glovework. Milner and Braun, however, are on the bubble.
  - Tony Gonzalez has forced himself into the conversation, and perhaps even into a starting role.
C is now an issue as well, as both John Munyan and Alan Ashby are performing on par with expected starter Charlie Bennett.
- The trio continues to be indistinguishable–if that continues, Bennett will start due to his defense, and a coin flip will pick his backup.
- At 1B, Joe Adcock and Yonder Alonso are pounding the ball, leaving Edwin Encarnacion‘s roster spot in doubt.

	Near Definite	Likely	Possible	Long Shot
Starting Pitchers	Rube Waddell Eustaquio Pedroso	Ramon Martinez Tommy Bridges	Jose Mendez Camilo Pascual Don Newcombe Dontrelle Willis
Middle Relievers			Alex Colome Ed Bauta Sandy Consuegra	Ryota Igarashi
Setup		Dalier Hinojosa Bill Landrum
Closer	Aroldis Chapman
C			Charlie Bennett John Munyan Alan Ashby
1B		Joe Adcock Yonder Alonso		Edwin Encarnacion
2B		Cookie Rojas	Martin Dihigo	Tito Fuentes
3B		Willie Kamm	Manny Machado Gary Sheffield
SS		Robin Yount	Chico Fernandez
OF	Jose Canseco	Jose Cardenal	Tony Gonzalez Tommie Agee Yasiel Puig Sandy Amoros Alejandro Oms	Ryan Braun Eddie Milner

Spring Training Preview: Ottawa

By mknn

On June 20, 2020

In Team News

The starting rotation is set, but the bullpen is still up in the air. Questions abound about Karl Spooner as a closer, and the group of Greg Holland, Ryan Dempster, and Chris Leroux needs to sort itself out.
- Old Hoss Radbourn and Roy Halladay have struggled, opening some room in the rotation behind Gary Peters, Clark Griffith, and Bob Brown. Randy Johnson looks the most likely to take advantage.
  - Peters, Griffith, and Brown seem set, but the Mounties still need to sort out the final 3 slots. Johnson’s talent is undeniable, but he and Felix Hernandez have been hit quite hard, leaving Halladay, Dempster, and Radbourn in the lead.
- Spooner, Leroux, and Scott Diamond have struggled mightily, throwing the bullpen into a bit of chaos. Holland and Ted Bowsfield have been excellent.
  - It just got worse, to the point where Diamond, Leroux, and Spooner were all sent down to AAA. Monk Dubiel and Tom Henke were recalled.
  - Bowsfield is the closer, with Gary Lavelle and Steve Howe in front of him.
1B is a bit of a logjam, with John Olerud leading the way, but being pushed by John Mayberry, Carlos Delgado, and Roy Sievers.
- The best performer at 1B has been Steve Garvey, who is really more of a 3B at this point in his career. Beyond that, the logjam remains even more closely packed as Olerud and Sievers have both had problems.
  - Garvey and Delgado are doing well, with Mayberry and Sievers heading to AAA.
Tim Raines may be the best option at 2B, but he’s not long for the infield, and Roberto Alomar, Bernie Allen, and George Cutshaw aren’t far behind Raines.
At 3B, Josh Donaldson and Anthony Rendon are clearly both on the roster, but the starer is yet to be determined. Same thing at SS with Freddy Parent and Alex Rodriguez.
- Parent is ahead of A-Rod at the moment. Henry Easterday has been added to the roster for some flexibility, but has little chance of making the final roster.
The OF is totally open: Brant Alyea and Jackie Jensen look solid, but behind them George Van Haltren, Larry Walker, Phil Bradley, Rick Monday, and Terry Puhl haven’t really separated themselves from each other, and Ken Griffey, Jr. has a shot as well.
- Ah, Spring. Alyea and Jensen have been the worst of the lot, with Puhl, Bradley, and Monday leading the way.
  - Alyea, Van Haltren, and Jensen would all start at AAA if the season started now.
Kirt Manwaring is great defensively, but given he has yet to get a single hit, he’s not likely to make the opening day roster.

	Near Definite	Likely	Possible	Long Shot
Starting Pitchers		Clark Griffith Gary Peters Bob Brown	Old Hoss Radbourn Roy Halladay Ryan Dempster	Randy Johnson Feliz Hernandez
Middle Relievers		Greg Holland Reggie Cleveland		Tom Henke Monk Dubiel
Setup		Gary Lavelle Steve Howe
Closer		Ted Bowsfield
C		Gary Carter	Emil Gross	Kirt Manwaring
1B		Carlos Delgado John Olerud
2B		Tim Raines George Cutshaw	Bernie Allen Roberto Alomar
3B		Josh Donaldson Anthony Rendon	Steve Garvey
SS		Freddy Parent Alex Rodriguez		Henry Easterday
OF	Phil Bradley Terry Puhl	Ken Griffey, Jr. Larry Walker Rick Monday		Brant Alyea Jackie Jensen George Van Haltren

Spring Training Preview: Houston

By mknn

On June 20, 2020

In 2000 Spring Training, Team News

There’s a lot to sort out here starting with the starting rotation, where the final 2 slots will go to someone from the group of Dock Ellis, Stubby Overmire, Bret Saberhagen, and Leon Day.
- Saberhagen is leading the way in this group, and Scott Erickson has forced himself into the conversation as well. Day and Overmire are most likely to miss the roster cut based on performances so far.
  - Day has been horrible, earning a trip to AAA, along with Overmire.
  - The rotation is still a bit up for grabs. Stephen Strasbourg, Roy Oswalt, Ice Box Chamberlain, and Toad Ramsey are likely in, leaving Saberhagen, Ellis, and Erickson vying for the final spot and the long relief roles.
The bullpen is a bit more settled: Brad Lidge is set as the closer, but Spring performances will determine the exact roles for Trevor Hoffman, Tug McGraw, Mark Melancon, and Billy Wagner.
- Melancon, Hoffman, and Andrew Chafin have been great, while Wagner has been hit extraordinarily hard.
  - Wagner and Dan Quisenberry are both on the verge of heading to AAA.
On the infield, only SS is set with Carlos Correa. Paul Goldschmidt and Jeff Bagwell are vying to start at 1B, DJ LeMahieu, Craig Biggio, and HR Johnson are in the mix at 2B, and George Brett, Morgan Ensberg, and Aramis Ramirez all have shot to start at 3B.
- At 1B, Andres Galarraga has been the best of the bunch by a fair measure, with both Bagwell and especially Goldschmidt struggling.
  - Right now, there’s nothing to choose between Galarraga, Bagwell, and Goldschmidt.
- Johnson’s forcing himself into the conversation somewhere as well, especially given Correa’s struggles at SS.
  - This is still true: Johnson is hitting everything thrown to him. The end result of this is Shawon Dunston likely not making the opening day roster.
  - 3B is pretty much settled: Brett is pounding the ball and both Ramirez and Ensberg are struggling.
The OF isn’t much clearer: the group of Luis Gonzalez, Larry Hisle, Gorman Thomas, and Casey Stengel look to have a slight edge, but any of Lance Berkman, Pete Hill, Felipe Alou, Jim Wynn, and Tony Gwynn could earn a starting position.
- Wynn, Gwynn, and Stengel have been the standouts so far, with Wynn being perhaps Houston’s best hitter through 10 games. Hill, and especially Hisle, have struggled, with Hisle being sent to AAA in an effort to clear some roster space.
  - Alou and Hill are both struggling, and seem unlikely to make the roster. Hisle has been recalled, along with Lance Blankenship.

	Near Definite	Likely	Possible	Long Shot
Starting Pitchers		Toad Ramsey Roy Oswalt Stephen Strasbourg Ice Box Chamberlain	Scott Erickson Dock Ellis Bret Saberhagen
Middle Relievers			Mike Hartley Tug McGraw Andrew Chafin	Dan Quisenberry Billy Wagner
Setup		Tervor Hoffman Mark Melancon
Closer	Brad Lidge
C	Jim O'Rourke	Jorge Posada
1B			Jeff Bagwell Paul Goldschmidt Andres Galarraga
2B		HR Johnson	Craig Biggio DJ LeMahieu	Lance Blankenship
3B	George Brett		Morgan Ensberg Aramis Ramirez
SS		Carlos Correa		Shawon Dunston
OF		Casey Stengel Jim Wynn Tony Gwynn	Luis Gonzalez Gorman Thomas Lance Berkman	Pete Hill Felipe Alou Larry Hisle

Spring Training Preview: Philadelphia

By mknn

On June 19, 2020

In 2000 Spring Training, Team News

The rotation is a little unsettled: Cole Hamels has rocketed up the depth chart, and while Ray Collins and Jack Katoll are highly rated by the internal scouting department, room may need to be made for some mixture of Steve Carlton, Robin Roberts, or Pete Alexander.
- The unsettled nature of the rotation has resolved a little, both ways. Collins and Katoll have been solid, and Roberts has been excellent. Monte Ward and Jack Easton have made a case for a role as well. Carlton, Hamels, Edwin Jackson, and Moose are probably out of the picture, with Hamels being sent down to AAA.
  - The top 3 slots are still filled, but little has clarified beyond that. Or, at least, little for the good: Kelleher, Jackson, and Moose were all sent to AAA. That leaves Larry Jackson (who has pitched well enough to deserve a start), Ward, Alexander, Easton, and Carlton fighting over the final 2 slots.
The relief roles are similarly up for grabs: the only job that seems set is Jack Meyer to eat some innings. Other than that, somewhere between Jerry Blevins, Hal Kelleher, Bob Moose, Brad Kilby, Ron Reed, Larry Jackson, and Bob Howry, some hierarchy needs to emerge.
- Reed, Meyer, and Howry have been quite good; Blevins, Kelleher, and Kilby quite bad. So somethings have emerged.
  - Howry will close, setup by Reed. Claude Jonnard and Rheal Cormier were recalled.
The starters at C (Mike Scioscia or Sherm Lollar), 1B (Ted Kluszewski or Cecil Cooper), and 2B (Chase Utley or Juan Samuel) are up in the air, but the roster talent is pretty set.
- Kluszewski and Utley have edged ahead in their respective contests.
  - Lollar is well ahead of Scioscia at this point.
It’s not clear if both Riggs Stephenson and Bobby Abreu will make the team, but 1 should.
- It could be hard for Abreu and Stephenson: they are behind 5 players who are having great Springs (Gavvy Cravath, Buck Freeman, Sherry Magee, George Hendrick, and Rico Carty) and well ahead of Dusty Baker, Willie Davis, and Richie Ashburn, who are all scuffling.
  - Ashburn has moved to AAA.
Scott Rolen is pressuring Mike Schmidt for the starting job at 3B. He and Al Smith have both moved ahead of Jose Ramirez.
- Ramirez has moved to AAA, and the Stars are still waiting for Schmidt to start hitting.
Mickey Doolin‘s injury has opened the door for both Roger Peckinpaugh and Pat Meares (called up from AAA) to compete for the starting job. Veteran Larry Bowa has also been added to the Spring roster.
- Right now, it’s Peckinpaugh. But they’ve all been pretty miserable: Gene Demontreville has been recalled until Doolin is back, and could even force himself into the conversation.

	Near Definite	Likely	Possible	Long Shot
Starting Pitchers		Ray Collins Jack Katoll Robin Roberts	Jack Easton Monte Ward Steve Carlton Pete Alexander Larry Jackson
Middle Relievers			Jerry Blevins Brad Kilby	Claude Jonnard Rheal Cormier
Setup		Ron Reed Jack Meyer
Closer		Bob Howry
C		Sherm Lollar	Mike Scioscia	Butch Wynegar
1B		Ted Kluszewski	Cecil Cooper
2B		Chase Utley		Juan Samuel Gene Demontreville
3B		Scott Rolen	Al Smith Mike Schmidt
SS	~~Mickey Doolin~~	Roger Peckinpaugh		Pat Meares Larry Bowa
OF	Gavvy Cravath	Buck Freeman Sherry Magee Rico Carty	George Hendrick Riggs Stephenson Bobby Abreu	Dusty Baker Willie Davis

Spring Training Preview: Indianapolis

By mknn

On June 19, 2020

In 2000 Spring Training, Team News

Barring injury, the starting rotation is set, but there are some unknowns in the bullpen where Norm Charlton, Francisco Cordero, and Lefty James are in contention to make the roster.
- The pitching has been strong, but Tony Mullane has struggled a bit allowing the possibility for one of several contenders to lay claim to the #5 slot. Johnny Cueto, Dolf Luque, and David Price are all yet to allow a run, so we’ll start with those 3.
  - Mullane has been sent to AAA, and Eppa Rixey is now questionable to make the rotation, with Bronson Arroyo, Paul Derringer, Dixie Leveret and Luque joining Cueto and Price in the running.
- Charlton, Octavio Dotel, and Cordero have all struggled in relief, while Clay Carroll has excelled.
  - Cordero and continues to be on the bubble, and the desire to reduce roster size has sent Charlton to AAA.
It’s clear that Johnny Bench and Jake Stenzel will both make the roster, but it’s not clear who will be the starter at C.
- Both have excelled, so still not clear. Ernie Lombardi has been recalled for depth.
  - Lombardi is also hitting very well: at this point, they’d like to keep all 3 on the opening day roster.
Joe Morgan and Miller Huggins are in competition at 2B, as are Piggy Ward and Ed Charles at 3B.
- Huggins and Morgan are still neck and neck. Given Menke’s ability to fill in at 2B, Lonny Frey is heading back to AAA.
SS is a mess: Dennis Menke and Jhonny Peralta have the edge to start, but a great Spring by either Barry Larkin or Dave Concepcion could leapfrog them.
- Menke and Concepcion lead this race, but nothing is settled yet.
Oscar Charleston looks like the real deal, but the OF is crowded. Performances this Spring should shed some light on how the team differentiates between Charlie Hemphill, Edd Roush, Pete Rose, Bob Bescher, George Foster, and Willie Montanez.
- Charleston has yet to show much of anything, and only Edd Roush is performing worse of the OFers. But only Rose has made enough noise to join Dave Henderson as a likely starter.
  - Charleston has improved dramatically, but other than Roush continuing to struggle and Rose leading the way, little is clear here.
- Montanez has been moved to AAA to clear some OF room (especially with Hemphill about to return from a few days off), and Chase Headley has been recalled to add some depth at 3B.
  - Headley has been very impressive, and is arguing for a roster spot.

	Near Definite	Likely	Possible	Long Shot
Starting Pitchers	Virgil Trucks Red Faber Willie Mitchell		Eppa Rixey Johnny Cueto Dolf Luque Paul Derringer David Price Dixie Leveret Bronson Arroyo
Middle Relievers			Octavio Dotel Lefty James Francisco Cordero
Setup		Rob Murphy Clay Carroll
Closer	Rob Dibble
C		Johnny Bench Jake Stenzel	Ernie Lombardi
1B		Joey Votto Hal Morris
2B		Joe Morgan Miller Huggins
3B		Piggy Ward Ed Charles	Chase Headley
SS		Dennis Menke Dave Concepcion		Barry Larkin Jhonny Peralta
OF	Pete Rose	Dave Henderson Bob Bescher Oscar Charleston	Edd Roush George Foster Charlie Hemphill Danny Hoffman

Spring Training Preview: House of David

By mknn

On June 19, 2020

In 2000 Spring Training, Team News

The pitching staff is relatively set, although there is competition between Nick Altrock, Lynn Brenton, Wade Miley, and Lee Smith for some bullpen roles.
- Rick Reuschel has been poor and Frank Sullivan, Bob Rush, Fergie Jenkins, and Jack Taylor have been no better than acceptable. So the rotation, other than C.C. Sabathia, is a lot more open now. Altrock has been quite good and should get a shot, as will Kerry Wood, who was called up when Pedro Strop went down injured.
  - Sabathia, Altrock, and Miley seem to have settled rotation spots, with Jenkins and Sullivan a little ahead of Taylor and Rush. Reuschel has been sent to AAA with 15 year old Joe Nuxhall recalled to get a taste of big league camp.
- In the bullpen, Jeff Heathcock, Brenton, and Smith have all suffered, while Joakim Soria and Bruce Sutter have moved up the depth chart.
  - The back 3 of Sutter, Soria, and Tom Niedenfuer has been spectacular. Heathcock, Wood, and Smith are all in danger of missing the opening day roster at this point. Brenton has been sent to AAA with Dick Tidrow and Hector Rondon being called into camp.
C is pretty wide open, with Gabby Hartnett and Elrod Hendricks competing for the starting job. Frank Chance could force himself into the picture as well, although it is doubtful his future is behind the plate.
- So far, Hendricks has been crushing the ball, while Hartnett is yet to really get going.
Anthony Rizzo, Mark Grace, and Dave Altizer are in open competition at 1B, as are Dick Lundy and Ernie Banks at SS.
- Banks has moved well ahead of Lundy at SS.
- Altizer and Cap Anson are struggling mightily to contribute, and may miss the roster.
Dan Ford, Danny Green, or Sammy Sosa need a great Spring to force themselves into the OF picture.
- The Philadelphia OF has been on fire all Spring, but Ford is certainly in the conversation, and Green has played himself back to AAA.
  - Patsy Dougherty is struggling, but overall this group is smashing the ball. Olaf Henriksen has been recalled for some more OF flexibility.
Robinson Cano and Frank Grant have been crushing the ball at 2B, casting doubts on Ryne Sandberg as the starter. Similarly, Richie Hebner and Jung Ho Kang are outperforming Ron Santo at 3B.
- Competition at 2B has tightened up between the 3 of them.
- Kang has gone ice cold, earning himself a trip to AAA.

	Near Definite	Likely	Possible	Long Shot
Starting Pitchers	CC Sabathia	Nick Altrock Wade Miley	Ferguson Jenkins Bob Rush Frank Sullivan Jack Taylor	Kerry Wood
Middle Relievers			Lee Smith Jeff Heathcock	~~Pedro Stroup~~ Hector Rondon Dick Tidrow Joe Nuxhall
Setup	Joakim Soria Bruce Sutter
Closer	Tom Niedenfuer
C		Gabby Hartnett Elrod Hendricks	Frank Chance
1B		Anthony Rizzo Mark Grace		Dave Altizer Cap Anson
2B			Ryne Sandberg Robinson Cano Frank Grant
3B		Ron Santo Richie Hebner
SS		Ernie Banks	Dick Lundy
OF		Patsy Dougherty George Gore Bobby Bonds Jerry Mumphrey Dan Ford	George Stone	Sammy Sosa Olaf Henriksen

Spring Training Preview: Portland

By mknn

On June 19, 2020

In 2000 Spring Training, Team News

The final rotation spot should come down to Bert Blyleven, Atlee Hammaker, and Wade Miller.
- While Walter Johnson has struggled a bit, he, Dizzy Trout, and Smokey Joe Wood are still in the front of the rotation. Pascual Perez, however, may lose his spot, with Miller, Blyleven, Hammaker, and Jerry Koosman all in the mix.
  - Portland’s SP continues to be quite strong, with the biggest surprise being Johnson’s continued struggles. Right now, Koosman, Wood, Miller, and Mike Cuellar would join him in the rotation, but Miller and Cuellar are under pressure form Trout, Perez, and Blyleven and even Fontenot could make an argument. Hammaker’s ERA is nearly 8, but his secondary stats are good, so he’s still in the mix as well.
The most likely bullpen competition will be between Elmer Brown and Ray Fontenot.
- Randy Myers has struggled, but is still the leading candidate to close. Jim Kern, Brown, Johan Santana, and Frank Williams have all been excellent, while Fontenot has probably pitched himself out of contention.
  - Myers–assumed to be the closer–is on his way to AAA with Santana likely to take over. Kern and Brown will be the setup arms.
C is wide open, with 2 of Joe Mauer, Devin Mesoraco, and Ivan Rodriguez making the opening day roster.
- Rodriguez has had an excellent Spring, with Mauer close behind.
  - It’s still up in the air, with Mauer looking the likely starter at this point.
Buddy Bell has a shot at unseating Adrian Beltre at 3B, but it’s a longshot.
- Beltre has done very little, allowing not just Bell but also Harmon Killebrew to move into the mix. Greg Litton, who can fill in at 3B, SS, and 2B has been called up as well.
  - Litton is pounding the ball, which is unlikely to continue, but it does put Connie Ryan‘s roster spot in jeopardy.
  - Beltre has slipped behind both Bell and Killebrew, to the point where he has been moved to AAA to try to gain some clarity.
1 of Don Baylor, Marty Cordova, and Kiki Cuyler is likely to make the roster, with either Gary Pettis or Kirby Puckett potentially forcing their way into the conversation with a stellar Spring.
- Cordova has been great, Pettis has not, and there’s not much else to go on after 10 games.
  - Pettis, George Browne, and Baylor look likely to move to AAA unless they catch fire. Ruben Sierra has been recalled.
1B has become crowded. The favorite, Gil Hodges, has been fine, but Rafael Palmiero and Kent Hrbek have been outstanding. Similarly, Hughie Jennings has closed the gap with Jim Fregosi at SS.
- 1B is still a logjam. Hodges and Hrbek are pounding the ball, and Palmiero and Killebrew are just a hair behind them.
- Jennings has gone ice cold while Fregosi has been on fire, moving into the lead at SS.

	Near Definite	Likely	Possible	Long Shot
Starting Pitchers	Walter Johnson Smokey Joe Wood	Jerry Koosman Mike Cuellar Wade Miller	Dizzy Trout Bert Blyleven Atlee Hammaker Pascual Perez	Ray Fontenot
Middle Relievers			Frank Williams Bob Porterfield
Setup		Jim Kern Elmer Brown
Closer		Johan Santana
C		Joe Maurer	Ivan Rodriguez Devin Mesoraco
1B		Kent Hrbek Gil Hodges	Rafael Palmiero
2B		Fred Dunlap	Greg Litton	Connie Ryan
3B			Buddy Bell Harmon Killebrew
SS		Jim Fregosi	Hughie Jennings
OF	Bobby Murcer	Jeff Burroughs Harry Hooper Kirby Puckett	Marty Cordova Kiki Cuyler	George Browne Gary Pettis Ruben Sierra Don Baylor

Spring Training Preview: Kansas City

By mknn

On June 19, 2020

In 2000 Spring Training, Team News

Kansas City is more “set” than most of the teams in the league, with only a few positions up for grabs, beginning with the 5th starter, who should come from the group of Joe Blong, Frank Castillo, and Luke Hamlin.
- Bob Gibson has struggled, but is still slotted to make the rotation. Blong has probably pitched himself out of the picture, with Castillo and Rube Marquard most likely to get the 5th spot.
  - This whole thing is rough now. The best SP have been Marquard, Andy Petite, Jock Menefee, and Castillo. Gibson’s stuff is apparent, and probably gives him a slot. But it’s really unclear who between Menefee, Castillo, Rijo, Hamlin, and Connie Johnson get the final 2 slots.
  - That situation moves Adam Wainwright into a long relief role, and sends Blong to AAA.
- Unexpectedly, Craig Kimbrel has struggled as the closer (3 saves, 2 losses, an ERA over 10 in 5 games), with both Jeff Pfeffer and Trevor Rosenthal making arguments for consideration for the role. Charlie Comiskey has been recalled from AAA as well.
  - It looks like closing will be split between Pfeffer and Rosenthal in the short term while Kimbrel tries to get back on track.
  - Jeremy Bonderman heads to AAA as well, with Todd Worrell coming in as middle/long relief.
After that, it’s really a matter of which reserve IFs are kept–the odds are one of Rex Hudler, Ozzie Smith, or Gene Freese start in the minors.
- This looks to be Hudler, as Freese is having a great Spring and Smith, whose glove compensates for a lot, is actually out-performing Jack Rowe at SS. The situation is complicated by Frankie Frisch‘s early struggles.
  - Freese is emerging as the leading candidate to start at 3B, while there is little to differentiate between Smith and Rowe still.
  - Ken Oberkfell has been recalled, as has Jim Bottomley.
Similarly, the final OF slot (perhaps, 2 slots) is unknown, with the competition between Lou Brock, Ducky Medwick, Willie McGee with Cool Papa Bell (due to his speed) and Mark DeRosa (due to his defensive flexibility) having outside shots as well.
- Stan Musial is yet to get going, but retains his likely starting spot. However, Steve Evans, Medwick, and Jim Edmonds are both struggling profoundly, with Edmonds being jettisoned to AAA.
  - The fact that Musial is hitting surprises noone, the fact that Fielder Jones continues to smash the ball is. Brock looks to be a solid bet for the roster, which may move both Medwick and Evens to AAA when all is said and done.
- The biggest question here is whether a team really need both Brock and Bell, especially with McGee playing fantastically?
Salvador Perez can’t stop hitting and Ted Simmons can’t start, throwing plans at C into turmoil.
- This is still true.

	Near Definite	Likely	Possible	Long Shot
Starting Pitchers	Andy Petite Rube Marquard	Bob Gibson	Connie Johnson Jose Rijo Luke Hamlin Jock Menafee Frank Castillo	Adam Wainwright
Middle Relievers		Craig Kimbrel	Charlie Comiskey	Todd Worrell
Setup		Adam Russell Frank DiPino
Closer		Trever Rosenthal Jeff Pfeffer
C			Ted Simmons Salvador Perez Lew Brown
1B	Boog Powell		Andre Thornton	Jim Bottomley
2B	Rogers Hornsby			Rex Hudler
3B		Gene Freese	Frankie Frisch	Ken Oberkfell
SS		Jack Rowe Ozzie Smith
OF	Albert Pujols Fielder Jones Stan Musial	Willie McGee Lou Brock	Steve Evans Ducky Medwick	Mark DeRosa Cool Papa Bell

Spring Training Preview: Los Angeles

By mknn

On June 19, 2020

In Team News

The 5th starter role is up for grabs between Mike Smith, Brett Anderson, and Nolan Ryan. Smith may have an edge, as he could be a useful OF as well.
- Harry Howell has been decidedly average and Gerrit Cole worse, making the rotation more open than expected. Chuck Finley and Tom Seaver join Ryan in the mix (Anderson and Smith have both eliminated themselves from serious contention).
  - Cole has recovered a bit, and he, Howell, and Pud Galvin look solid behind ace Doc Gooden. Smith, Ryan, Anderson, Seaver, and Finley all deserve another start or 2 to see how it shakes out (Anderson has gone to AAA).
The 2 pitchers that don’t make the rotations should still make the team, with the competition between Aaron Heilman and Jonny Venters determining the rest of the staff.
- In the bullpen, Venters, Jeurys Familia, and Larry Anderson are excelling, with Heilman, Dave LaRoche, and Darren Holmes solid in the middle innings.
John Stearns could be unseated at C, but it’s more likely he remains the starter with the Spring determining whether Ron Hassey or Jim Stephens emerges as the backup.
- Stephens and Brian Downing are playing the best, with Hassey demoted to AAA.
  - Stearns has gone from presumptive starter to in danger of not making the roster.
Both 3B and SS are open competitions with Tim Wallach and Doug Rader competing for the former and George Wright, Andrelton Simmons, and Kevin Elster for the latter.
- Both are still open, but for different reasons: Wright and Rader are both playing well (and David Wright has been called up to give another option at 3B), but none of the SS’s are doing much. Forced to pick, Simmons is in the lead right now.
  - Elster is clearly trailing the other 2 options at SS.
The OF is crowded, with only 2-3 of Kal Daniels, Elmer Valo, Jeromy Burnitz, Norm Miller, and Rusty Staub likely to make the final roster.
- Both Valo and Staub are knocking the cover off the ball, while Burnitz and Miller are having a hard time of it.
  - Carlos Beltran is at the bottom of the OF list, but he’s not performing horribly, so there are decisions to make here.
Wally Joyner has been recalled to add some depth in the 1B competition.

	Near Definite	Likely	Possible	Long Shot
Starting Pitchers	Doc Gooden	Pud Galvin Harry Howell Gerrit Cole	Chuck Finley Tom Seaver Nolan Ryan Mike Smith Brett Anderson
Middle Relievers		Dave LaRoche Aaron Heilman Darren Holmes
Setup		Jeurys Familia Larry Anderson Jonny Venters
Closer	Joe Nathan
C		Brian Downing Jim Stephens	John Stearns
1B		Derek Lee High Pockets Kelly		Wally Joyner
2B		Bobby Grich	Mark Ellis
3B		Doug Rader	Tim Wallach	David Wright
SS		Andrelton Simmons George Wright		Kevin Elster
OF	Mike Trout	Don Buford Elmer Valo	Kal Daniels Rusty Staub Jeromy Burnitz Norm Miller	Carlos Beltran

Spring Training Preview: Homestead

By mknn

On June 19, 2020

In 2000 Spring Training, Team News

The rotation is pretty much set: it would take a stellar spring for the most likely candidates of Carlos Zambrano, John Candelaria, or Bartolo Colon to break through.
- Best laid plans and all that. Billy Pierce and Babe Adams have both been hit hard, with Pierce especially ineffective. So more SPs are being looked at. Zambrano, Carlson, and Francisco Liriano look to be firmly in the mix.
  - Pierce is off to AAA. Carlson has moved into the starting rotation, joining Zambrano, Corey Kluber, Vean Gregg, and Liriano. Barring a collapse, that’s the starting rotation right there. The question for them then becomes whether Brown, Adams, Colon, and Candelaria are better served in long relief in MLB or starting at AAA.
That said, that trio along with Hal Carlson and Ray Brown have a decent shot at a bullpen role, especially if Frank Linzy or Kent Tekulve struggle.
- Linzy has, but Tekulve–along with closer Josh Lindblom and Michael Jackson–have been excellent.
  - Bill Fischer and Will Thompson are struggling at the back end of the bullpen.
The backup 2B job is up for grabs between Jeff Kent and Phil Garner, as is the starter at 3B, between Chris Sabo and Pedro Feliz.
- At 2B, Kent is pushing Davey Johnson for the starting role, while Garner has yet to show anything of note, although his defensive flexibility is useful.
  - Kent has the clear edge at 2B, while Sabo has moved ahead of Feliz.
The biggest mess is in the OF, where Roberto Clemente and Paul Waner are both guaranteed slots and both strongest at RF. How that plays out, with Rick Reichardt, Tom Brown, Pops Stargell, Andrew McCutcheon, and Max Carey all vying for 3 roster spots, will go a long way to determining the opening day lineups.
- While Waner has done well, Clemente has hit poorly enough to throw his starting position in doubt. Brown, Stargell, and McCutcheon are all excelling.
Josh Gibson is out for a few weeks, prompting Homestead to add Hobie Landrith and Blake Swihart to the roster to support Peaches Graham at C.
- Swihart and Graham would make the roster at this point.
Jay Bell hasn’t shown enough to lock down the backup SS role, so Khalil Greene has been recalled from AAA as a possibility.
- Perhaps most surprisingly, right now Honus Wagner and Andy Van Slyke are likely to start at AAA.

	Near Definite	Likely	Possible	Long Shot
Starting Pitchers		Corey Kluber Carlos Zambrano Vean Gregg Francisco Liriano Hal Carlson		John Candelaria Ray Brown Bartolo Colon Babe Adams
Middle Relievers		Daniel Hudson	Bill Fischer Will Thompson	Frank Linzy
Setup		Michael Jackson Kent Tekulve
Closer		Josh Lindblom
C	~~Josh Gibson~~	Peaches Graham	Blake Swihart	Hobie Landrith
1B	Mike Epstein			Honus Wagner
2B		Davey Johnson	Jeff Kent	Phil Garner
3B		Chris Sabo	Pedro Feliz	Andy Van Slyke
SS	Arky Vaughan		Jay Bell Khalil Greene
OF	~~Goose Goslin~~	Pops Stargell Andrew McCutcheon Tom Brown	Rick Reichardt Paul Waner Roberto Clemente	Max Carey Jack Cust