Meet Your Opening Day Knights
This year's version of Tempe's favorite lovable losers is set to take the field, and will be rudely greeted with an opening series against the defending Desert Hills champs Reno as they christen Gisolo-Duppa Field. Let's take a look at the final 26-man roster coming out of spring training, and how manager Eric Petersen will have them aligned:
C: Petersen has said that he will likely go with a timeshare behind the dish between incumbent starter Jared Maxwell and former waiver pickup Roger Ellison. Ellison figures to see the lion's share of the AB's if he - as expected - gets the nod against RHPs. 2032 caddie and Rule V selection Ernesto Herrera has been sent to AAA Chandler to begin the season. It was widely reported that the Knights made a strong run at Florida signee and former LDBI star Gilberto Zamora, but ultimately the blinding lights of Drew Streets' casinos were too much to overcome.
1B/DH: A position that has seen wholesale changes after Gideon Canham's struggles at the plate in '32, the Knights signed former WIL standout William Allen and have promoted Marc Gallagher to share some of the duty. Francis May, who struggled mightily throughout the '32 season which he spent at AAA, also may see some playing time at first but given his defensive prowess, is more likely to take at bats from the DH spot.
2B: Another bargain bin free agent pickup, the club has penciled in 34 year old Mark Edwards as the starter for opening day. Edwards spent '32 with Hartford where he churned out another solid season. 2032 starter and defensive whiz Bill Starks has been sent to AAA to begin the year but may be called upon to fill in as a depth piece.
3B: The situation at the hot corner remains largely unchanged, though the team did demote captain Min Heui Ch'oe in a surprising move to close out spring. In his stead will be his previous time share partner Cipriano Barrera and 27 year old rookie Kiyonori Suzuki. Suzuki was a surprise addition to the 26 man roster out of camp, but his fantastic spring at the plate left the club with little choice but to give him a shot given the lack of production from their third basemen the previous season.
SS: Free agent pickup Mike Woodward gets the nod in the middle of the Knights infield and will be backed up by 2032 All-Leather award winner Benton Hawkins who also figures to see some time at 2B this season in order to keep his glove behind Tempe's array of groundballers.
OF: The Knights will deploy a new pair of outfielders amongst their opening day trio this year as recent waiver claim Dewitt Barry and Rule V selection Hector Limon are both figuring to play a prominent role on the '33 club. Returning '32 starter Robert McGinnity is expected to begin the season as the starting left fielder while holdover Jun Hyuk Pak will be the utility outfielder and see some defensive action as a sub at CF. The front office has made clear it expects to see better results from the Knights OF this season and it was rumored that owner Chris Van Hauter has prioritized adding OF depth to GM Hazelwood's running list of chores.
Rotation: The starting rotation remains largely unchanged from the one that last took the field in '32 as four of the five starters return. Juan Cervantes gets the opening day nod and will be followed by youngster Poto Loschilosurdo whom the front office is said to have big expectations for. Free agent acquisition and left hander Carlos Ruiz figures to slot into the third starter spot and will be followed by Scott Chalmers and mainstay Ryutaro Nakano. Chalmers is expected to be operating on a short leash this season and it has been rumored that he could transition to a bullpen role if he continues to have issues pitching deep into games this season.
Bullpen: New reliever Warren Manning is expected to be the high leverage man out of the pen for this year's Knights and is likely to take the mound on a regular basis. Behind him will be '32 holdovers Naozane Sakai, Victor Andres, Jason King and Paul Norris. Gunner Carney will also be reprising his role as the long man who gets called into tight situations, a job he excelled at in 2032. Rounding out the group will be the hard throwing Kenny Crochet who managed a cup of coffee with the big club at the end of 2032 and will be expected to play a bigger role following several defections from last year's group.
The Round Table (Returns): 2033 Season
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Apollos
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The Round Table (Returns): 2033 Season
Brian Hazelwood - GM, Tempe Knights
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Apollos
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Re: The Round Table (Returns): 2033 Season
Harris Promotion Reveals Internal Power Struggle
June 27, 2033; Following days of considerable hand wringing and debate within the Knights’ front office, the clubs top prospect, SP Cooper Harris, has been promoted to the big club and penciled in as the teams starter for the upcoming June 29th contest against Aurora. Sources within the Tempe front office have revealed that two distinct camps had emerged within the Knights executive ranks in the preceding weeks as the debate over whether or not to promote Harris raged on. Team principal owner Chris Van Hauter and CFO Braxton Winters had pushed back on the baseball operations department who insisted that Harris had nothing left to prove in pitching against minor league competition, though it was clear that their desires were borne more out of long term financial considerations. GM and President of Baseball Operations Brian Hazelwood ultimately carried the day and Harris was officially called up earlier this afternoon by the Knights. Reports indicate that Winters may have offered his resignation in response to the fracas.
Harris was the 1st overall pick of the Knights in their last WIL draft in 2031 out of Dixie State University and has enjoyed a stellar two years in the Tempe minor league system since their return to the PEBA. Following an early season promotion to Tempe’s highest minor league affiliate in Chandler, he posted a minuscule 1.88 ERA and Hazelwood was said to be concerned with stunting Harris’ long term growth by leaving him toiling in the minors for what he believed to be “strictly financial considerations”. Harris has been slotted into the rotation position previously occupied by Juan Cervantes who’s next start has been moved up by one day to accommodate Harris’ arrival.
As a result of Harris’ promotion, attention now figures to shift to the possible promotion of the teams top offensive prospect, 2B Juan Rincon, who was elevated to Chandler in mid-May following another strong showing in Quebec (AA) to start the 2033 campaign. Despite his youth, Rincon is said to possess advanced plate discipline and may be in line for a near term promotion to the big league club in light of the struggles of Bill Starks who’s batting average remains well below the Mendoza line.
June 27, 2033; Following days of considerable hand wringing and debate within the Knights’ front office, the clubs top prospect, SP Cooper Harris, has been promoted to the big club and penciled in as the teams starter for the upcoming June 29th contest against Aurora. Sources within the Tempe front office have revealed that two distinct camps had emerged within the Knights executive ranks in the preceding weeks as the debate over whether or not to promote Harris raged on. Team principal owner Chris Van Hauter and CFO Braxton Winters had pushed back on the baseball operations department who insisted that Harris had nothing left to prove in pitching against minor league competition, though it was clear that their desires were borne more out of long term financial considerations. GM and President of Baseball Operations Brian Hazelwood ultimately carried the day and Harris was officially called up earlier this afternoon by the Knights. Reports indicate that Winters may have offered his resignation in response to the fracas.
Harris was the 1st overall pick of the Knights in their last WIL draft in 2031 out of Dixie State University and has enjoyed a stellar two years in the Tempe minor league system since their return to the PEBA. Following an early season promotion to Tempe’s highest minor league affiliate in Chandler, he posted a minuscule 1.88 ERA and Hazelwood was said to be concerned with stunting Harris’ long term growth by leaving him toiling in the minors for what he believed to be “strictly financial considerations”. Harris has been slotted into the rotation position previously occupied by Juan Cervantes who’s next start has been moved up by one day to accommodate Harris’ arrival.
As a result of Harris’ promotion, attention now figures to shift to the possible promotion of the teams top offensive prospect, 2B Juan Rincon, who was elevated to Chandler in mid-May following another strong showing in Quebec (AA) to start the 2033 campaign. Despite his youth, Rincon is said to possess advanced plate discipline and may be in line for a near term promotion to the big league club in light of the struggles of Bill Starks who’s batting average remains well below the Mendoza line.
Brian Hazelwood - GM, Tempe Knights
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Apollos
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Re: The Round Table (Returns): 2033 Season
First Half Recap - Pitchers
As the Knights wrap up the first half of the 2033 campaign, it's time to look at how they've performed in what was widely expected to be another season spent developing the organization's minor league system while trotting out a cast of misfits and has-beens on the field. The biggest development, unquestionably, at the major league level during the first half was the surprise promotion and debut of the team's top pitching prospect Cooper Harris with the Knights. Despite losing each of his first three starts, Harris has performed admirably with the big club and should be a mainstay moving forward. Through those first three starts Harris has posted a 3.20 ERA to go along with a 1.12 WHIP and allowed just a shade over 10 baserunners per 9 innings.
As a whole, the pitching staff has continued to outperform expectations despite some regression by front line starter Juan Cervantes during the 2033 season. The bullpen in particular, headlined by performances from Warren Manning and Jason King, has shined throughout the season's first half and is leading the SL in ERA with a collective 2.27 mark. The aforementioned Manning has dazzled in his role as Tempe's stopper and earned his first ever All Star game nod after appearing in 52 games and posting an astonishing 1.16 ERA and miniscule 0.78 WHIP. Rumors have been flying that Manning could be traded to a contending club in the coming weeks and the Knights front office can't be blamed for looking to capitalize on Manning's impressive 2033 season. Following closely on Manning's heels is his young protégé, and the team's former Rule V pick Jason King who has been almost as dominant thus far in 2033. King has appeared in 29 games for the Knights, in just over 38 innings and carries a similar 1.16 ERA and 0.93 WHIP into the break. King has found his groove during the 2033 season and utilizes his dominant fastball to punch out SL hitters to the tune of a 13.27 K/9 rate. Perhaps most impressive, King's FIP on the year is an even better 1.14 which indicates there is no underlying luck in his performance thus far. While sources indicate that there have been multiple teams inquire on the availability of King, word out of the GM's office is that Hazelwood will not let King go without a handsome return given his youth and four-plus years of team control remaining.
Other highlights from Tempe's pitching staff in 2033 include the outstanding performance by offseason free agent acquisition Carlos Ruiz who has led the Knights staff in strikeouts and ERA for most of the season's first half. Ruiz takes an ERA of 2.99 into the break with a solid 1.21 WHIP and the big Dominican lefty will look to continue his success during the season's second half. Fellow staff member Poto Loschilosurdo has also been consistently excellent during 2033 and the second year man out of Genoa, Italy figures to have earned himself a permanent place in the Tempe rotation following some shuffling between the bullpen and rotation in 2032. Loschilosurdo has posted a solid 3.24 ERA across 19 starts and 119 innings of work thus far in 2033 and owing to his excellent (and still developing ) control, managed to keep his WHIP at 0.98 despite his youth. Tempe will be counting on Harris, Loschilosurdo, and King to form the backbone of their staff heading into future seasons as they await the development of additional youngsters from the Knights' minor leagues.
As the Knights wrap up the first half of the 2033 campaign, it's time to look at how they've performed in what was widely expected to be another season spent developing the organization's minor league system while trotting out a cast of misfits and has-beens on the field. The biggest development, unquestionably, at the major league level during the first half was the surprise promotion and debut of the team's top pitching prospect Cooper Harris with the Knights. Despite losing each of his first three starts, Harris has performed admirably with the big club and should be a mainstay moving forward. Through those first three starts Harris has posted a 3.20 ERA to go along with a 1.12 WHIP and allowed just a shade over 10 baserunners per 9 innings.
As a whole, the pitching staff has continued to outperform expectations despite some regression by front line starter Juan Cervantes during the 2033 season. The bullpen in particular, headlined by performances from Warren Manning and Jason King, has shined throughout the season's first half and is leading the SL in ERA with a collective 2.27 mark. The aforementioned Manning has dazzled in his role as Tempe's stopper and earned his first ever All Star game nod after appearing in 52 games and posting an astonishing 1.16 ERA and miniscule 0.78 WHIP. Rumors have been flying that Manning could be traded to a contending club in the coming weeks and the Knights front office can't be blamed for looking to capitalize on Manning's impressive 2033 season. Following closely on Manning's heels is his young protégé, and the team's former Rule V pick Jason King who has been almost as dominant thus far in 2033. King has appeared in 29 games for the Knights, in just over 38 innings and carries a similar 1.16 ERA and 0.93 WHIP into the break. King has found his groove during the 2033 season and utilizes his dominant fastball to punch out SL hitters to the tune of a 13.27 K/9 rate. Perhaps most impressive, King's FIP on the year is an even better 1.14 which indicates there is no underlying luck in his performance thus far. While sources indicate that there have been multiple teams inquire on the availability of King, word out of the GM's office is that Hazelwood will not let King go without a handsome return given his youth and four-plus years of team control remaining.
Other highlights from Tempe's pitching staff in 2033 include the outstanding performance by offseason free agent acquisition Carlos Ruiz who has led the Knights staff in strikeouts and ERA for most of the season's first half. Ruiz takes an ERA of 2.99 into the break with a solid 1.21 WHIP and the big Dominican lefty will look to continue his success during the season's second half. Fellow staff member Poto Loschilosurdo has also been consistently excellent during 2033 and the second year man out of Genoa, Italy figures to have earned himself a permanent place in the Tempe rotation following some shuffling between the bullpen and rotation in 2032. Loschilosurdo has posted a solid 3.24 ERA across 19 starts and 119 innings of work thus far in 2033 and owing to his excellent (and still developing ) control, managed to keep his WHIP at 0.98 despite his youth. Tempe will be counting on Harris, Loschilosurdo, and King to form the backbone of their staff heading into future seasons as they await the development of additional youngsters from the Knights' minor leagues.
Brian Hazelwood - GM, Tempe Knights
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Apollos
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Re: The Round Table (Returns): 2033 Season
Shake-Up in Knights Scouting Department
In a previously unannounced move, the Knights revealed today that they had replaced their long-time scouting director Dax Poe and replaced him with newcomer Mark Wood. The announcement came as a surprise to Knights watchers though there had been rumors of an impending shake-up in the Tempe front office, particularly in light of Poe's continued struggles to field a team capable of posting a respectable win-loss record, though it was believed that any changes would take place at season's end. Instead, the Knights made a head scratching choice in bring aboard the aforementioned Wood who has no previous experience in his current role.
Wood was a pitcher who did have some success across 8 years in the PEBA, the majority of which he spent with the Fargo Dinosaurs, compiling a career 33-44 record to go with a 4.42 ERA. Wood retired from playing in 2018 and was said to have only recently begun scouting, having served as a regional crosschecker for the Knights covering the southeast in 2031. Evidently his influence and prowess grew quickly as he was promoted to assistant director of player development midway through the 2032 campaign and received his latest promotion following the team's recent draft. Rumors indicate that Wood has become a close confidant of current Knights GM Hazelwood, and minority owner Quintin Duppa, who has seen his influence grow behind the scenes since striking a deal with Van Hauter to buy a 10% stake in the club this past offseason.
Poe's run in Tempe ends ignominiously as the long-time scouting director continued a disturbing trend which emerged during his time with fellow Desert Hills' competition Yuma, and lose nearly two-thirds of the games he fielded a roster for. While there is plenty of blame to go around for the Knights missteps thus far, it appears the axe fell squarely on the neck of Poe who was quietly relieved of his duties a month ago. Attention now turns to the upcoming offseason which should see the Knights with significant budget room following the expected contract buy-out of pitchers Paul Norris and Juan Cervantes.
In a previously unannounced move, the Knights revealed today that they had replaced their long-time scouting director Dax Poe and replaced him with newcomer Mark Wood. The announcement came as a surprise to Knights watchers though there had been rumors of an impending shake-up in the Tempe front office, particularly in light of Poe's continued struggles to field a team capable of posting a respectable win-loss record, though it was believed that any changes would take place at season's end. Instead, the Knights made a head scratching choice in bring aboard the aforementioned Wood who has no previous experience in his current role.
Wood was a pitcher who did have some success across 8 years in the PEBA, the majority of which he spent with the Fargo Dinosaurs, compiling a career 33-44 record to go with a 4.42 ERA. Wood retired from playing in 2018 and was said to have only recently begun scouting, having served as a regional crosschecker for the Knights covering the southeast in 2031. Evidently his influence and prowess grew quickly as he was promoted to assistant director of player development midway through the 2032 campaign and received his latest promotion following the team's recent draft. Rumors indicate that Wood has become a close confidant of current Knights GM Hazelwood, and minority owner Quintin Duppa, who has seen his influence grow behind the scenes since striking a deal with Van Hauter to buy a 10% stake in the club this past offseason.
Poe's run in Tempe ends ignominiously as the long-time scouting director continued a disturbing trend which emerged during his time with fellow Desert Hills' competition Yuma, and lose nearly two-thirds of the games he fielded a roster for. While there is plenty of blame to go around for the Knights missteps thus far, it appears the axe fell squarely on the neck of Poe who was quietly relieved of his duties a month ago. Attention now turns to the upcoming offseason which should see the Knights with significant budget room following the expected contract buy-out of pitchers Paul Norris and Juan Cervantes.
Last edited by Apollos on Wed Jun 09, 2021 7:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
Brian Hazelwood - GM, Tempe Knights
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Apollos
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Re: The Round Table (Returns): 2033 Season
Knights Splurge on IFAs
Tempe made a significant move in rebuilding their previously stripped down minor league system this Summer by spending heavily in the international free agent market. The Knights snapped up three players to include the two highest signing bonuses ever issued by the team, along with the commensurate taxes paid to the league. As a result of this offseason's binge, the Knights will be almost completely unable to dabble in the 2034 IFA market, or at least heavily restricted. Let's look at the three big signings:
SP Jung-Keun T'ak: T'ak was one of the prizes of this year's IFA market. A very projectable, athletic 6'2" right hander from Cheju, South Korea, T'ak possesses an advanced repertoire at the young age of 16. T'ak features a three pitch mix including a fastball, slider, and changeup and currently throws in the low 90's, though Tempe scouts expect him to add velocity as he matures and fills out his frame. T'ak signed for $6.5 million and joined the Tempe international complex shortly after signing where he will likely spend the next 12-24 months developing before returning to his native South Korea to play for Tempe's Rookie affiliate in Sejong.
3B Claudio Norriega: Norriega is a towering, 16 year old, right-handed third baseman out of Venezuela. Signed to a whopping $5.5 million bonus, Norriega is said to possess solid defensive skills which may enable him to remain on the infield as he fills out. Currently standing at 6'4" and 190 lbs, Norriega figures to add considerable weight as he joins the Tempe developmental system. Scouts report that Norriega possesses tremendous raw power which they anticipate will develop further as he continues to refine his approach and add muscle to his lean frame.
C Gerardo Cardona: Cardona signed for $1.4 million out of Panama and is reported to maintain an above average bat and solid contact skills for a 16 year old. It is likely that Cardona will move slowly through the Knights organization given his youth and position, and the Knights have moved him to their international complex to begin development.
Tempe made a significant move in rebuilding their previously stripped down minor league system this Summer by spending heavily in the international free agent market. The Knights snapped up three players to include the two highest signing bonuses ever issued by the team, along with the commensurate taxes paid to the league. As a result of this offseason's binge, the Knights will be almost completely unable to dabble in the 2034 IFA market, or at least heavily restricted. Let's look at the three big signings:
SP Jung-Keun T'ak: T'ak was one of the prizes of this year's IFA market. A very projectable, athletic 6'2" right hander from Cheju, South Korea, T'ak possesses an advanced repertoire at the young age of 16. T'ak features a three pitch mix including a fastball, slider, and changeup and currently throws in the low 90's, though Tempe scouts expect him to add velocity as he matures and fills out his frame. T'ak signed for $6.5 million and joined the Tempe international complex shortly after signing where he will likely spend the next 12-24 months developing before returning to his native South Korea to play for Tempe's Rookie affiliate in Sejong.
3B Claudio Norriega: Norriega is a towering, 16 year old, right-handed third baseman out of Venezuela. Signed to a whopping $5.5 million bonus, Norriega is said to possess solid defensive skills which may enable him to remain on the infield as he fills out. Currently standing at 6'4" and 190 lbs, Norriega figures to add considerable weight as he joins the Tempe developmental system. Scouts report that Norriega possesses tremendous raw power which they anticipate will develop further as he continues to refine his approach and add muscle to his lean frame.
C Gerardo Cardona: Cardona signed for $1.4 million out of Panama and is reported to maintain an above average bat and solid contact skills for a 16 year old. It is likely that Cardona will move slowly through the Knights organization given his youth and position, and the Knights have moved him to their international complex to begin development.
Brian Hazelwood - GM, Tempe Knights
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Apollos
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Re: The Round Table (Returns): 2033 Season
Report: Warroom Dust-Up, Fallout Led to Poe's Termination
According to sources inside the organization, the Knights recently announced termination of former Scouting Director Dax Poe was tied directly to a draft day disagreement and the resulting fallout. As fans will recall, the Knights selected high school SP Tetsui Suzuki with this year's third overall selection. Suzuki, a highly prized left hander out of Japan was selected following an extensive internal power struggle which, according to reports, took place almost entirely while the Knights were on the clock. These same sources indicate that Poe strongly favored Suzuki, who was ultimately selected, while recently promoted Scouting Director Mark Wood was a vocal advocate for SP Will Taylor who went three picks later to Duluth at number six overall.
Suzuki signed quickly following the annual selection meeting and was immediately placed into the starting rotation of Tempe's affiliate in Sejong. The hard throwing lefty made a splash in his debut tossing 6 1/3 innings and striking out 11 batters while allowing two earned runs, but it was reported that Poe oversaw the assignment and workload limit which saw Suzuki throw a surprisingly high 105 pitches after a layoff of more than two months following his high school season. What happened next is now a matter of perspective, but Suzuki reportedly took the mound in his second start despite some limited soreness in his throwing elbow and proceeded to throw only 66 pitches before being lifted in the fifth inning. Following the short outing, Suzuki reportedly told team trainers that his discomfort had been exacerbated during the outing but that he had felt pressured to make the start following a "pep talk" from Poe the evening beforehand. An MRI on Suzuki's pitching arm the following day revealed Tempe's worst fears as he had torn his UCL and required the dreaded Tommy John surgery which would sideline him for the next 9-10 months.
Following news of Suzuki's injury and Poe's alleged meddling in the organization's developmental process, Knights GM Hazelwood was said to be outraged and called a meeting with Poe to relieve him of his duties. While Poe is a respected figure in the game and has had a significant amount of experience in acquiring young players of higher caliber, his overreach was said to have been his downfall at stops in both Tempe and Yuma and he now finds himself on the unemployment line following this latest disagreement with Knights' brass. Poe's replacement Wood, a reported Hazelwood-Duppa loyalist within the organization, is said to have seen a significant reduction in his authority over that which was given to Poe and is unlikely to have any discretion over player acquisition or draft day decision making. The Round Table sources indicate that Wood has instead been charged with developing better internal processes for the Knights scouting staff and further developing their analytics department, both of which have received significant investment following the hiring and return of Hazelwood in 2030.
According to sources inside the organization, the Knights recently announced termination of former Scouting Director Dax Poe was tied directly to a draft day disagreement and the resulting fallout. As fans will recall, the Knights selected high school SP Tetsui Suzuki with this year's third overall selection. Suzuki, a highly prized left hander out of Japan was selected following an extensive internal power struggle which, according to reports, took place almost entirely while the Knights were on the clock. These same sources indicate that Poe strongly favored Suzuki, who was ultimately selected, while recently promoted Scouting Director Mark Wood was a vocal advocate for SP Will Taylor who went three picks later to Duluth at number six overall.
Suzuki signed quickly following the annual selection meeting and was immediately placed into the starting rotation of Tempe's affiliate in Sejong. The hard throwing lefty made a splash in his debut tossing 6 1/3 innings and striking out 11 batters while allowing two earned runs, but it was reported that Poe oversaw the assignment and workload limit which saw Suzuki throw a surprisingly high 105 pitches after a layoff of more than two months following his high school season. What happened next is now a matter of perspective, but Suzuki reportedly took the mound in his second start despite some limited soreness in his throwing elbow and proceeded to throw only 66 pitches before being lifted in the fifth inning. Following the short outing, Suzuki reportedly told team trainers that his discomfort had been exacerbated during the outing but that he had felt pressured to make the start following a "pep talk" from Poe the evening beforehand. An MRI on Suzuki's pitching arm the following day revealed Tempe's worst fears as he had torn his UCL and required the dreaded Tommy John surgery which would sideline him for the next 9-10 months.
Following news of Suzuki's injury and Poe's alleged meddling in the organization's developmental process, Knights GM Hazelwood was said to be outraged and called a meeting with Poe to relieve him of his duties. While Poe is a respected figure in the game and has had a significant amount of experience in acquiring young players of higher caliber, his overreach was said to have been his downfall at stops in both Tempe and Yuma and he now finds himself on the unemployment line following this latest disagreement with Knights' brass. Poe's replacement Wood, a reported Hazelwood-Duppa loyalist within the organization, is said to have seen a significant reduction in his authority over that which was given to Poe and is unlikely to have any discretion over player acquisition or draft day decision making. The Round Table sources indicate that Wood has instead been charged with developing better internal processes for the Knights scouting staff and further developing their analytics department, both of which have received significant investment following the hiring and return of Hazelwood in 2030.
Last edited by Apollos on Sun Jan 16, 2022 8:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
Brian Hazelwood - GM, Tempe Knights
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Apollos
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Re: The Round Table (Returns): 2033 Season
2033-34 Offseason Preview
Following the crowning of the Florida Farstriders as the 2033 PEBA champs, the league turns its attention to hot stove season and the Round Table turns its attention to the upcoming offseason which expects to provide a significant revamp of the Knights current lineup. Let's take a look at some of the moves we can expect to see from Tempe as we move through the beginning of the offseason.
The Knights wasted no time in declining the team options on veteran pitchers Juan Cervantes and Paul Norris who will instead earn a combined buyout just over $3 million. The moves save the Knights almost $30 million for the upcoming season and neither came as a surprise to the team's fanbase who recognized that Norris was merely a salary offload for Madison three seasons ago. Cervantes' departure will hurt the Knights staff given his two seasons of steady contribution, but given his 2034 contract would have compensated him to the tune of $12.5 million, the team can certainly repurpose that money elsewhere considering Cervantes' middling performance during the '33 campaign. RF Dewitt Barry also declined his player option for a $6.5 million contract in 20034, instead opting for free agency in what has been regarded as a rather deep class. Barry's decision is not totally unexpected given the reports that he had asked for a trade during the 2033 campaign, but it creates another hole that the Knights will need to fill during this offseason.
With those two moves out of the wat the Knights will turn their attention to upcoming salary arbitration cases and figure to have a number of players they must make a near term decision on retaining, or cutting loose. The first of those decisions came today when the Knights DFA'ed 1B Gideon Canham. Canham, who had struggled to make contact with the ball in his previous two years with the Knights spent the bulk of 2033 with Tempe's AAA affiliate in Chandler where his numbers did not significantly improve. While his contract would have continued to call for only the league minimum in compensation, it seems the Knights FO believed they could better utilize the roster spot and have decided to part ways with the former trade acquisition from their days in the WIL.
Among other notable arbitration cases, the Knights will have to decide whether to cut ties or agree to short term deals with a number of significant contributors from the preceding year; chief among those are SS Bryant Hawkins, C Jared Maxwell, and pitchers Ryutaro Nakano, Victor Andres, and Ron Wells. It would be a mild upset if the Knights decided to allow any of these players to walk for no compensation given their positive contributions to the club. Instead, decisions will likely need to be made on a handful of fringe players such as team captain and 3B Cipriano Barrera who struggled mightily during the '33 season as he managed only a .544 OPS for the club in a part time role, losing out on playing time to 27 year old rookie Kiyonori Suzuki. Utility OF Jun Hyuk Pak will also be eligible for arbitration and may prove an interesting case given the Knights lack of depth at the position. The team had previously DFA'ed the former everyday LF Pedro Castro given his struggles with the big club this season, and allowing Pak to walk (along with the free agency departures of the aforementioned Barry and Jim Fox) will leave the Knights dangerously thing throughout the top levels of the organization. Nonetheless, Pak did nothing to help his cause during the '33 season as he contributed a god awful .433 OPS to go along with a -1.3 WAR performance this season.
In sum, the Round Table is projecting a fairly significant overhaul of the Knights lineup this offseason as they continue to search for some stability and positive contributions while awaiting the arrival of their current developmental prospects from the minors.
Following the crowning of the Florida Farstriders as the 2033 PEBA champs, the league turns its attention to hot stove season and the Round Table turns its attention to the upcoming offseason which expects to provide a significant revamp of the Knights current lineup. Let's take a look at some of the moves we can expect to see from Tempe as we move through the beginning of the offseason.
The Knights wasted no time in declining the team options on veteran pitchers Juan Cervantes and Paul Norris who will instead earn a combined buyout just over $3 million. The moves save the Knights almost $30 million for the upcoming season and neither came as a surprise to the team's fanbase who recognized that Norris was merely a salary offload for Madison three seasons ago. Cervantes' departure will hurt the Knights staff given his two seasons of steady contribution, but given his 2034 contract would have compensated him to the tune of $12.5 million, the team can certainly repurpose that money elsewhere considering Cervantes' middling performance during the '33 campaign. RF Dewitt Barry also declined his player option for a $6.5 million contract in 20034, instead opting for free agency in what has been regarded as a rather deep class. Barry's decision is not totally unexpected given the reports that he had asked for a trade during the 2033 campaign, but it creates another hole that the Knights will need to fill during this offseason.
With those two moves out of the wat the Knights will turn their attention to upcoming salary arbitration cases and figure to have a number of players they must make a near term decision on retaining, or cutting loose. The first of those decisions came today when the Knights DFA'ed 1B Gideon Canham. Canham, who had struggled to make contact with the ball in his previous two years with the Knights spent the bulk of 2033 with Tempe's AAA affiliate in Chandler where his numbers did not significantly improve. While his contract would have continued to call for only the league minimum in compensation, it seems the Knights FO believed they could better utilize the roster spot and have decided to part ways with the former trade acquisition from their days in the WIL.
Among other notable arbitration cases, the Knights will have to decide whether to cut ties or agree to short term deals with a number of significant contributors from the preceding year; chief among those are SS Bryant Hawkins, C Jared Maxwell, and pitchers Ryutaro Nakano, Victor Andres, and Ron Wells. It would be a mild upset if the Knights decided to allow any of these players to walk for no compensation given their positive contributions to the club. Instead, decisions will likely need to be made on a handful of fringe players such as team captain and 3B Cipriano Barrera who struggled mightily during the '33 season as he managed only a .544 OPS for the club in a part time role, losing out on playing time to 27 year old rookie Kiyonori Suzuki. Utility OF Jun Hyuk Pak will also be eligible for arbitration and may prove an interesting case given the Knights lack of depth at the position. The team had previously DFA'ed the former everyday LF Pedro Castro given his struggles with the big club this season, and allowing Pak to walk (along with the free agency departures of the aforementioned Barry and Jim Fox) will leave the Knights dangerously thing throughout the top levels of the organization. Nonetheless, Pak did nothing to help his cause during the '33 season as he contributed a god awful .433 OPS to go along with a -1.3 WAR performance this season.
In sum, the Round Table is projecting a fairly significant overhaul of the Knights lineup this offseason as they continue to search for some stability and positive contributions while awaiting the arrival of their current developmental prospects from the minors.
Brian Hazelwood - GM, Tempe Knights
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Re: The Round Table (Returns): 2033 Season
End of the Line for Petersen
The Knights decided not to renew the contract of third year manager Eric Petersen following the conclusion of the 2033 season and have instead begun a wide-ranging search for his replacement. While Petersen appeared to get along well with the Knights current front office, it became increasingly clear towards the end of the recently concluded season that he would be let go by the team with notoriously mettlesome owner Chris Van Hauter refusing to express his confidence in the manager during a late September interview.
Petersen was hired by the Knights shortly after they named Hazelwood to the GM post, and it was believed the two were of a like mind when it came to game day management of the club. That said, the players brought in over the preceding three years have shown little progress and it is believed that the club is seeking manager who can take a more active role in developing young talent - admittedly in short supply in Tempe - which lands on the major league roster.
Over his three years in Tempe, Petersen compiled a 191-295 record which made it difficult to bring back the inexperienced skipper. The New York native will now join the long list of coaches awaiting another chance to prove themselves.
The remainder of Petersen’s staff returns however as bench coach Duane Hernandez, hitting coach Sumitomo Aoki, and pitching coach Edgardo Rodriguez have all signed or received extensions since joining the Tempe coaching staff in the last three years.
The Knights decided not to renew the contract of third year manager Eric Petersen following the conclusion of the 2033 season and have instead begun a wide-ranging search for his replacement. While Petersen appeared to get along well with the Knights current front office, it became increasingly clear towards the end of the recently concluded season that he would be let go by the team with notoriously mettlesome owner Chris Van Hauter refusing to express his confidence in the manager during a late September interview.
Petersen was hired by the Knights shortly after they named Hazelwood to the GM post, and it was believed the two were of a like mind when it came to game day management of the club. That said, the players brought in over the preceding three years have shown little progress and it is believed that the club is seeking manager who can take a more active role in developing young talent - admittedly in short supply in Tempe - which lands on the major league roster.
Over his three years in Tempe, Petersen compiled a 191-295 record which made it difficult to bring back the inexperienced skipper. The New York native will now join the long list of coaches awaiting another chance to prove themselves.
The remainder of Petersen’s staff returns however as bench coach Duane Hernandez, hitting coach Sumitomo Aoki, and pitching coach Edgardo Rodriguez have all signed or received extensions since joining the Tempe coaching staff in the last three years.
Brian Hazelwood - GM, Tempe Knights
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Apollos
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- Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:16 am
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Re: The Round Table (Returns): 2033 Season
Knights Hire Campbell to Replace Petersen
Tempe has announced that they have agreed to a deal with the relatively unknown Jason Campbell to be the team’s next manager, replacing the recently departed Eric Petersen. Campbell was a former relief pitcher having retired following the 2025 season, having appeared in only one season at the PEBA level with the Canton Longshoremen in 2023. Since his retirement Campbell has managed his local American Legion team in his hometown of Casa Grande, AZ and is a surprise pick to fill the Knights top job.
At the precocious age of 37, Campbell becomes the league’s youngest manager by more than 4 years and it is widely rumored that his relative youth and inexperience were one of the keys to his hiring as it allows significantly more control of the on-field management by the Knights front office.
At his introductory press conference Campbell trotted out the usual tropes and cliches about returning the Knights to winning ways, and did indicate that he intends to be aggressive both offensively and defensively while minding the desires of GM Hazelwood and his staff. “This is an athletic, potentially dynamic ballclub that’s been assembled here,” Campbell told the assembled media. “My intention is to take full advantage of that as we square off with the other clubs of the Sovereign League.”
Hazelwood spoke of Campbell’s energy and youth bringing a new dynamic to the club and paid special mention of Campbell’s academic background and degree in psychology as determining factors in his hiring. Whether any of these traits actually help the Knights in fielding a winning team in 2034 are yet to be determined, but rumors persist that owner Chris Van Hauter’s patience is wearing thing with the multi year rebuild ongoing in Tempe and has openly expressed his desire to field a winning ballclub this season, perhaps even having issued a mandate to Hazelwood following the 2033 campaign.
Tempe has announced that they have agreed to a deal with the relatively unknown Jason Campbell to be the team’s next manager, replacing the recently departed Eric Petersen. Campbell was a former relief pitcher having retired following the 2025 season, having appeared in only one season at the PEBA level with the Canton Longshoremen in 2023. Since his retirement Campbell has managed his local American Legion team in his hometown of Casa Grande, AZ and is a surprise pick to fill the Knights top job.
At the precocious age of 37, Campbell becomes the league’s youngest manager by more than 4 years and it is widely rumored that his relative youth and inexperience were one of the keys to his hiring as it allows significantly more control of the on-field management by the Knights front office.
At his introductory press conference Campbell trotted out the usual tropes and cliches about returning the Knights to winning ways, and did indicate that he intends to be aggressive both offensively and defensively while minding the desires of GM Hazelwood and his staff. “This is an athletic, potentially dynamic ballclub that’s been assembled here,” Campbell told the assembled media. “My intention is to take full advantage of that as we square off with the other clubs of the Sovereign League.”
Hazelwood spoke of Campbell’s energy and youth bringing a new dynamic to the club and paid special mention of Campbell’s academic background and degree in psychology as determining factors in his hiring. Whether any of these traits actually help the Knights in fielding a winning team in 2034 are yet to be determined, but rumors persist that owner Chris Van Hauter’s patience is wearing thing with the multi year rebuild ongoing in Tempe and has openly expressed his desire to field a winning ballclub this season, perhaps even having issued a mandate to Hazelwood following the 2033 campaign.
Brian Hazelwood - GM, Tempe Knights