Inside Denver

[Carlos]

This space will offer you the unique opportunity of finding out what is going on inside the head of Denver's eccentric GM Carlos Hernandez.

Thank you to BDub for the header logo!

[BradZ]

I am intrigued and scared.

[BDub]

Is it possible to come up with a different name?

[Matt]

Is it possible to come up with a different name?

I don't laugh out loud much...this got me.

[Carlos]

Batting Lead off: Antonio Banuelos

This all started a few seasons ago when evaluating the many reasons Denver's promising climb out of the basement saw the franchise returning to all-too-familiar territory.

Fingers can be pointed at many trades that either didn't return enough value or were made with poor reason, but it's probably best to look at where it all started: 2010.

It was supposed to be a big year for the franchise. Denver had just come back from making its first Brewmasters in 2009. William Eckstein was fresh off his rookie season, Jamie McPherson was the reigning DL Stout Slugger and only 26-years-old, Henry Rodriques previously set a franchise record for home runs in a single-season, and the starting tandem of Roberston and Schiefelbein were making their full-season debuts.

But biggest of all was the arrival of Tom Wright. His promotion would impact the franchise in a way that was hard to notice at first, but would domino into a crescendo of trades that forced the organization to re-think several failed philosophies.

Needing to find a roster spot for Tom Wright proved difficult with the plethora of great talent roaming the outfield (albeit not always defensively well). Verba appeared to have a corner outfield spot locked up. Rodriques was hitting his way into a full-time DH position. McPherson couldn't catch a fly ball but always made up for his mistakes with his Stout bat. That left Dave Perkins, a corner outfielder with speed, patience, developing power and the unfortunate habit of getting injured.

The injuries, at first, were rare and spread out. Shoulder tendinitis in the minors. A strained oblique and torn quad before his rookie debut. When he finally found himself healthy, he proved reliable to the lineup. In 2009 he only missed 5 days due to a sprained ankle.

Then 2010 happened. The Tom Wright promotion worked itself out when Perkins missed nearly two months of baseball because of a fractured thumb and returning tendinitis on his shoulder. Playing only 99 games with injuries that, at the time, appeared to be affecting his play, Perkins watched from the bench as Wright performed comfortably well for a high-scoring club.

This started getting the mind going. With five young All-Star outfielders and only four spots (including DH) to play them, something needed to be done. But what?

Just days into the new season, Perkins suffered an intercostal strain that would keep him out of the lineup for a month. Believing that Wright was ready enough to handle the work load, Denver decided it was time to consider the possibility that Perkins might continue to get hurt and decline as a result.

Other teams felt the same. During trade negotiations, Perkins' injury history raised concerns and diminished the packages being offered in return for his services. Eventually Denver settled on improving a sluggish defense that had grown worse in 2010 by acquiring Colin Cash and a draft pick (which turned into Manny Reyna).

Prior to 2011, there was little concern for the poor defensive play of the young cast. So what if they gave up 5 runs a night running poor routes to fly balls? The win column proved they could score more than anyone else. So long as that continued to happen, the organization could ignore its problem in the outfield.

But Denver in 2011 struggled worse defensively than it had during its successful two-year run of out-scoring its opposition. Dropped fly balls began to frustrate a starting rotation that had lost Tamieke and Melgoza to trades. Infielders had little to do as opposing hitters lofted pitch after pitch into the gaps and over the wall. The acquisition of Colin Cash was supposed to help alleviate the alarming problem.

And Cash performed well after being acquired. He played the best defense in center field the team had seen in seasons while delivering well with his bat. Unfortunately, the team lost its leadoff hitter for good and never recovered.

Since that trade, Denver has seen its offense struggle to produce the runs it did during its mini-run of promise. Hitters like Wilkinson and Eckstein traded opportunities at the top of the lineup but lacked the ability to get on-base consistently enough for the power hitters that followed. A certain man's OBP was missing and a lineup that scared you from first pitch was slightly less fearful with speed absent of power taking the delivery.

In the following seasons, Denver has traded away most of that lineup, opting instead to do what it did not do the first time around: find players capable of putting the ball in play, display patience with the bat, and above all, play great defense. The process is a slow one, but one that the organization believes will prove fruitful in the years to come.

So we turn to 2016. With defense now the cornerstone of a rebuilding franchise, the lineup is without many of the power hitters it once had on display for a short period of time. The best of its line up being Antonio Banuelos - a man that missed out on repeating as the DL Batting Champion last season because of a few plate appearances that did not come.

The decision to bat Banuelos lead off came with some hesitation. Banuelos is probably the only hitter capable of driving in runs. Who will he drive in batting first with no one in front of him? But the more Denver thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense.

Banuelos is an automatic .350+ hitter that does not strike out. Just 300 times in 3,000 plate appearances in his career. He immediately brings fear to a starting pitcher on first-pitch, a guy that will make contact and sets the table for the hitters to follow. Though the lineup does not have a Verba, McPherson, McInturf, Perkins, Wright, Rodriques walking up to the plate right after, it has players that will put the ball in play batting 2-4.

Denver hopes that this will allow it to start early, maybe even rattle a starter or two every series. As great as the bullpens of today might be, the old adage rings true in a BLB stock full of great starting pitching across the country: get to the bullpen.

It might not be Perkins leading off, stealing second base and being driven home by McInturf or McPherson. But it's better than it's been since. Hopefully, it may even help the club win a few more baseball games.

If not, at least Banuelos should have enough at-bats to win another batting title.

[Carlos]

Is it possible to come up with a different name?

No. I want you to feel what you feel.

[Z]

Is it possible to come up with a different name?

Look on the bright side: at least he didn't name it "Inside Carlos."

[Carlos]

Look on the bright side: at least he didn't name it "Inside Carlos."

I'm better than that. I can at least promise to be aware of those things.

[Cory]

Great write-up Carlos. Between this post and Pat's recent flurry of articles I'm finally feeling like I understand a bit of what's going on in the BLB. The game is much more engaging when you start to recognize some of the names on the endless lists that you sort through on a regular basis in a text based sim.

[BDub]

I love the flurry of articles lately. So cool to be apart of a league that has so many talented writers.

[Carlos]

Centerfielders in the Outfield

Last season, Denver figured it had little options at third base. With no money to sign a free agent or find one suitable enough to handle the position on a minimum contract, the organization turned to Ivan Rivero, a backup with a sure-handed glove and .300 average in AAA.

At worse, Denver figured Rivero would play above-average third base and steal a few bases with his speed. Any expectations of him hitting well were never considered. But Murphy's Law has the inexplicable ability to stick a fork in the best of odds.

Rivero struggled with his bat to no surprise but carried over his disappointment to the field, booting 10 balls in just 50 games and performing well below average at the third base position. A change was made and Rivero spent the rest of the season looking less like himself with his glove in Tucson.

Then on the 40-man roster and owed a contract, Denver elected to release Rivero at the end of his season and promote from within.

Enter 2016 where Denver will experiment with insanity and try the same thing all over again. This time from the outfield.

Knowing that defense will be its only potential saving grace in a season where offense will be nearly impossible to create, Denver has elected to stock their outfield with pure center fielders in an effort to make no fly ball impossible to grab.

Moving over to his more natural position of left field is Alex Godinez. The past two seasons, Godinez combined for a +20.3 ZR manning the center field position while hitting .293 or higher. Denver hopes that Godinez will continue to hit for a nearly .300 average and play impeccable defense in the vast left field grass.

Denver will promote its former 3rd round pick Zach Bromley to captain the outfield at center. Though not expected to hit very well, Zach brings one of the best gloves for an outfielder in the BLB. Bromley has won fielding awards in college and the minors and will look to add a parent-level glove to his trophy case.

Rounding out the trio will be Amir Pugh. Unfamiliar with the right field position, Denver believes Pugh will adjust quickly due to his proficiency at both left and center. His arm also proves valuable at right where he will be tested often. Pugh spent years in the Top 100 Prospect List despite doing little offensively to prove his worth. Surprisingly, Pugh has shown improvement at every stop up the ladder and Denver hopes his work ethic will result in another bump for the 27-year-old.

There are more experienced defensive-minded outfields in the BLB, many even with better hitters. Denver is only doing what it believes would help it keep scores close. Their young pitching staff can use the confidence to finish low-scoring games on the right end of the boxscore.

[Carlos]

We Need Runs

It might be insane to outdo your own insanity. Knowing runs would be the most difficult thing to manufacture in 2016, Denver elected to hire a trio of Centerfielders to man the outfield and keep scores close.

Through the first month of the season, the plan has mostly worked. Denver has arguably the best defense in the DL with a pitching staff that can go toe to toe with some of the elite.

But the past couple weeks has seen the club play .500 ball and wonder how much better it could perform if it could scored a run or more a game.

Prior to the season, Denver didn't think it had much at all in its system to deliver big swings. While the organization was stocked with hitters, all appeared to be at least one or two years away. But that has changed.

Robby Szymanski jumped from A ball to AAA and didn't take any time to adjust. It was only a matter of time before he would be forcing management's hand.

The same for Tristan Carter, a lighter swinger but one with some defensive chops that can deliver with the bat in ways the three headed Centerfield monster could not.

Of course, no move could be subtle in Denver as the team also felt it would only be wasting talented years away from Tom Reed if he waited in AAA sitting down career minor leaguers. It might seem excessive with its rotation in such good hands, but an extra arm should help provide additional rest to the young arms.

Those three names highlight new promotions to Denver BC. The squad stands at 13-18, 6.5 back of first place in what could be its final season in the DL. It's time to see if there's a jolt of momentum that could build from this.

What makes these moves feel right is the little in defense the team loses by making the promotions. Carter is more than capable at right field while Tom Wood, signed to a minor league contract in the off season, has proven he can man left field effectively while hitting the ball well. Godinez returns to center, bringing with him a proficiency to put the ball in play and hit for average.

Defense is still important. It's the most important. But some runs might help this club win more of those close games.

Let's check back in a month.

(Denver has also promoted former Pittsburgh first round pick Jim Evans to handle the back up catcher spot. And Pat Pryor, a little known draft pick that has performed brilliantly through every minor league level).

[Delandis]

I like it.

[Sharkn20]

Nice write up.

[Carlos]

Looking at defensive teams with pitching and poor offense, it seems we are right there. It's amazing how one run a game can make you 13-18 instead of 18-13.

Hoping this is the push we need. And if it the offensive positive doesn't work, we will go back to defense only and save the service days.