[Westheim]

2067 PORTLAND RACCOONS – Opening Day Roster (first set in parenthesis shows 2066 stats, second set career stats; players with an * are off season acquisitions;

SP Shoma Nakayama, 29, B:R, T:R (11-12, 3.50 ERA | 21-30, 3.66 ERA) – one of the Raccoons’ annual attempt to find something big in Japan that would at least hold up reasonably well in the ABL, Nakayama has a well-rounded 4-pitch arsenal with a 94mph heater, good stamina, and fine control. While the stuff was not overwhelming, he at least resisted the urge to make another run at leading the league in losses in his second ABL season and remains the Opening Day guy.
SP Nick Walla, 26, B:R, T:R (12-11, 3.78 ERA | 20-21, 3.81 ERA) – young right-hander throwing 94mph with four complementary pitches, but without a great putaway pitch he struggles to put up strikeout numbers and relies a lot on the defense, in the infield and outfield. Nevertheless he looks like a if not great, then at least very reliable pitcher for years to come.
SP Ryan Musgrave *, 35, B:S, T:R (8-12, 6.29 ERA | 109-122, 3.98 ERA) – while this groundballer was without a doubt no longer what he was when he won an ERA title with the Titans in ’58, he was done a great injustice by the incompetent Bayhawks infield of the last two seasons and was beaten up to the tune of a .367 BABIP (!) over a full 204-innings season. He can’t possibly get worse here.
SP Tony Gaytan, 23, B:R, T:R (5-8, 4.35 ERA | 5-8, 4.35 ERA) – was perhaps brought up too early out of necessity, and was a real box of chocolates in his first two-thirds of a big league season; we believe he still has gains to make with his arsenal and control and that he should be a lot better this year.
SP Gabriel Rios *, 25, B:L, T:L (0-1, 2.57 ERA, 1 SV | 0-1, 2.57 ERA, 1 SV) – a surprise loot in a trade from the Indians, Rios has a blazing fastball and cutter, and was another groundballer on the roster. He has never started a major league game, but all his appearances in the minors were starts, and we expect competence and hope for greatness.

SP/MR Evan Alvey, 32, B:L, T:L (5-4, 4.60 ERA | 78-64, 4.01 ERA, 4 SV) – ho-hum acquisition from the Pacifics in July, Alvey made ten starts down the road and was usually whacked good, posting a 5.11 ERA with the Coons as opposed to 3.79 when relieving with the Pacifics. Four pitches, all of which could be bopped for distance, and were regularly.
MR Jason Holzmeister *, 22, B:S, T:R (no stats) – Rule 5 pick from the Falcons with a fastball/sinker combo and a changeup that’s best left on the scouting report.
MR Juan Soriano, 29, B:R, T:R (0-1, 4.76 ERA, 1 SV | 0-2, 4.47 ERA, 1 SV) – somehow made it into 40 games with the Raccoons despite being on no depth chart whatsoever, and now somehow made it onto the Opening Day roster, because Bob West didn’t sign the contract we offered in time. Groundballer with a fastball, curve, and (bad) changeup, and a tendency to miss in the dirt, and now waiting with his suitcase packed to hit the waiver wire.
MR Josh Carrington, 25, B:L, T:R (1-0, 6.41 ERA, 1 SV | 1-1, 5.87 ERA, 1 SV) – former #31 pick had a speedrun to the majors with 33 games in AAA and 13 more for the Coons in September of 2065, the year he was drafted, culminating in blowing a Closing Day lead with two homers in an Indians walkoff. Didn’t ripen particularly well in AAA with 24 big league appearances sprinkled in, and given he has the personality of a hand grenade, I’ll listen to your trade offers.
MR Manabu Yamauchi, 28, B:R, T:R (2-0, 2.88 ERA | 2-0, 2.88 ERA) – last year’s inspiring Japanese free agent signing wasn’t signed to begin with until July, then started in AAA before being called up and pitching generally without major blow-ups, so maybe he can be somebody you can give a 3-run lead to without seeking cover immediately. Fastball/splitter and a bit of stamina for extra inning assignments.
SU Ricky McMahan, 25, B:L, T:L (3-6, 4.29 ERA, 3 SV | 4-6, 4.66 ERA, 3 SV) – erratic cutter and curveball, walked more than he struck out for both of his major league seasons, and totally a reliable late-inning option with how he also posted a negative WAR in both of his major league seasons
SU Jesse Dover, 25, B:R, T:R (5-7, 3.12 ERA, 20 SV | 10-14, 2.99 ERA, 32 SV) – at this point I don’t know whether Dover is naturally a **** or whether us refusing to even name a closer has actually made it worse. Sometimes he can actually pitch, but he also walked 6.4 batters per nine innings in ’66 and do we look like we need that for a closer? Figures to share late-inning duties with McMahan, depending on the opposing lineup.

C Ramon Lopez, 31, B:R, T:R (.270, 15 HR, 77 RBI | .270, 71 HR, 374 RBI) – the Coons got back a surprisingly competent catcher from the Thunder for the ticking time bomb that was Jeff Crowley prior to 2066. His defense was best described as “serviceable”, but he hit well enough to eventually seize the #3 spot in the lineup, even though a late slump meant he only hit for a 114 OPS+.
C Justin Aguilar *, 29, B:S, T:R (.267, 2 HR, 8 RBI | .282, 41 HR, 210 RBI) – acquired from the Rebels, and nothing special with two years as a primary and four years as backup under his belt. Has a bit of pop though and might just hit for a bit of power, with a career-high of 16 homers in ’63.

1B Joel Starr, 34, B:L, T:L (.243, 18 HR, 63 RBI | .273, 135 HR, 579 RBI) – stuck on the roster right now and proven to be untradeable for the second straight winter, Starr had little going for him anymore besides solid defense at first and an unbroken track record of 100+ OPS+ seasons – even though he repeatedly cut it close…
3B/2B/SS/LF/1B Mike Roberts *, 30, B:R, T:R (.243, 0 HR, 38 RBI | .240, 17 HR, 279 RBI) – one-year rental that spent his entire career with the Aces so far. You know what you get: he ALWAYS hits .240-something, no power, and strong defense, with a Gold Glove on his mantelpiece. He also led the league in walks in ’62, but that number has been declining every year since.
2B/SS/3B Pablo Novelo, 28, B:R, T:R (.226, 7 HR, 43 RBI | .257, 16 HR, 131 RBI) – it took Novelo, a bit of a hotshot acquisition from the Warriors four winters ago, two years to dispatch of Yukio Aoki and Franklin Serrano for the shortstop gig on the crashing Raccoons, which he achieved with heroics like… almost hitting league average. Task achieved, he then crashed to a 63 OPS+ last season, and only had strong defense going for him right now.
3B/2B/SS Rich Monck, 30, B:L, T:R (.267, 21 HR, 86 RBI | .289, 185 HR, 658 RBI) – went from home run champ in 2064 to injured in ’65 and then below-average despite a team-leading 21 homers in ’66. Somehow nobody was scared, since he only drew 16 walks (only one of them intentional), and even his defense at third base was best described as “eventful”. His contract was ending after the season and right now we didn’t see him staying on.
2B/3B/SS/RF/LF Leon Arantes, 27, B:R, T:R (.260, 1 HR, 27 RBI | .260, 1 HR, 27 RBI) – highly versatile with speed, taken as minor league free agent last April and after an early call-up never went away again despite seamlessly fitting in by hitting a great deal of nothing. We basically have TWO Randy Tallents now when one Randy Tallent is all you need.

LF/RF/1B/CF Justin Dowsey *, 25, B:L, T:L (.264, 15 HR, 74 RBI | .265, 44 HR, 173 RBI) – the Indians traded him, who hit 28 homers in ’65, for two-time stolen base champ Malcolm Spicer and John Bentley, and threw in Rios for good measure, so we were fully expecting him to hit .160 and getting sent to St. Pete by June. On paper he had tremendous power, and his glove at least played serviceably, unlike Spicer’s.
RF/CF/LF Jaden Wilson, 30, B:L, T:L (.261, 4 HR, 47 RBI | .290, 52 HR, 344 RBI) – big disappointment in his first Raccoons season, crashing in terms of on-base percentage, stolen bases, power, and just general vibes. He will continue to lead off, and I will continue to complain until his contract runs out after 2069.
RF Jose Corral, 26, B:L, T:L (.277, 12 HR, 40 RBI | .270, 51 HR, 224 RBI) – suffered with injuries in both of the last two seasons and also couldn’t hit a thing in ’65, but was rewarded with a 5-year extension anyway, because the Raccoons don’t have much a future outside of him right now. His arm is one of the best in the league, but he doesn’t have a whole lot of range out there, and no speed.
1B/LF/RF/3B Jamie Colter, 25, B:L, T:R (.257, 5 HR, 22 RBI | .275, 6 HR, 35 RBI) – competent corner option with a very average stick. No speed, but at least he’s trying his best, I guess…
RF/LF/1B/2B/3B/SS/CF Randy Tallent, 30, B:R, T:R (.248, 6 HR, 29 RBI | .224, 23 HR, 116 RBI) – super utility that was never going to hit much of anything, but would still get another 200+ at-bats due to his right-handedness and his ability to play all non-battery positions without making a mockery of the game. Despite a lack of hitting tal(l)ent, he’s already going into his fourth season after being acquired off waivers by the damn Elks.
LF/CF/SS Marquise Early, 25, B:R, T:R (.235, 1 HR, 5 RBI | .194, 1 HR, 5 RBI) – I wanted another right-handed stick for the outfield, and that’s the right-handed stick I got…

On disabled list:
SP Chance Fox, 32, B:L, T:L (1-2, 3.18 ERA | 88-74, 3.75 ERA, 1 SV) – usually a very competent mid-rotation starter that just happens to insist to get it on the snout really hard at least once a month, although last year was different as he made only six starts before his arm came off at the elbow; resigned on the cheap after his contract expired, although it looks like his changeup is gone and he will no longer be effective. He is expected to start a rehab assignment in about two weeks and rejoin the Coons in May.

Otherwise unavailable: Nobody.

Other roster movement:
SP/MR Vinny Morales, 25, B:S, T:R (0-5, 5.01 ERA | 0-5, 5.01 ERA) – optioned to AAA; middling four-pitch arsenal with a 93mph fastball that tends to get whacked (9 HR in 46.2 IP), Morales was at least versatile, losing games as a fill-in / sixth starter and as a garbage reliever for the Raccoons in several brief stints of a messed up rookie season.
MR Paul Barton, 31, B:R, T:R (3-3, 4.79 ERA | 8-7, 4.79 ERA) – waived and DFA’ed; out of all the useless pitchers and position players that tossed the baseball competitively for the Raccoons in 2066, and there were a lot of those, Barton’s fastball/curve combo put up the worst WAR (-0.7)
C Jake Flowe, 24, B:L, T:R (.282, 2 HR, 11 RBI | .282, 2 HR, 11 RBI) – optioned to AAA; hit .392 in 27 AAA games and then was relegated to bench duty behind Ramon Lopez in the majors. With Lopez slated for free agency after ’67, Flowe was sent back to the minors to rack up playing time with a perspective to win the primary catcher’s job for 2068.
C Marcos Arellano, 30, B:R, T:R (.109, 1 HR, 2 RBI | .267, 16 HR, 136 RBI) – waived and DFA’ed; defensive catcher that stopped hitting anything at all after some competent seasons as a backup (and once as the primary).
3B/SS/2B/RF Ryan Bonner, 24, B:R, T:R (.322, 0 HR, 4 RBI | .328, 0 HR, 8 RBI) – optioned to AAA; shaky defense and a lack of faith in him hitting .300 for 300 at-bats mean he’s not going to be kept around.
2B Manny Arredondo, 25, B:L, T:R (.223, 0 HR, 2 RBI | .223, 0 HR, 2 RBI) – optioned to AAA; pokey singles bat, but at least with defensive options.

Everybody not mentioned by now has already been waived, reassigned, or swallowed up by merciful Mother Earth by now.

OPENING DAY LINEUP:

Vs. RHP: CF Wilson – RF Corral – C Lopez – 3B Monck – LF Dowsey (Colter) – 1B Starr – SS Novelo – 2B Roberts (Arantes) – P
(Vs. LHP: CF Wilson – SS Novelo – C Lopez – 3B Monck (Arantes) – RF Tallent – 1B Dowsey (Starr) – 2B Roberts (Arantes) – LF Early – P

It remains a very left-handed leaning lineup, but some small corrections have been made and we will not be *forced* to have three left-handed bats in against southpaws this time around.

OFF SEASON CHANGES:

For a long time the Raccoons led the BNN table of offseason WAR gains, until they were eventually overtaken and dropped to fourth. Even then, much of that was down to not having lost any meaningful amount of WAR to free agency outside of Juan Sanchez (-1.7). Only two trades were made, of which the Dowsey acquisition washed in about +3.3 WAR partly due to the advanced-stats black hole that Spicer had been (I still liked me a good 50 bags stealer…). We also only signed two free agents, Musgrave (+2.7) and Roberts (+2.2).

Top 5: Titans (+11.0), Condors (+8.0), Knights (+7.9), Raccoons (+6.7), Scorpions (+3.6)
Bottom 5: Warriors (-5.1), Cyclones (-5.3), Aces (-6.5), Falcons (-6.6), Wolves (-7.8)

The remaining CL North teams? The Crusaders were 8th with +1.4 WAR, right ahead of the Elks, who had +1.2 WAR. The Indians were in 14th thanks to their foolish trade with the Raccoons, shedding -2.1 WAR, and the Loggers ranked 18th, at -4.7 WAR.

PREDICTION TIME:

Last year I predicted that the Raccoons would not break 75 wins, and they didn’t come close, winning 69 games for real, and would have deserved 60 if going by run differential.

I will make the same prediction again because the ever-revolving bullpen door can’t be slammed shut, the rotation consists largely of wishful thinking, and the lineup is clogged with unmovable players (Monck, Starr, Lopez, Wilson) that are not producing enough to get the team anywhere. I think we’ll still lose 90 games.

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT:

I hoped for an improvement or at least for the farm to remain steady, but the Raccoons slipped from 3rd to 8th compared to last season when we had eight ranked prospects, including three in the top 20, and seven in the top 100.

We gained one ranked prospect by head count, but overall lost some ranks, which was partially down to the matriculation of #8 Josh Carrington and #98 Tony Gaytan to the majors.

3rd (+1) – AA INF A.J. Taylor, 22 – 2064 supplemental round pick by Thunder, acquired with Ricky Baca, George van Otterdijk for Josh Elling, Jack Kozak, Tetsu Kurihara
42nd (-23) – A SS/3B Phil Townsend, 20 – 2065 first-round pick by Raccoons
52nd (new) – A SP Crispino D’Urso, 17 – 2065 July IFA signing by Raccoons
73rd (-3) – AA INF Josh Mireles, 21 – 2061 July IFA signed by Raccoons
76th (new) – ML SP Gabriel Rios, 25 – 2060 first-round pick by Indians, acquired with Justin Dowsey for Malcolm Spicer, John Bentley
85th (+2) – AAA INF Brian Hills, 21 – 2064 second-round pick by Raccoons
120th (-29) – AA C Andrew Farlow, 21 – 2064 first-round pick by Raccoons
152nd (new) – A LF/RF/3B/SS Alex Mercedes, 17 – 2066 July IFA signing by Raccoons
170th (new) – ML MR Jason Holzmeister, 22 – 2063 third-round pick by Bayhawks, taken in Rule 5 draft from the Falcons

Only one other previously ranked prospect dropped out of the top 200, #171 George van Otterdijk falling to 11th in the franchise rankings. The franchise top 10 were completed by AA SP Daniel Lopez, an international free agent signed all the way back in ’61.

Please also note that while Josh Mireles slipped only three spots in the rankings, he actually starts the season in Ham Lake again. Last year he was assigned to St. Petersburg.

Finally, the top 10 overall prospects this year are:

#1 (0) – PIT AAA SP Brian Jones, 20
#2 (+15) – SFW AAA SP Alex Diez, 21
#3 (+1) – POR AA SS/3B A.J. Taylor, 22
#4 (-2) – VAN ML INF Roberto Barraza, 20
#5 (-2) – TIJ ML MR Matt Guadagno, 25

#6 (new) – WAS A 3B Steve Dunn, 19
#7 (new) – SAL AAA SP Bill Logalbo, 22
#8 (+1) – WAS AA 1B Armando Curiel, 20
#9 (+5) – CHA AAA MR Orazio Cecere, 23
#10 (+3) – LVA AAA RF/LF Alfredo Rosado, 21

Logalbo had been the top pick in the 2066 draft and had made 18 starts between A and AA before being assigned to AAA South Valley to begin the new season. Dunn was the #3 pick in the most recent draft. Rosado had previously been ranked #3 in 2065.

Matt Guadagno had already been on the Opening Day roster last year, pitched to a 1.26 ERA over 11 games, and then was sent back to AAA Los Reyes without much of an explanation. He was back on the Opening Day roster for another try now.

That still left five players that were top 10 prospects last seasons that were no longer.

Former #5, Rebs outfielder Juan Licona made it into 61 games in the big leagues, but hit only .222 with two homers and lost eligibility. Last year’s #7, Scorpions SP Eric Stengel, also made his big league debut with 16 appearances (one start) and went 0-2 with a 4.85 ERA. He was no longer eligible on service time, same as the Raccoons’ ex-#8 prospect Josh Carrington, and the Caps’ catcher Manuel Rodriguez, who batted .226 with four homers over 99 games after his mid-season promotion to the majors.

Another Rebs prospect, SP Jayden Beck, moved from single- to double-A, but slipped from #6 to #15 in the rankings.

Next: first pitch.