[Paulie123]

Roster assessment - catcher
C Pedro Rivas (age 30, RHB, 1.5*): .273/.322./.405, 12 HR in 2054
C Mike Williams (age 36, RHB, 1*): .159/.215/..269, 3 HR

Rivas is solid with a bat in his hand but below par behind the plate. His is not a skill set that justifies the $14.7m we are for some reason set to pay him next season, but he will get a chance to prove to me his worth. Williams is also under contract next year, but has told me that he plans to retire and won’t play again next season; I won’t be trying to persuade him otherwise. I aim to find a cheap free agent to compete with Manolo Huerta (age 27, RHB, 1.5*), who’s currently on the minor league roster, to be Rivas’s backup.

Roster assessment - first base
1B Robert Numbers (age 22, LHB, 3.5*): .220/.311/.403, 7 HR
1B Robbie Smith (age 28, RHB, 3.5*): .258/.317/.489, 29 HR
1B Pok-too Xiao (age 26, RHB, 2.5*): .265/.326/.394, 4 HR

I’m loathed to criticise my predecessor, but I cannot understand why we have three out-and-out first basemen on the roster when our best prospect Ben Phipps (age 22, LHB, 2.5*) is another. Smith is a two-time all-star, although his contract (he’s due $68m over the next four years) looks rather excessive. Rookie slugger Numbers broke into the majors in August and will certainly get game time. Xiao is a good player who’ll hopefully have enough trade value to bring in a decent prospect or two.

Roster assessment - infield
2B Bryan Brantley (age 27, RHB, 3.5*): .226/.318/.370, 16 HR
2B Bill Lloyd (age 24, RHB, 4.5*): .274/.327/.411, 13 HR
3B Reynaldo González (age 27, LHB, 4*): .234/.316/.406, 22 HR
SS Ed Shelton (age 24, RHB, 1*): .330/.370/.468, 2 HR

It’s a reunion with González, who played for me at the Magpies, but it could be brief as I plan to trade him if he can bring back a good return. He’s superb defensively and has lots of power with the bat, but doesn’t make contact enough, is hopeless against lefties, and is expected to earn a highly inflated $17m next year through arbitration. Fernando Garván (age 24, RHB, 3*) will be promoted to replace González on the roster. Garvan flopped as an infield starter during 2053, but the front office lost faith in him too quickly, and he was limited to a handful of September games this year. The concern with this group, González aside, is their defense, but I will probably just have to live with that for the time being.

Roster assessment - outfield
LF David Miller (age 41, RHB, 4.5*): .294/.405/.516, 24 HR
LF Scott Reynolds (age 24, RHB, 1.5*): .194/.275/.250, 0 HR
CF Warren Glass (age 32, RHB, 1*): .252/.320/.486, 6 HR
RF Cy Cox (age 38, RHB, 2*): .213/.340/.305, 6 HR

Miller is a phenomenon, who defied all logic of the ageing curve to turn in another excellent year. He’s a 10-time all-star and surely headed for the SCL Hall of Fame when he finally hangs up his cleats. After Miller, there’s little to write home about. Cox is another former Magpie, whose high walk rate no longer compensates for his lack of hitting and poor defense. He and Glass are two more players about to depart as free agents. José Arroyo, our first round draft pick this June (5th overall), struggled badly as a September call-up, but remains a fine prospect who can play across the outfield and will get another chance on the roster next year.