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amead17 · 12-14-2025, 02:03 AM

April 3, 2023

Opening Day Arrives — Raiders Wait, Roster Speaks

Opening Day has arrived across the Professional Baseball Association, even if the San Jose Raiders won’t take the field just yet.

While the rest of the league opens play today, the Raiders will begin their inaugural campaign tomorrow with a home series against the Kansas City Wheat Kings, followed by the Philadelphia Freedom, before embarking on a daunting nine-game road trip through the Mid West and Pacific Divisions against the Detroit Lakers, Los Angeles White Hawks, and Portland Bruins.

That brief delay offers one final moment to take stock—especially after the release of the Opening Day roster, which answered some questions and raised several others.

Lineup: Familiar, With Minor Tweaks

The batting order looks largely as expected coming out of spring training:

C – Danny Seavey

1B – Elimilton Janeiro

2B – Steve Kibler

3B – Andrew McRaven

SS – Jose Gonzalez vs LHP / Neil Aiton vs RHP

LF – Carlos Olivarri

CF – Joey Watts

RF – Dave Jones

The most notable wrinkle is the shortstop platoon, with Gonzalez drawing starts against left-handed pitching while Aiton handles right-handers. Otherwise, the Raiders are opening their first season with the lineup most expected when camp began.

Rotation Decisions Raise Eyebrows

The pitching staff, however, tells a very different story.

Only Willie Bacca and Danny Castillo survived spring training with their rotation spots intact. Joe Basinger and Joe Olsen—both considered strong candidates after camp—have been optioned to AAA Las Vegas Gamblers for further development.

In their place, the Raiders will open the season with Jeremy Glastetter, Angel Panuco, and Bo Sun joining the rotation.

The reaction among fans has been immediate and skeptical. Many believe the demoted arms showed more during spring training than the pitchers promoted above them. For a team already walking a fine line with pitching depth, the decisions have drawn scrutiny before a single regular-season pitch has been thrown.

Bullpen: Opportunity or Risk?

The bullpen, too, arrives with question marks.

There is confidence at the back end, with Danilo Bobbio closing and Bobby Ragland setting up. Art Trice and Chris Benton bring some fire to the middle innings, but beyond that, the group is fluid. Several relievers appear interchangeable with options in the minors, and early performance will dictate how long this alignment lasts.

For better or worse, this is a bullpen that will define itself on the fly.

Talking It Through: Black and Bernklau Address the Roster

With debate already bubbling, Raiders on the Bay spoke with GM Emanuel Black and manager John Bernklau to better understand the thinking behind the Opening Day roster.

Interview: Emanuel Black (General Manager)

Q: The rotation choices have surprised a lot of people. What went into those decisions?

Black:
“Spring training is important, but it’s not the only factor. We’re looking at readiness, matchups, workload, and long-term development. Sending a player to Triple-A isn’t a punishment. It’s about putting them in the best position to succeed.”

Follow-up: Fans feel Basinger and Olsen earned spots. How do you respond to that?

Black:
“I understand that reaction. But development isn’t linear. We want those guys pitching regularly, refining things, not sitting or being rushed. They’re very much part of our plans.”

Interview: John Bernklau (Manager)

Q: From a dugout perspective, how comfortable are you with this rotation?

Bernklau:
“I’m comfortable because I know what each of these pitchers can give us right now. Maybe it doesn’t look the way people expected, but our job is to put the best team on the field each day, not to manage expectations.”

Q: Does this roster reflect your philosophy, or was it more collaborative?

Bernklau:
“It’s collaborative. Always. Emanuel and I talk constantly. We don’t have to agree on everything, but we do agree on what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Q: What do you say to fans who are worried about the bullpen depth?

Bernklau:
“That it’s early. Roles change. Performances change. Some guys will step up, others won’t. We’ll adjust as needed.”

A Quiet Before the First Pitch

The Raiders won’t take the field today, but Opening Day has already made its presence felt in San Jose. The roster is set, the debates have begun, and the margin for error is thin.

Tomorrow, the talking stops.

The Raiders finally play a game that counts.

12-14-2025, 02:03 AM	#8
amead17 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 9,084	April 3, 2023 Opening Day Arrives — Raiders Wait, Roster Speaks Opening Day has arrived across the Professional Baseball Association, even if the San Jose Raiders won’t take the field just yet. While the rest of the league opens play today, the Raiders will begin their inaugural campaign tomorrow with a home series against the Kansas City Wheat Kings, followed by the Philadelphia Freedom, before embarking on a daunting nine-game road trip through the Mid West and Pacific Divisions against the Detroit Lakers, Los Angeles White Hawks, and Portland Bruins. That brief delay offers one final moment to take stock—especially after the release of the Opening Day roster, which answered some questions and raised several others. Lineup: Familiar, With Minor Tweaks The batting order looks largely as expected coming out of spring training: C – Danny Seavey 1B – Elimilton Janeiro 2B – Steve Kibler 3B – Andrew McRaven SS – Jose Gonzalez vs LHP / Neil Aiton vs RHP LF – Carlos Olivarri CF – Joey Watts RF – Dave Jones The most notable wrinkle is the shortstop platoon, with Gonzalez drawing starts against left-handed pitching while Aiton handles right-handers. Otherwise, the Raiders are opening their first season with the lineup most expected when camp began. Rotation Decisions Raise Eyebrows The pitching staff, however, tells a very different story. Only Willie Bacca and Danny Castillo survived spring training with their rotation spots intact. Joe Basinger and Joe Olsen—both considered strong candidates after camp—have been optioned to AAA Las Vegas Gamblers for further development. In their place, the Raiders will open the season with Jeremy Glastetter, Angel Panuco, and Bo Sun joining the rotation. The reaction among fans has been immediate and skeptical. Many believe the demoted arms showed more during spring training than the pitchers promoted above them. For a team already walking a fine line with pitching depth, the decisions have drawn scrutiny before a single regular-season pitch has been thrown. Bullpen: Opportunity or Risk? The bullpen, too, arrives with question marks. There is confidence at the back end, with Danilo Bobbio closing and Bobby Ragland setting up. Art Trice and Chris Benton bring some fire to the middle innings, but beyond that, the group is fluid. Several relievers appear interchangeable with options in the minors, and early performance will dictate how long this alignment lasts. For better or worse, this is a bullpen that will define itself on the fly. Talking It Through: Black and Bernklau Address the Roster With debate already bubbling, Raiders on the Bay spoke with GM Emanuel Black and manager John Bernklau to better understand the thinking behind the Opening Day roster. Interview: Emanuel Black (General Manager) Q: The rotation choices have surprised a lot of people. What went into those decisions? Black: “Spring training is important, but it’s not the only factor. We’re looking at readiness, matchups, workload, and long-term development. Sending a player to Triple-A isn’t a punishment. It’s about putting them in the best position to succeed.” Follow-up: Fans feel Basinger and Olsen earned spots. How do you respond to that? Black: “I understand that reaction. But development isn’t linear. We want those guys pitching regularly, refining things, not sitting or being rushed. They’re very much part of our plans.” Interview: John Bernklau (Manager) Q: From a dugout perspective, how comfortable are you with this rotation? Bernklau: “I’m comfortable because I know what each of these pitchers can give us right now. Maybe it doesn’t look the way people expected, but our job is to put the best team on the field each day, not to manage expectations.” Q: Does this roster reflect your philosophy, or was it more collaborative? Bernklau: “It’s collaborative. Always. Emanuel and I talk constantly. We don’t have to agree on everything, but we do agree on what we’re trying to accomplish.” Q: What do you say to fans who are worried about the bullpen depth? Bernklau: “That it’s early. Roles change. Performances change. Some guys will step up, others won’t. We’ll adjust as needed.” A Quiet Before the First Pitch The Raiders won’t take the field today, but Opening Day has already made its presence felt in San Jose. The roster is set, the debates have begun, and the margin for error is thin. Tomorrow, the talking stops. The Raiders finally play a game that counts. Last edited by amead17; 12-14-2025 at 04:29 AM.