SEASON PREVIEW - 2059
I feel a lot better about the backups and bench players this season than I have in previous years, given that I spent a lot of luxury money on 1 year deals with that in mind. I think I'll be a little more resilient in case of injuries.
C -
Isam Nazih - Nazih had his best season yet last year and I think he's one of the most key young players on the team. He's an ultra premium defensive catcher who I think really helps my overall pitching and defense and he has also been getting it done at the plate as well. 6 WARS last year was more than he projects at, but I'd be happy with him putting up solid 3+ WAR seasons for a lot of years to come.
DH -
Gareth Mosterd - MUSTARD TIGER is a huge luxury acquisition this off season. My DH position was abysmal last year, hitting worse than any other position on the team and costing me a ton of value. Mustard Tiger is on a terrible contract for his age thanks to
@Yankee151 but I'm hoping I can get at least one great season and hopefully another solid season out of him before he goes to the glue factory. I haven't had a power batter with an eye like his since HAMMER HARRIS and that ability to walk in my park is going to be pretty important to my offense.
1B -
Roosevelt González - Had a bit of a breakout season last year with his promised power finally showing! He hit 36 HRs for the riggers and I hope he'll continue to provide that pop this season because we really struggled to hit for power in general last season and he was one of the lone bright spots. Based on his performance, I extended him through the 2062 season.
2B -
Yasin bin Nazeeh - It isn't 2050
@bruin228 and
@bruin and this trade turned out disastrously for me last season as Turtle really struggled as a rigger. If he can hit around .300 I think he can slot in well in the #2 spot in my lineup and provide me some good baserunning in front of my bigger bats. If he doesn't hit well, he'll drop down to the #6 spot and try to kick start the second half of my lineup as the other leadoff type guy. I've got a great looking 2B prospect in AA so turtle was brought in to bridge the gap until he's ready to be a WBL starter.
SS -
Nicky Ansley - His SS rating dropped a bit in the offseason, but 2058 was actually his best defensive season at the position. He should continue to be a great leadoff hitter for the riggers and provide average defense at a premium position. Moving forward, he may have to make a move to 3B, but for now I'll start him at SS again this season.
3B -
Craig Decker - DECKERADES is getting pretty long in the tooth at 35 years of age, but he's still a serviceable starter at 3B who also brings his immeasurable leadership and locker room presence to the team. This could possibly be his last year as a starter for the riggers, but don't be surprised if he's still with the team as a utility player and backup 1B/3B going forward. His bat isn't the most efficient but his defense is good and his leadership is great. He could even take on a DERMOTT McHeshi role with one of the minor league teams
RF -
José Vigil - Vigil has produced back to back 4.8 WAR seasons thanks to the combination of a solid bat and great defense. He's signed through the 2060 season, but Mr. Manager will be looking to extend him to a second contract because his skill set simply fits the team very well.
CF -
Júlio Manuel - In 2058 Julio bounced back from a rough 2057 campaign and won his 5th glove wizard award in LF while hitting pretty darn well for a dude who has seen a slow ratings drop over the years due to MS. Due to a long injury to Prospect/BUM Wesley Fonkert, Julio Manuel will find hisself starting at CF for the riggers in 2059. Wesley may take this CF spot later in the season after some rehab and extra AAA time, in which case JULIO will slide over to LF again for the rest of the season. I'm excited for him to play his natural CF position this year doe, as I think he can add a lot of WARS won with good fieldign.
LF -
Ryan Fuller - A $3M 1 year luxury signing, Ryan Fuller has good defense, good intangibles, and is a LHB so I anticipate he'll be a serviceable starter for the riggers this season while Fonkert is away. If he could hit over .700 OPS and play good defense I'll be happy with the signing, especially given the fact that he'll only boost team morale with his intangibles.
Backup C -
Sal Lynch - The lynch signing caused some consternation from the little sisters of the poor
@Lloyd Carr who accused the riggers of hoarding talent. Mr. Manager things this is one of the most important upgrades he made in the offseason, as backup catcher was a big leak last year. Lynch should provide WBL level backup performances at C and his bat is good enough that he'll also give the riggers some pop off the bench as a pinch hitter, something they were sorely missing last season. For 900k I think he provides great value and should be at least a 1 win improvement over last year's backup.
Utility IF 1B/3B/DH -
Naif Na'Il Mu'adh - Naif is another luxury 1 year signing designed to give the riggers another solid bench bat. His range isn't good enough to really start at 3B but it should be good enough that he can prove a solid backup at that position. He also has a good enough defensive rating at 1B to be a backup there as well. Finally, he'll also be the backup DH and give the riggers some more solid pinch hitting against LHP, which was also something they lacked last season.
Utility IF 2B/SS -
Douglass Tagg - Well we all know how loathsome Douglass is... he's simply a legend of loathsome. The riggers have never posted a losing season with him on the 25 man roster and he plans on keeping that streak alive with all the LEADERSHIP WARS WON he can possibly muster. His bat continues to be downgraded, his defensive range dropped, and he's now only got 40 running speed so he can barely function in the WBL... and he's signed through the 2067 season!
Utility IF 2B/SS -
Raúl Lara - by every objective measure, Lara is better than Douglass and he should be on the 25 man roster as a utility infielder, but he might find hisself in AAA depending on how many batters the riggers are able to carry. It would be nice to have a player of his defensive quality on the roster to act as a defensive sub to 2B, SS, and 3B and he's also got some value as a pinch runner as well. Despite his loathsome bat, I could also see him being a starter at SS if/when Mr. Manager decides to move pinky to 3B.
Utility OF -
Stuart Binning - Binning was another luxury addition to the riggers, and I'm super excited to have him on the team. 4th OF was a real problem position last year as none of my AAAA BUMS decided they wanted to make the cut. Thanks to
@Orlando for running the team this offseason and signing a true dream rigger... A 4th OF with a LHB and ++ defense at 4 positions and WHITE HOT VERY HIGH LEADERSHIP? What a time to be alive.
WILDCARD -
Wesley Fonkert - has 6 weeks left on IR and then I will be sending him to AAA for some rehab time as well and he might stay there a little longer to get some confidence back after the injury as well. He's the most promising prospect the riggers have had in years, so I'm really hoping the big time injury didn't derail his career. He should be one of the best defensive CFs in the league this season and his bat is also far enough along that it is WBL ready, though he did suffer a contact rating decrease this off season and an eye decrease last off season. He might not have the bat I once hoped for to make him a true GOAT CF but he should still be an awesome rigger with his defensive skillset! I'm going to be more conservative with him and hope that he's ready for the 2nd half of the season and playoffs as a CF.