The Start of Spring Training 2057
As the club prepares for its first game of the spring, many of the roster spots are most likely pretty secured. The starting position players is as follows
1B - Reagan Osborn (Age-26 B-R) GLBL 3 years 112 days $8,500,000 signed thru 2061
2056 season stats 290/400/953 34HR 109 RBI 4.2 WAR
Career stats 306/417/996 129HR 379RBI 19.9 WAR
Osborn has had quite the first 4 seasons in the GLBL hitting 129 home runs. He has been in the top 3 vote getters the last several seasons in the GLBL US MVP voting. A horrific slow start last season probably cost him the chance to win the award last season. Osborn is signed with the club through 2061 and most feel he will be signed to another extension before that one is done. For this new generation of Chicago player, he is definitely Mr. Architect.
2B - John Lambert (Age-26 B-R) GLBL Service 2 years 88 Days $507,500
2056 season stats 279/350/852 24HR 70 RBI 4.3 WAR
Career stats 277/347/832 33HR 101 RBI 5.3 WAR
What a year for Lambert as he broke through the shadows of players past and excelled in his first full time season. Now the trick will be to repeat it in 2057. If he does look for Chicago to potentially offer him a deal to buy out his arbitration years. His pre-2057 season arbitration amount for 2058 is $3.4 million
SS - Kennelly “Poison” Mulford (Age-28 B-R) GLBL Service 4 yrs 128 days $7,300,000 signed thru 2062
2056 season stats 308/378/845 10HR 39RBI 2.4 WAR (split season between Milwaukee and Chicago)
Career stats 279/335/801 73HR 268RBI 15.4 WAR
Searching for an answer for a defensive SS who could hit his weight, Mulford was a big acquisition from Milwaukee well before the trade deadline. The club signed him shortly after his acquisition to a 6 year extension for a total of $73.9 million through the 2062 season. He is capable of being one of the top SS in the league.
3B Thomas Arnaud (Age-28 B-S) MLB Service 3 years 24 days $5,250,000
2056 season stats 278/336/773 11HR 38 RBI’s 1.2 WAR
Career stats - 302/348/838 55HR 235RBI 8.6WAR
Arnaud was signed to an arbitration avoiding extension prior to last season. The deal is for 6 years and $58 million dollars. The final season is a team option. Arnaud has been a very good switch hitting option for the Architects at 3B, but he’s had a few injury wobbles that have concerned club officials. When healthy he’s been pretty steady and the club hopes to see him return to form this season.
C Juan Duran (Age-25 B-R) GLBL Service 1 year 113 days $507,500
2056 season stats 216/317/726 8HR 27 RBI 0.0 WAR
Career stats - 236/342/7775 15HR 39 RBI’s 1.1 WAR
This upcoming season is a huge year for the well thought of Duran. His prospect rankings was as high as #5 and last season he was rated in the top 20 position players prior to Opening Day. Unfortunately success hasn’t come quickly with the bat for Duran and because Joe Hunt was having an outstanding season, but the club sent Duran back down to AAA to re-find his hitting stroke. He hit 310/425/845 at AAA. Duran needs to make good on all the promise or the club could be looking for an alternative for the 2058 season.
LF Robert “Rodeo” LeRoy (Age-32 B-L) GLBL Service 10 years 60 days $20,000,000
2056 season stats 339/400/1017 32HR 107 RBI 5.6 WAR US Player of the Year
Career stats - 300/361/895 235HR 793 RBI 39.4 WAR
LeRoy followed up his 2055 Canadian League MVP with the US League MVP last season. LeRoy signed a mega-deal with the Architects prior to the 2056 season that was 6 years and $157 million. He will be signed with the club through the 2061 season (age 37).
CF Cris Luna (Age-27 B-R) GLBL Service 2 years 72 days $507,500
2056 season stats 278/352/818 17HR 63 RBI’s 2.9 WAR
Career stats - 252/325/732 30 HR 130 RBI 4.1 WAR
Luna broke out in his 3rd season in GLBL play. Has excellent defense and CF and had dramatic improvement in his overall hitting setting career highs in all categories. Next season will be his first arbitration eligible season. Currently his projection for salary next season is $2,968,000.
There will be competition in RF and DH so we will combine those two categories
RF Tom Stone (Age-23 B-R) GLBL Service 1 year 4 days $507,500
2056 Season stats 305/343/792 9HR 66 RBI’s 1.5 WAR
Career stats - 299/337/785 10HR 68 RBI’s 1.7 WAR
The club is very high on Stone who started last season hitting 400 early and held up well over 300 for the 1st half. His production slowed in the 2nd half of the season and went from a probable rookie of the year candidate to among others receiving votes. He has options and unless his spring is out of this world he might start the season in AAA. This will slow his service clock and get him everyday at bats.
DH/RF Jose Aranda (Age-32 B-L) GLBL Service 8 years 96 days $25,000,000
2056 season stats - 215/270/690 10HR 31 RBI -0.6 WAR
Career stats - 283/349/896 278HR 769 RBI 24.4 WAR
Aranda has spent his first 2 seasons with the Architects primarily on the DL after signing a huge FA contract prior to the 2055 season for $129 million. He has a player option for the 2058 season and the club has a team option for 2059 that will not get exercised unless we see the old Aranda instead of the “old” injury plagued Aranda. He will start the season as the club's primary DH and effectively could squeeze out Stone of a roster spot.
OF Joe Justice (Age-26 B-L) GLBL Service 1 year 65 Days $507,500 (out of options)
2056 season stats - 269/358/856 11HR 40 RBI’s 1.3 WAR
Career stats - 264/342/800 15HR 58RBI’s 1.8 WAR
Justice was claimed off waivers from Owen Sound in mid April last season. Was used primarily as a cover CF and lefty handed bat. When Aranda went down for the season, Justice’s playing time increased and he responded well. He is out of options so he will likely again beat out Tom Stone for a roster spot.
Corner OF/1B/DH Marc Nakayama (Age-24 B-R) GLBL Service 68 days $507,500
2056 season stats - 266/340/793 7HR 29RBI -0.1 WAR
Career stats - 266/340/793 7HR 29RBi’s -0.1WAR
Nakayama was a guy with Reagan Osborn anchored at 1B that was pretty much ignored. He was in the lower portion of the top 100 prospects and was an afterthought while the team was enjoying post-season success. But last year with the season ending injury to Arnada, he got a chance. His prospect stock had risen to #58 overall and his hitting was much stronger at AAA prior to his call up. If not for a dreadful final week of the 2056 regular season he would have been hitting closer to 290. The final roster spot will likely come down between him and Tom Stone. Right now Nakayama is slotted as the team’s DH against left-handed starting pitchers.
Other position players in camp
C Ken Armour was signed specifically to be the backup lefty catcher for this season.
C Doug Hill is in camp but will likely spend the year in AAA as the #3 C to get more playing time.
2B Ron Hinton and SS Pedro Farrulla are both in camp and both will likely be with the big league team as backups. The addition of Hinton will probably push 2B/3B Larry Davis back down to AAA.
Finally OF
Doug Deschamps was signed as a fan favorite as the club's primary right handed pinch hitter. The fans love this guy and with the moves we’ve made trading several popular players, Deschamps will hopefully help mitigate the drop in fan interest.
A pair of CF’s round out the position players in camp.
Steve Hickman and prospect John Ross both have a chance to make the club. Most feel that Ross will be the future team captain of the Architects and that might start this season. With the logjam in RF with OF’s its likely both of these guys will be in AAA to start the season.
Tomorrow we will go over the pitchers in camp.
Special Trade Announcement
A few days into spring training, Chicago once again traded another pitcher. This time
SP John Moore who went 10-4 last season with a 3.23 ERA split between the bullpen and starting has been dealt. The club avoided arbitration with Moore this off-season when they signed him to a 1-year deal worth $3.5 million. He has two more arbitration seasons after this one. With the acquisition of new talent and a strong desire to get completely out of the financial doghouse, the Architects decided to trade Moore. His destination, the Windsor Vigilantes is where he will call home. Coming to Chicago will be
$5 million dollars in cash and
P Kawanari Ohaysahi ($2 million contract for 57). While the cash savings in salary isn’t a lot the $5 million dollars is going a long way towards clearing up the balance of the clubs projected 2057 deficit.
Ohaysahi will get an opportunity to show what he can do in the 2nd week of spring training where he will get 2 starts in. He could be the clubs #5 SP if all goes well.
Finally in one of those publications that hits the newstands way too early, the Baseball Elite have picked the Chicago Architects to win the US division.
The real predictions that matter will come out towards the end of spring training and the realistic expectation is probably 4th.