Catherine Trammell - contributing reporter
The blog is having difficulty with our hired scouts, they seem to have taken offense to the Open Letter to Tacoma when the blog stated "That's a lot of cap space being used just for scouts to eat fast food around the continental United States" and seem to be on strike. Stay tuned in, if the Draft Recap makes it this year.
Dear Mr Loins,
As your enter your 47th season as owner for the Colorado Springs franchise, let's look back at what you've done. The franchise is a combined 3841-3673, good for a .511 winning percentage. The team has won 14 division titles, though finishing in dead last 10 times, including the last 3 and a franchise worst 114 L's last season. You'll need to win at least 93 games this season or you'll be showing the fans you are going in the wrong direction. Just because New York does it, does that mean your esteemed and storied franchise needs to do it? Don't stoop to their level! You're better than this. It's been 11 seasons since our World Series and us fans want more! Your last rebuild in the early S30s lasted ~6 seasons so the Loin faithful are hoping we are half way through and about to turn the corner.
If there's one thing to say about the owner of this franchise, is the faith and trust he puts in his players. Unlike Atlanta, who would trade his mother if he could; topfotheworl loves to hang on to his players. Many of them have set or nearly set career records for innings pitched, at-bats, and the sorts. We all know the mantra he lives by: "Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you." Even non-Hall of Famer Dizzy Leonard has been on record saying topoftheworl is the best owner in the league.
Pausing for a quick trivia question. How can you tell Colorado Springs is in a rebuild? The team moves towards the top of the league in plus plays!
To give the fans a little something to look forward to, let's take a look at what you've successfully built so far this rebuild. We'll only take at look at quality prospects; which also means not looking at salaries you've cleared....even though you seem to still be charging us the same ticket prices at the gates.
S56
- You committed this season so it was more about clear the books rather than cooking them.
- Amateur Draft:
- #18 - Melvin Dykhoff (SS) - Might hit .230 and is a liability at SS.
- #39 Carl Robinson (1B) - Limited power and no speed. .235 with 15 HR, and a wOBA below .300. Let's call him up, he can get the fans excited and help with the "rebuild"!
- Trades:
- More about shedding contracts
S57
- Amateur Draft:
- #7 Todd Torreyes (P) - traded to New Orleans this season for Omar Sanchez (2B)
- #49 Dan Higgins (2B) - a streaky poor man's Endy Wilste or Mark Yang. with even less power. Like Robinson let's get him promoted to save some money on payroll and get the fans excited!
- IFA:
- $23.4M Sammy Cora (RP) - Great to see him already promoted at age 22 after just 102 career minor league outings. He's a Stretch Story or Salvador Creek type reliever. Should be around 20 pitches a game and pitch in ~55-60 games a year. 1.15 WHIP with a 2.75-3.15 ERA in his best years.
- Trades:
- Anthony Cunningham (1B) - He's been solid and cheap, nice addition.
- Anderson Toussaint (CF) - Another solid add while the team rebuilds.
- Chase Watson (SS) - Solid defensive first Shortstop. But I think my grandma bench presses more than he does. She's also faster!
S58
- Rule 5 Draft:
- #2 Doug Salcedo (3B) - FYI, #6 pick Alan Carpenter (RF) made the S58 All Star team and hit 52 HRs last season. But yeah, let's go with Salcedo.
- Amateur Draft:
- #2 Ali Hall (LF) - Finally someone for Loin fans to get excited about. He gives off Vin Pirela and Leonel Martinez vibes. For a franchise hyper focused on the counting stats, let's get him called up next year at age 20 and go after Alex Tarraga's HR record. Hall for the Hall, I can hear it now!
- #60 Albert Navarro (2B) - Not awful, if given full playing time might get .250 with 5 HR and 15 SB.
- IFA:
- $20.1M Victor Estrella (RP) - He's looking like a Kevin Duran/Ossie Crow type reliever with better pitches. Reminds me a bit of Tony Lim, just the relief version of him.
- $21.1M Javier Segui (SP) - Might challenge Dizzy's walk record if he isn't careful. Oh wait, that's a good thing. More records, better chance to make the Hall! We'll give Segui a 1.45 WHIP and call the ERA+ a 90-105; hovers right around league average. Doesn't seem like a great way to spend $20M, but hey if you have it, spend it!
S59
- Rule 5 Draft:
- #2 Travis Stafford (2B) - This guy would steal your date quicker than the Commish can eat a Tim Horton's donut. And that's wicked fast. That speed will help him get on base compared to his hitting comps of Rocky Steenstra and Orber DeLeon. What he's done so far this season seems about right.
- Amateur Draft:
- #2 Robert Flynn (SP) - He's another Tony Lim comp with a touch of Diory James or Ed Wood if you ask me. With that stamina and durability you know he'll reach 40+ starts for a couple of seasons. Our Loins are excited!
- IFA:
- $25M Souta Tuivailala (RP) - By a large margin, the Loins will have the best bullpen in a few years with Tuiv, Estrella and Cora eating up 3-5 innings. Tuiv will be the best of the three, but the fans would love to see you spend money on an every day player for once. Give this guy Sherman Hawkins or Radhames Machado numbers. In his best season he might get below 1.00 for a WHIP, but I'd expect most seasons to sit in the 1.10-1.25 range. 150 ERA+; which is 50% better than league average.
- Trades: Acquired Omar Sanchez (see S57 notes) - Fantastic trade that has fans buzzing again! He could be a .260 hitter with 25ish HRs.
-From My Loins, chasing coins; wanting to go yard, batters swing hard!