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Westheim · 12-24-2022, 04:32 PM

When the free agency deadline passed, both Brian Kaufman and Willie Maldonado departed the team, and both Mike Crenshaw and Jesus Burgos emerged as type A free agents, making the Raccoons forfeit their first-round pick (nothing special at #22, but it wasn’t like we were going to get anything better) by signing either one of them.

Another surprise emergence was a 24-year-old right-hander from Japan by the name of Seisaku Taki. Groundballer with a 95mph fastball, slider, and changeup, and with good control and movement to cut down on those walk, walk, 3-run homer sequences. The Raccoons were VERY interested…!

Burgos and Crenshaw both being type A’s also made a move of Nick DeMarco to third base on a more permanent basis that much more appealing. Mikio Suzuki was a nice centerfielder, although he didn’t hit a lot. Also, easily forgettable because he only played in 24 games in the regular season last year was Cullen Tortora, who was also an option for the centerfield job. It wasn’t like we didn’t have personnel there, and somebody had to at eighth after all.

But somebody also had to bat first, and that somehow got me back to Juan del Toro. The Stars would trade him for Raffy, but not as long as my whiskers were still twitching…! But it would be possible to work out a package of two or three players to send over there instead. The Stars longed for pitching of all sorts, and the Coons longed for a leadoff man. Interestingly enough, Juan del Toro had rarely batted there in his career, and had not batted outside of the #3 slot for all of 2051. Del Toro was decent in center, but better in leftfield. A meh arm made rightfield a sub-par assignment.

Then there was Maldo, who was beyond diving or jumping for a ball, but could still *move*. Pat Degenhardt and Cristiano Carmona opined that he might actually be better placed in rightfield at this point, which would open up first base for either Ken Crum or Pucks. Between those three and a potential del Toro addition, the three outfield spots and first base could be covered in multiple ways. Del Toro wasn’t playing first or right, and Maldo was beyond centerfield duties for sure, but his arm was still working, and he could still play four or five nights a week, with a sprinkling of f.e. Cullen Tortora against right-handers. Suzuki would be the fifth outfielder, and we could finally send Glodowski to Kingdom Come.

Getting del Toro and his .419 OBP to bat leadoff would be such a boon for the team. Then add Lonzo, Crum, Pucks, Waters, DeMarco, Suggs, and Maldo, and suddenly we’re almost having ourselves a lineup…

+++

Do you also feel me spending a week on the trade screen here, and then not do it?

12-24-2022, 04:32 PM	#4063
Westheim Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Germany Posts: 13,806	When the free agency deadline passed, both Brian Kaufman and Willie Maldonado departed the team, and both Mike Crenshaw and Jesus Burgos emerged as type A free agents, making the Raccoons forfeit their first-round pick (nothing special at #22, but it wasn’t like we were going to get anything better) by signing either one of them. Another surprise emergence was a 24-year-old right-hander from Japan by the name of Seisaku Taki. Groundballer with a 95mph fastball, slider, and changeup, and with good control and movement to cut down on those walk, walk, 3-run homer sequences. The Raccoons were VERY interested…! Burgos and Crenshaw both being type A’s also made a move of Nick DeMarco to third base on a more permanent basis that much more appealing. Mikio Suzuki was a nice centerfielder, although he didn’t hit a lot. Also, easily forgettable because he only played in 24 games in the regular season last year was Cullen Tortora, who was also an option for the centerfield job. It wasn’t like we didn’t have personnel there, and somebody had to at eighth after all. But somebody also had to bat first, and that somehow got me back to Juan del Toro. The Stars would trade him for Raffy, but not as long as my whiskers were still twitching…! But it would be possible to work out a package of two or three players to send over there instead. The Stars longed for pitching of all sorts, and the Coons longed for a leadoff man. Interestingly enough, Juan del Toro had rarely batted there in his career, and had not batted outside of the #3 slot for all of 2051. Del Toro was decent in center, but better in leftfield. A meh arm made rightfield a sub-par assignment. Then there was Maldo, who was beyond diving or jumping for a ball, but could still move. Pat Degenhardt and Cristiano Carmona opined that he might actually be better placed in rightfield at this point, which would open up first base for either Ken Crum or Pucks. Between those three and a potential del Toro addition, the three outfield spots and first base could be covered in multiple ways. Del Toro wasn’t playing first or right, and Maldo was beyond centerfield duties for sure, but his arm was still working, and he could still play four or five nights a week, with a sprinkling of f.e. Cullen Tortora against right-handers. Suzuki would be the fifth outfielder, and we could finally send Glodowski to Kingdom Come. Getting del Toro and his .419 OBP to bat leadoff would be such a boon for the team. Then add Lonzo, Crum, Pucks, Waters, DeMarco, Suggs, and Maldo, and suddenly we’re almost having ourselves a lineup… +++ Do you also feel me spending a week on the trade screen here, and then not do it? __________________ Portland Raccoons, 92 years of excell-.... of baseball: Furballs here! 1983 * 1989 * 1991 * 1992 * 1993 * 1995 * 1996 * 2010 * 2017 * 2018 * 2019 * 2026 * 2028 * 2035 * 2037 * 2044 * 2045 * 2046 * 2047 * 2048 * 2051 * 2054 * 2055 * 2061 1 OSANAI : 2 POWELL : 7 NOMURA \| RAMOS : 8 REECE : 10 BROWN : 15 HALL : 27 FERNANDEZ : 28 CASAS : 31 CARMONA : 32 WEST : 39 TONER : 46 SAITO Resident Mets Cynic - The Mets from 1962 onwards, here.