Claymores Beat Writer
The Edinburgh News
Claymores fan breathed at least a shallow sigh of relief after news broke April 4 that their team had – finally – signed some free agent help for the coming season.
Scottish General Manager Vic Caleca, speaking by Skype from his Central Indiana headquarters, announced that the team had signed starting pitcher Oniji Yokoyama to a 1-year contract for $8.5 million and center fielder Tomás Flores to a 4-year deal. Flores’ deal is worth a total of $11 million.
“We’re excited to welcome both of these players to the Claymores – both will fill critical roles on the team,” Caleca said.
Yokoyama in particular.
With the Scottish starting rotation decimated by injuries to Clark Snow and Allen Guthrie, the team had been patching things together with relief pitchers and minor league retreads.
Yokoyama, though, figures to move right to the top of the rotation.
Scouts grade him at 5/5 for “stuff”; 7/7 for pitch movement; and 7/7 for control. He has three above average pitches: a fastball, changeup, and splitter. Last season in West Virginia, Yokohama was 15-8 with a 3.55 ERA in 208 innings.
Pitching coach Diego Martinez said Yokoyama’s arrival was in the nick of time.
“We were starting to hemorrhage there – this should help quite a bit. And once Snow returns, our rotation may actually turn into a strength,” he said.
Flores, meanwhile, brings excellent defense to center field, along with solid hitting skills. Last season in Aurora, the left-hander slashed .263/.317/.348 in 117 games, and figures to pair well with the right-handed Teruo Nagai in center.
“We feel good, now, about our outfield, with Vincent Powell in left, Pat Barry in right, and Flores and Nagai in center. We’re a better team now than we were just a week ago,” Caleca said.
That, of course, might come under the heading of “damning with faint praise,” given that a week ago the team wasn’t exactly looking like a world beater.
Still, analysts agree that both of the new additions will be helpful.
The question going forward, of course, is how helpful.
