A Rookie Rebuilds: Tales from Arizona

Klose · 08-03-2022, 10:38 PM

I figure this would be the section where I'd open with a witty quote, or a comically thought out one-liner. But, with this being my very first post on the forums (I know, slightly mad but ambitious, eh) I figured I'd just get straight to the point. I will lighten up as the series progresses but, for this opening entry, I want to outline why I am here; what the purpose of my save is and what I hope to accomplish over the coming months. I have to say, I am incredibly excited to be getting this all typed up. Whether it becomes a source of anyone's interest remains to be seen, but that's something I'm not too worried about.

So, are you ready? Let us begin.

A brief introduction. I'm Klose - an alias, of course. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I hail from across the pond; living on that lovely island that has shared so much history with the might U S of A! A football (or soccer) fan at heart, baseball shares the same spot. Being a fan of the mighty, albeit playoff shy, Mariners, I picked up a copy of OOTP back in 2020 to help expand my understanding and knowledge of baseball - it's tricky when you're living in a country that rarely covers the sport. I'm still learning but, after playing my first save during the pandemic, to say I was hooked would be an understatement. I guess the closest reference I can come up with is that playing OOTP is like being introduced to an album that you keep on listening to over and over again! It never gets old and continues to grow on you!

But that's the introduction out of the way. Now on to the good stuff!

I mentioned that I'm a Mariners fan but, as the image above implies, I have opted to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks. For me, the D-Backs are an interesting, albeit exciting, choice. Despite having a miserable 2021 season (52-110), Arizona have some exciting pieces that I can work with, in the hopes of building a play-off contending team.

Despite running on a shoestring budget we already have some promising players on the roster. All-star infielder Ketel Marte looks set to be the cornerstone of my rebuild; being signed through to the 2028 season gives me plenty of options to plan out a top-tier line up.

Coupled with outfielder Daulton Varsho, starting pitcher Zac Gallen and up and coming prospect outfielder Alek Thomas; we have some solid building blocks to work with.

Whilst Varsho's contact rating isn't stellar, his outfield numbers make him one of our stronger options, especially in left field.

Big things will be expected of Thomas over the coming season. The #47 overall prospect can become a fan favourite if he lives up to his potential, and if we can tie him down to a long-term deal. The focus this season will be to deploy Thomas throughout the outfield positions and continue his development. But his presence on the roster is certainly cause for excitement.

But, with every ray of light comes a grey cloud. And that would be the current state of the pitching staff and bullpen. Bang average would be the kindest way to rate them, but there is some much needed work to be done here. Despite Gallen having potential promise, he's the only pitcher I can possibly foresee staying in Arizona for the long haul. The elephant in the room is Madison Bumgarner & his monumentally insane contract.

Seriously, paying $23M a season for mediocre returns from the mound, what was the ownership thinking? Offloading his contract will be a priority and, arguably, the toughest challenge during the early days of the rebuild. Finding a team silly enough to take his contract may prove to even be the biggest win of the series. Though lets not get carried away...

In the next post I'll be aiming to cover our Minor League set up, as well discussing the opening roster and how our opening month unfolds.

Until then...

08-03-2022, 10:38 PM	#1
Klose Bat Boy Join Date: Aug 2022 Location: London, United Kingdom Posts: 1	A Rookie Rebuilds: Tales from Arizona I figure this would be the section where I'd open with a witty quote, or a comically thought out one-liner. But, with this being my very first post on the forums (I know, slightly mad but ambitious, eh) I figured I'd just get straight to the point. I will lighten up as the series progresses but, for this opening entry, I want to outline why I am here; what the purpose of my save is and what I hope to accomplish over the coming months. I have to say, I am incredibly excited to be getting this all typed up. Whether it becomes a source of anyone's interest remains to be seen, but that's something I'm not too worried about. So, are you ready? Let us begin. A brief introduction. I'm Klose - an alias, of course. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I hail from across the pond; living on that lovely island that has shared so much history with the might U S of A! A football (or soccer) fan at heart, baseball shares the same spot. Being a fan of the mighty, albeit playoff shy, Mariners, I picked up a copy of OOTP back in 2020 to help expand my understanding and knowledge of baseball - it's tricky when you're living in a country that rarely covers the sport. I'm still learning but, after playing my first save during the pandemic, to say I was hooked would be an understatement. I guess the closest reference I can come up with is that playing OOTP is like being introduced to an album that you keep on listening to over and over again! It never gets old and continues to grow on you! But that's the introduction out of the way. Now on to the good stuff! I mentioned that I'm a Mariners fan but, as the image above implies, I have opted to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks. For me, the D-Backs are an interesting, albeit exciting, choice. Despite having a miserable 2021 season (52-110), Arizona have some exciting pieces that I can work with, in the hopes of building a play-off contending team. Despite running on a shoestring budget we already have some promising players on the roster. All-star infielder Ketel Marte looks set to be the cornerstone of my rebuild; being signed through to the 2028 season gives me plenty of options to plan out a top-tier line up. Coupled with outfielder Daulton Varsho, starting pitcher Zac Gallen and up and coming prospect outfielder Alek Thomas; we have some solid building blocks to work with. Whilst Varsho's contact rating isn't stellar, his outfield numbers make him one of our stronger options, especially in left field. Big things will be expected of Thomas over the coming season. The #47 overall prospect can become a fan favourite if he lives up to his potential, and if we can tie him down to a long-term deal. The focus this season will be to deploy Thomas throughout the outfield positions and continue his development. But his presence on the roster is certainly cause for excitement. But, with every ray of light comes a grey cloud. And that would be the current state of the pitching staff and bullpen. Bang average would be the kindest way to rate them, but there is some much needed work to be done here. Despite Gallen having potential promise, he's the only pitcher I can possibly foresee staying in Arizona for the long haul. The elephant in the room is Madison Bumgarner & his monumentally insane contract. Seriously, paying $23M a season for mediocre returns from the mound, what was the ownership thinking? Offloading his contract will be a priority and, arguably, the toughest challenge during the early days of the rebuild. Finding a team silly enough to take his contract may prove to even be the biggest win of the series. Though lets not get carried away... In the next post I'll be aiming to cover our Minor League set up, as well discussing the opening roster and how our opening month unfolds. Until then...