Borealis Move to Strengthen 'Pen at Deadline
by Ray D. Enzé,
NLN baseball blogger
July 23, 2029:
Okinawa, Japan - Well, I guess it's official - the Borealis are going in on the idea of a playoff run, and not jettisoning players for picks or prospects. All we can hope is that it is not false hope that has brought them to this place, because it is picks and a pretty nice looking prospect that has just left town.
It was in the wee hours of the night, while the team was still out over the Pacific Ocean, when Aurora Boy Wonder GM Will Topham sat down next to me and gave me a nudge to wake me from my dozing. "We'll have company waiting for us when we land - and someone is chasing us across the Ocean as we speak." I was flustered by the unexpected intrusion, and all I could say was, "Huh?"
What I was to learn - after some loud cursing in the back of the plane began waking players, coaches and staff alike, was that Aurora is sending RP Ron Latour to the home dugout at the Shisa Dome for 34-year old closer Kichibei Kumata. Aurora's 3rd and 5th round picks will also be handed over to the Shisa. Kumata is a former-Badger and prior to that a member of the Morioka Aeros of the renewed LRS - post merger. He signed with Okinawa after the 2027 season and has recently signed a 1-year extension for 2030 at $1.12M. Kumata has an excellent fastball and slider that he typically keeps down in the zone - but if he doesn't, he tends to get in trouble. He's been closing for Okinawa and has a 3-4 record and a 2.14 ERA, with 36 K and 6 BB in 42 IP. It's expected he will take Latour's middle relief position.
Latour came to Aurora as an International Free Agent in the summer of 2022 and was an instant hit - and a member of that title winning team. He struggled in 2023, but since he's been a dependable cog in the bullpen. He left after the season to FA as part of Aurora's financial crisis, and after getting no offers, signed a minor league spring training deal with West Virginia. The Alleghenies, having no space after spring training, traded him back to Aurora for a minor league SS. 2029 has been hard for Ron, with a 4.03 ERA and a BB/K ratio of nearly 1.00, leading to a 1.52 WHIP. The exchange for Kumata is a matter of movement for control. In bringing in Kumata, Aurora hopes to see a reduction of walks over the remainder of the season.
One would suspect that Kumata will already have a locker staked out in the visitors clubhouse when the team arrives in Okinawa. Chasing the team on a plane back across the Pacific is Toyama set-up man Dan Ross, who will join the Borealis in exchange for RP Tam Lochhead (A) and a 4th round pick.
Ross, a 28-year old righty, is a native of New Orleans and is still under arbitration, so like Kumata, will be with the club in 2030. Ross has made 39 appearances with Toyama this year and has a 3-4 record and a 2.14 ERA. A hard thrower, featuring a fastball and slider that tops out over 100 mph, statistically his walk ratio looks rough, but if not for a bad outing or two, he's pitched extremely well, and the Win-D's were reluctant to move him. Despite being known as a fly ball pitcher, he doesn't seem to give up an inordinate number of homers - only one in his last 31 IP.
Tam Lochhead came to Aurora from the Scottish last season near the deadline in exchange for the Moya's - Tomas and Orlando, and had a fine 21-games at Mokule'ia last year and is 4-2 with 13 saves, with a 3.13 ERA in 38 appearances at SLRC this year. He has 31 K in 37 IP. It's a bit of a surprise that they have traded Tam, as the organization was very high on him. His departure is probably systematic of the club's financial-moral dilemma: 'money, money, money' v. win at all cost for the fans. As I've mentioned, they seem to be all in.
One would expect that Ross will fill the bullpen spot that has lately been manned by Hugh 'Mister' Jones, Jesus Solis and 'I didn't get a chance' Xavier Diaz, who was called up for this road trip and now will sit around the Okinawa airport for a few hours and hop a plane back to Las Vegas to join his Thornton teammates in Henderson. Both Ross and Kumata are tough on right-handed hitters, but Ross is also tough on lefties, so we may see him pitch both in a specialist role and perhaps a shared 7th inning set-up role with Mike Monroe.
Wherever the two finally settle into, Aurora's 'pen should be steadier - if nothing else. What these moves show - at this point, is that Aurora's long held belief about pitching remains intact - you win with strong pitching.