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We were wrong in our 1989 Season Preview of the pitching staff:
We had one of the top pitching staffs in the league last year and can’t possibly hope to repeat that effort considering the player movement we initiated this offseason. We think this staff can compete and keep us in games, but a league leading ERA is probably not in the cards.
That league leading ERA was in the cards as the guys who were being counted on to step up their games in the absence of Aurillo and Nathan did so. Can we expect a repeat performance? Probably not a league topping ERA again, but I don’t really see a reason why this pitching staff can’t continue to give us an opportunity to compete night in and night out. We have a surplus of useful bullpen arms which is a nice position to be in. It gives us a lot of flexibility heading into the year. There’s going to be a couple of guys that are sent down to the farm that probably belong on a BLB roster. If a team comes calling at some point during the season, some of those guys may find their opportunities with another organization.
Starting Rotation
Joe Arredondo - Age: 34 - There’s a lot of value in a pitcher that can sit at the top of your rotation, give you 200+ IP and win 15 ballgames a year. Arredondo has hit those benchmarks in each of his two seasons with the Freedom. If he can produce another couple of seasons like that after the ’90 season, the extension he signed in the offseason could turn into quite a club friendly deal. If he slips a bit it will represent fair value. If he tanks? Sunk costs and the price of doing business.
Ben Irvin - Age: 33 - Arguably the Ace of the staff (it’s actually more like we have 3-4 #2 type starters and no true Ace . . . .yet). Irvin just goes out and gets the job done. Solid presence at the top of the rotation.
Joe Ponte - Age: 34 - Ponte produced a fine season in his return to the IL. A midseasons injury derailed what was on pace to be a great season. We had to settle for merely good and we’d settle for that again this year.
Doug “Light” Miles - Age: 22 - We’re ready to see a breakout performance from our future Ace. Actually, we’d like to just remove the word ‘future’ from that previous sentence. If he can pitch like he belongs at the top of our rotation while anchoring the back end of our rotation we will have a really solid 1-4.
Trevor Broomfield - Age: 30 - I’m really not sure what to expect here. Halfway through last year Broomfield looked like a disinterested mediocre pitcher. He announced his desire to join the rotation and we blew him off for the better part of the second half. Towards the end of the year we decided we didn’t have anything to lose and gave him his shot. He rewarded us with an outstanding final month+. I’m not a big fan of the low stamina SP, but I think we can manage to fill in those IP gaps by carrying a larger bullpen than most clubs. Defensive versatility on the diamond gives us a bit of freedom to carry an extra arm.
Bullpen
Cristian Correa - Age: 25 - Spent a majority of the ’89 season in the starting rotation, but was moved to the bullpen late in the year where I think he belongs. He started off last year wanting to be in the rotation. Now he wants to be the closer. He won’t get that shot here, but he can certainly be a solid part of a solid pen. He’s proven that before.
Calvin James - Age: 34 - We have no idea what to expect out of James this year. He was lost to a season ending injury early on and we don’t know how he’ll bounce back from that. This is his last guaranteed year so he’s essentially in a contract year. Hopefully that brings out the best in him.
Chad Mullen - Age: 27 - We’re testing him in the starting rotation in ST, but the early results are not good and he wants the closer role. We’ll probably relent and put him back in the role that earned him the Last Call award in ’89.
Mark Melanson - Age: 36 - He gave us what we needed during the first half of last season before wearing down and being sent to the pen. He’ll start out the year in the pen and get some low-leverage innings in the first half and be an emergency starter if the need arises.
Chet Clark - Age: 26 - Clark spent the majority of ’89 at AAA where he performed as expected. We just never had room in the big league bullpen for him. He’s on the bubble for a spot this ST as well.
Adam Starks - Age: 24 - Matured into the type of RP we were hoping for. He was one of the unsung heroes on our pitching staff. A repeat performance would be most appreciated.
Jesus Taborga - Age: 28 - By the end of the season Taborga’s role had essentially been taken over by the more productive Starks. I see no reason why that would change heading into the season. He’s a roster bubble guy as well.
Sadao Yoshino - Age: 25 - Long term he’s a SP, but to begin this year he’ll work out of the pen. We trust him to come in and strike guys out when the situation calls for it. He’ll be one of the first arms to get a look should we suffer an injury to a starting pitcher. Recently broke in to the BA Top 100 prospects list (up to #89 now).
Don McNeill - Age: 21 - Just turned 21 in fact, in November. McNeill was one of the key pieces in the Tim Nathan deal with Davenport before last season. He spent all of ’89 in AAA where he showed the kind of profile we expected from him, albeit a year ahead of schedule (he’s never thrown a AA pitch, skipping the level this year). We think he can make the jump to the Bigs and he may get a shot at it. IF (and that’s a big IF) Mullen finds his way to the rotation we will not hesitate to use McNeill as his replacement at CL. That’s how we roll.
Stay by the Phone - Minor Leaguers
Joe Avila - Age: 22 - He logged 30 IP at the BLB level last year but looks to start the year in AAA to work on his control. That should be the last finishing touches on what looks to be a serviceable, hard throwing RHP of the future.
Joe Sanchez - Age: 22 - Another young hard throwing RH RP. Depending on how the last roster spot breaks, Sanchez may actually get a shot at starting the year with the big club. It becomes a numbers/options game as ST wraps up and Sanchez will be one of the last decisions made. It’s all about options, buddy.
1990 Outlook and Prediction
We’re ready to roll into the season with what we have. This was an incredibly quiet offseason in Philly (no trades, no $$’s for FA) that will see most of the same cast of characters that were here last year on the field again this year. We won 90 games last year so we did something right, just not right enough. Now all we have to do is figure out how to win an extra 2 games.
Expected win total for the season (without the benefit of Shavermetrics to guide us):
High - 92
Low - 83
Probable - 88
If we don’t hit the high number, we’ll miss the playoffs for the second straight year. God help us if we do. The Philly faithful are not a patient bunch. Don’t tase me bro!
We were wrong in our 1989 Season Preview of the pitching staff:
We had one of the top pitching staffs in the league last year and can’t possibly hope to repeat that effort considering the player movement we initiated this offseason. We think this staff can compete and keep us in games, but a league leading ERA is probably not in the cards.
That league leading ERA was in the cards as the guys who were being counted on to step up their games in the absence of Aurillo and Nathan did so. Can we expect a repeat performance? Probably not a league topping ERA again, but I don’t really see a reason why this pitching staff can’t continue to give us an opportunity to compete night in and night out. We have a surplus of useful bullpen arms which is a nice position to be in. It gives us a lot of flexibility heading into the year. There’s going to be a couple of guys that are sent down to the farm that probably belong on a BLB roster. If a team comes calling at some point during the season, some of those guys may find their opportunities with another organization.
Starting Rotation
Joe Arredondo - Age: 34 - There’s a lot of value in a pitcher that can sit at the top of your rotation, give you 200+ IP and win 15 ballgames a year. Arredondo has hit those benchmarks in each of his two seasons with the Freedom. If he can produce another couple of seasons like that after the ’90 season, the extension he signed in the offseason could turn into quite a club friendly deal. If he slips a bit it will represent fair value. If he tanks? Sunk costs and the price of doing business.
Ben Irvin - Age: 33 - Arguably the Ace of the staff (it’s actually more like we have 3-4 #2 type starters and no true Ace . . . .yet). Irvin just goes out and gets the job done. Solid presence at the top of the rotation.
Joe Ponte - Age: 34 - Ponte produced a fine season in his return to the IL. A midseasons injury derailed what was on pace to be a great season. We had to settle for merely good and we’d settle for that again this year.
Doug “Light” Miles - Age: 22 - We’re ready to see a breakout performance from our future Ace. Actually, we’d like to just remove the word ‘future’ from that previous sentence. If he can pitch like he belongs at the top of our rotation while anchoring the back end of our rotation we will have a really solid 1-4.
Trevor Broomfield - Age: 30 - I’m really not sure what to expect here. Halfway through last year Broomfield looked like a disinterested mediocre pitcher. He announced his desire to join the rotation and we blew him off for the better part of the second half. Towards the end of the year we decided we didn’t have anything to lose and gave him his shot. He rewarded us with an outstanding final month+. I’m not a big fan of the low stamina SP, but I think we can manage to fill in those IP gaps by carrying a larger bullpen than most clubs. Defensive versatility on the diamond gives us a bit of freedom to carry an extra arm.
Bullpen
Cristian Correa - Age: 25 - Spent a majority of the ’89 season in the starting rotation, but was moved to the bullpen late in the year where I think he belongs. He started off last year wanting to be in the rotation. Now he wants to be the closer. He won’t get that shot here, but he can certainly be a solid part of a solid pen. He’s proven that before.
Calvin James - Age: 34 - We have no idea what to expect out of James this year. He was lost to a season ending injury early on and we don’t know how he’ll bounce back from that. This is his last guaranteed year so he’s essentially in a contract year. Hopefully that brings out the best in him.
Chad Mullen - Age: 27 - We’re testing him in the starting rotation in ST, but the early results are not good and he wants the closer role. We’ll probably relent and put him back in the role that earned him the Last Call award in ’89.
Mark Melanson - Age: 36 - He gave us what we needed during the first half of last season before wearing down and being sent to the pen. He’ll start out the year in the pen and get some low-leverage innings in the first half and be an emergency starter if the need arises.
Chet Clark - Age: 26 - Clark spent the majority of ’89 at AAA where he performed as expected. We just never had room in the big league bullpen for him. He’s on the bubble for a spot this ST as well.
Adam Starks - Age: 24 - Matured into the type of RP we were hoping for. He was one of the unsung heroes on our pitching staff. A repeat performance would be most appreciated.
Jesus Taborga - Age: 28 - By the end of the season Taborga’s role had essentially been taken over by the more productive Starks. I see no reason why that would change heading into the season. He’s a roster bubble guy as well.
Sadao Yoshino - Age: 25 - Long term he’s a SP, but to begin this year he’ll work out of the pen. We trust him to come in and strike guys out when the situation calls for it. He’ll be one of the first arms to get a look should we suffer an injury to a starting pitcher. Recently broke in to the BA Top 100 prospects list (up to #89 now).
Don McNeill - Age: 21 - Just turned 21 in fact, in November. McNeill was one of the key pieces in the Tim Nathan deal with Davenport before last season. He spent all of ’89 in AAA where he showed the kind of profile we expected from him, albeit a year ahead of schedule (he’s never thrown a AA pitch, skipping the level this year). We think he can make the jump to the Bigs and he may get a shot at it. IF (and that’s a big IF) Mullen finds his way to the rotation we will not hesitate to use McNeill as his replacement at CL. That’s how we roll.
Stay by the Phone - Minor Leaguers
Joe Avila - Age: 22 - He logged 30 IP at the BLB level last year but looks to start the year in AAA to work on his control. That should be the last finishing touches on what looks to be a serviceable, hard throwing RHP of the future.
Joe Sanchez - Age: 22 - Another young hard throwing RH RP. Depending on how the last roster spot breaks, Sanchez may actually get a shot at starting the year with the big club. It becomes a numbers/options game as ST wraps up and Sanchez will be one of the last decisions made. It’s all about options, buddy.
1990 Outlook and Prediction
We’re ready to roll into the season with what we have. This was an incredibly quiet offseason in Philly (no trades, no $$’s for FA) that will see most of the same cast of characters that were here last year on the field again this year. We won 90 games last year so we did something right, just not right enough. Now all we have to do is figure out how to win an extra 2 games.
Expected win total for the season (without the benefit of Shavermetrics to guide us):
High - 92
Low - 83
Probable - 88
If we don’t hit the high number, we’ll miss the playoffs for the second straight year. God help us if we do. The Philly faithful are not a patient bunch. Don’t tase me bro!