It hasn't been to the best of starts in Kentucky to say the least. Despite what should have been a relatively easy schedule the Thoroughbreds sit a 17-21 already 4 games out of the Wildcard race and completely out of the division race. They are 25th in the PEBA in runs scored and 23rd in ERA - all this from a team that was expected to challenge the 100 win mark again this year. Crowds are down despite lower ticket prices, there have been multiple 'emergency' team meetings and there is no help coming in the minors as the Thoroughbred farm system ranks 31 out of 32 teams. To top it all off there isn't much money in the coffers to add salary or to resign pending free agents. Is this the beginning of the end for this Kentucky group? Is it time to panic or can they turn things around?
Starting pitching, any warm body will do
The big failure of Kentucky management this off season was their inability to add some starting pitching depth. With Park, Soutar and Alvarado no longer with the organization and with #2 starter Roberto Rivera's chronic back issues, Kentucky needed to be aggressive in adding a veteran arm to the organization. They did send out a few offers, but nothing came to fruition and now given the way the season has started I am betting they wish they had been more assertive in free agency.
Although not spectacular, the top 4 starters have been pretty solid this season for Kentucky - Luis Jimenez has been the best of the bunch going 4-4 with a 2.93 ERA. Unfortunately the often injured Rivera is now out for 3 weeks after back spasms forced him to leave a start against Hartford in which he had pitched 5 perfect innings. Along with Rivera's injury rookie Edward Anderson has been a complete disaster in the 5th starter role as in 5 starts and 7 appearances this season he is 1-3 with a 9.23 ERA. He has been pulled from the rotation, but he can't be sent down with out passing through waivers and despite his struggles Kentucky management is not convinced he would clear.
Despite much effort Kentucky hasn't been able to add anybody via the trade market either.
This past week the staff was helped with quality starts from rookies Bartolo Cervantes and Declan MacLean , two pitchers who weren't necessarily expected to be in the mix. Cervantes , 23 years old, was a 4th round pick in 2034. He was pitching well - 4-2 with a 2.25 ERA in AAA - Cervantes has very good stuff, but his control deserts him at times.
MacLean is even more of a long shot - he is a rookie reliever who spent all of last season in AA. In his first start he went 5.2 innings and gave up 4 runs and looked relatively comfortable. If one of these 2 can hold even pitch adequately for the next few weeks, it would be huge for the Thoroughbreds.
Barren Bench
Last year Kentucky's successful regular season was helped along by their depth and the play of their backups. This is definitely not the case this season as all 5 bench players have a negative WAR.
Outfielder Yataro Tanaki hit .385 last season which has helped him earn a lot of playing time this season. Unfortunately he has struggled all season long and is hitting .214 on the year with only 4 extra base hits. Infielder Dale Spencer, who won an all leather award at 2b in 2037, is without a hit in his first 15 at bats on the season. With Kentucky struggling so much on offence it is tough to play Spencer even with his good glove.
The coach's patience with Kanai Aliimalu must be all but done. Once again he has been given a chance to grab more of a share of the playing time in the infield and once again he is failing. Despite playing exclusively against right handed pitching, Aliimalu is hitting .184 with a .231 OBP in 49 at bats. Lucky for Aliimalu there is nobody on the farm ready to take his spot or he would be done.
Backup catcher Tony Gonzalez is hitting .179 and rookie outfielder Sergio Blanco is even worse at .162. With Kentucky falling further behind in the race expect the Thoroughbreds to ride their starters heavily over the next few weeks as they attempt to get back in the race.
Last season for Mesegue?
Ever since he was brought over in a trade in 2035, catcher Antonio Mesegue has been a key part of this Kentucky team. A leader on and off the field, Mesegue has been a steadying influence on this Thoroughbred pitching staff. He has been an all-star twice and most fans are hoping that he would re sign with the team and end his career here. Early reports are that Mesegue is trying to cash in with a 4 or 5 year contract at over 16 million a year. At these numbers there is almost no chance that Kentucky will bring him back into this mix. This will create a huge hole for Kentucky as they have nobody in the organization ready to take over the catching duties. The big question is will Kentucky trade draft capital or any of the few prospects they have to fill their gaps behind the plate and in the starting rotation??
Call to the Post - 2039 Season Updates
-
Thoroughbreds
- Double-A
- Posts: 153
- Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:38 am
Call to the Post - 2039 Season Updates
Sean Torgerson
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
-
Thoroughbreds
- Double-A
- Posts: 153
- Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:38 am
Re: Call to the Post - 2039 Season Updates
After an extremely slow start to the season, there are signs of life in Kentucky. They are currently 9-2 in their last 11 games and have finally moved slightly above the .500 mark to sit at 29-28 on the season. Despite their recent hot streak, they are definitely not firing on all cylinders as of yet - with 6 games against the Scottish coming up as well as a 3 game set against Manchester, the Thoroughbreds will have to up their performance if they want to remain above .500 and in the wild card chase.
Last week the team won 2 out of 3 vs Arlington, but it was by the skin off their teeth. In game 1 Kentucky was extremely lucky not to lose when closer Matt Brown gave up a career high six hits in the bottom of the ninth to blow a 3 run lead. The team was saved by a 13th inning homer by Kanai Aliimalu, his second of the year. In game 2 they scraped out a 2-1 win on just 6 hits - not exactly overly impressive.
The start of the next series against Charleston the Thoroughbreds only managed 6 hits and 1 run, but were saved by a brilliant 2-hit shut out performance by Dong-Hak Yi . After losing game 2 of the series, Aliimalu saved the day again with 4 RBI in a game that Kentucky won 6-3.
Desperate Kentucky trades for Chang
In a big move Kentucky gave up 3 draft picks including their 1st round supplemental pick to add starter Sa-Yoor Chang from Shin Seiki. With some of the struggles and injuries in the rotation the Thoroughbreds were under increasing pressure to bolster their rotation before they fell out of the playoff race. Despite only being 24 years old, Chang already has over 4 years service time and 95 starts in the PEBA and he has a career record of 29-23 with an ERA of 3.80. At 21 years old, Chang made the all-star team when he went 15-8 with a 3.15 ERA.
Over the past couple of seasons, Chang has struggled a little with his control and has not been as effective as early in his career, but he can hit 100 MPH on the radar gun and he has an elite fastball so Kentucky is hoping he can be an effective starter for years to come.
"We love his makeup" said manager Paul Connor, " he keeps the ball on the ground and he can dominate when he is on his game. We now have 5 starters 30 years old or younger, 3 of which are under 26, so hopefully we can keep this group together for a few years."
The Kentucky faithful are hoping this trade works out as well as the last one with the Evas that saw Yi come to down in excahnge for multiple prospects and picks. Yi went on to win the golden arm award last season.
On the Farm
- After a solid start, top prospect Dave 'ox' Sherman has started to struggle in A ball - after 2 bad starts this week, his ERA has ballooned to over 6. Could he be on his way down?
- Bartolo Cervantes impressed in his emergency call up to the big club. In 4 starts he went 2-1 with a 3.45 ERA. Coupled with his 2.59 ERA in AAA, it looks like he is not far away from a full time chance with the Thoroughbreds.
- First baseman and Top hitting prospect Hank Petiet had a quick start with the Barrow Artic Blast in single A. In his first 30 at bats he is hitting .300 with 3 homers
- Another first baseman WIlliam Dingle is the early front runner for minor league hitter of the year. With Fort Wayne he is hitting .335 with 8 homers on the season.
Dr. Evil marches on
In the 2037 off season the Thoroughbreds needed to shore up their shortstop position so they made a big splash by signing Naomi Honma to a 6 year, 126 million dollar contract. At the time Honma was regarded as one of the best defensive shortstops in the PEBA, however the contract raised a few eyebrows as most wondered if Honma would be able to maintain his defensive prowess into his mid and late 30's.
So far so good, a third of the way into the 2039 season, Honma is rated as the second best defensive shortstop in the PEBA behind Dave Pacheco of West Virginia. Honma's WAR of 2.1 is second on the team behind center fielder Pedro Permudez . He is a 6 time all star who has a career WAR of 60.8 and a this pace he is putting himself in the conversation for the Hall of Fame. Although he is not an offensive juggernaut he does have 236 career homers and 400 stolen bases.
If the Thoroughbreds are to continue their playoff run they are going to need Honma to remain at the top of his game for as long as possible.
Last week the team won 2 out of 3 vs Arlington, but it was by the skin off their teeth. In game 1 Kentucky was extremely lucky not to lose when closer Matt Brown gave up a career high six hits in the bottom of the ninth to blow a 3 run lead. The team was saved by a 13th inning homer by Kanai Aliimalu, his second of the year. In game 2 they scraped out a 2-1 win on just 6 hits - not exactly overly impressive.
The start of the next series against Charleston the Thoroughbreds only managed 6 hits and 1 run, but were saved by a brilliant 2-hit shut out performance by Dong-Hak Yi . After losing game 2 of the series, Aliimalu saved the day again with 4 RBI in a game that Kentucky won 6-3.
Desperate Kentucky trades for Chang
In a big move Kentucky gave up 3 draft picks including their 1st round supplemental pick to add starter Sa-Yoor Chang from Shin Seiki. With some of the struggles and injuries in the rotation the Thoroughbreds were under increasing pressure to bolster their rotation before they fell out of the playoff race. Despite only being 24 years old, Chang already has over 4 years service time and 95 starts in the PEBA and he has a career record of 29-23 with an ERA of 3.80. At 21 years old, Chang made the all-star team when he went 15-8 with a 3.15 ERA.
Over the past couple of seasons, Chang has struggled a little with his control and has not been as effective as early in his career, but he can hit 100 MPH on the radar gun and he has an elite fastball so Kentucky is hoping he can be an effective starter for years to come.
"We love his makeup" said manager Paul Connor, " he keeps the ball on the ground and he can dominate when he is on his game. We now have 5 starters 30 years old or younger, 3 of which are under 26, so hopefully we can keep this group together for a few years."
The Kentucky faithful are hoping this trade works out as well as the last one with the Evas that saw Yi come to down in excahnge for multiple prospects and picks. Yi went on to win the golden arm award last season.
On the Farm
- After a solid start, top prospect Dave 'ox' Sherman has started to struggle in A ball - after 2 bad starts this week, his ERA has ballooned to over 6. Could he be on his way down?
- Bartolo Cervantes impressed in his emergency call up to the big club. In 4 starts he went 2-1 with a 3.45 ERA. Coupled with his 2.59 ERA in AAA, it looks like he is not far away from a full time chance with the Thoroughbreds.
- First baseman and Top hitting prospect Hank Petiet had a quick start with the Barrow Artic Blast in single A. In his first 30 at bats he is hitting .300 with 3 homers
- Another first baseman WIlliam Dingle is the early front runner for minor league hitter of the year. With Fort Wayne he is hitting .335 with 8 homers on the season.
Dr. Evil marches on
In the 2037 off season the Thoroughbreds needed to shore up their shortstop position so they made a big splash by signing Naomi Honma to a 6 year, 126 million dollar contract. At the time Honma was regarded as one of the best defensive shortstops in the PEBA, however the contract raised a few eyebrows as most wondered if Honma would be able to maintain his defensive prowess into his mid and late 30's.
So far so good, a third of the way into the 2039 season, Honma is rated as the second best defensive shortstop in the PEBA behind Dave Pacheco of West Virginia. Honma's WAR of 2.1 is second on the team behind center fielder Pedro Permudez . He is a 6 time all star who has a career WAR of 60.8 and a this pace he is putting himself in the conversation for the Hall of Fame. Although he is not an offensive juggernaut he does have 236 career homers and 400 stolen bases.
If the Thoroughbreds are to continue their playoff run they are going to need Honma to remain at the top of his game for as long as possible.
Sean Torgerson
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
-
Thoroughbreds
- Double-A
- Posts: 153
- Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:38 am
Re: Call to the Post - 2039 Season Updates
After a 5-2 week that featured many close games and two late crucial blown leads against the Scottish Claymores, the Kentucky Thoroughbreds are now back into the playoff mix, sitting a half a game back of both New Jersey and Amsterdam. Unless something drastically changes, it looks like the final 2 wild card spots in the IL will be a battle between those 2 teams and Kentucky. Florida, Scottish, London, and West Virginia all are looking very solid (some a little more solid than others) for a playoff spot.
Kentucky has gone 15-8 with this month to improve their record to 42-35 which is precisely 4.8 light years behind the Florida Farstriders. The schedule is about to get tough as I will discuss next so it will be interesting to see if Kentucky can tread water and stay in the race. Despite the improved record the Thoroughbreds have not been overly impressive as of late, many of their wins are in very tight close games. Their run differential is just +18, well below the pace of previous years and well below that of the 2 teams they need to catch - Amsterdam and New Jersey.
Huge week coming up
Besides the playoff games, this next stretch and specifically this next series against Amsterdam will definitely be the biggest and most important games that the Thoroughbreds have played in several seasons. Amsterdam has a half game lead on Kentucky in the wild card race and if Kentucky wants to continue their streak of making the playoffs, these are the types of games they need to win especially at home. Adding to the pressure of this series is the fact that immediately after it is done, the Thoroughbreds fly to Florida to face the best team in the PEBA. The way Florida are demolishing teams ( + 255 runs differential, outscoring teams by 3 runs average per game) the best Kentucky can hope for is to come home with a single win in that series and they will probably be happy with that. If they lose the Amsterdam series the could find themselves well back by the end of the week. Something they can't afford to do as beyond this week, they have games against West Virginia, Scottish and London all on the horizon. Luis Jimenez is slated to pitch in the opener, followed followed by Valke Petiet and then ace Dong-hak Yi.
Jimenez has found is grove again this season after spending all of last year in the bullpen. He leads the team in wins (7) and ERA (2.97). Petiet has been solid at the bottom end of the rotation going 5-4 with a 3.74 ERA on the year. Yi has not been able to replicate his gaudy numbers from last season but he has pitched very well as of late. He gives the team a chance to win every time he starts.
Trouble on the horizon?
Ticket prices are down and so is attendance in Kentucky. It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that with fewer fans coming to the game who are paying less money it means there is less money to be spend. Despite being one of the better teams in the PEBA over the past few years it has hurt that Kentucky plays in the same division as Florida - basically they are playing for second and the wildcard from opening day onward. Perhaps if Kentucky can stay in a heated playoff race this season attendance will improve in the second half.
Along with less money coming in, rumours are abound that owner Josh Myers wants to slash the budget by approximately 50 million by the beginning of the 2041 season. With several players - Mu, Rivera, Santos, Honma - being paid a cumulative total of over 85 million a year until the end of 2042, you can understand how things may get a little tight.
For the first time in the past 5 seasons it looks like the playoffs will not be a guarantee for the Thoroughbreds - if they miss out they will also come up empty on any playoff revenue. Three important players, catcher Antonio Mesegue, 3b Juan Carlos Cruz and closer Matt Brown are all up for free agency this season and it is looking doubtful than they will be able to resign any of them.
More concerning is the fact that ace Dong-hak Yi is up for free agency this year and center fielder Pedro Bermudez is up the year after - both will command huge contracts.
What direction will Kentucky take? Will they try and offload one of their veteran contracts? WIll they trade Bermudez or Yi and try and restock the farm system. A long playoff run would a huge help to restock the coffers, but it may not loosen the purse stings of the owner.
Either way this may we could be seeing the beginning of an new direction or era very shortly in Kentucky.
Rivera settling in?
Last off-season, in an effort to put them over the top and compete with Florida, Kentucky opened up the bank and signed starter Roberto Rivera to a 6 year - 134 million dollar contract. Rivera was a past golden arm award winner and the only concern with the contract was whether the often injured Rivera would stay healthy enough to provide enough value for that large contract. His ability and talent was never a question. Rivera has stayed relatively healthy but last season he was little more than a slightly above average pitcher when the team was looking for an ace. After a mediocre start, Rivera has been very good this season. Despite on having 3 wins, he leads the team with a 0.96 WHIP. He could even get some consideration for the all-star game this year. He will have the biggest start of his Kentucky career coming up next week against Florida. If Kentucky wants to make the postseason, they will need him to stay healthy and be at his best.
Kentucky has gone 15-8 with this month to improve their record to 42-35 which is precisely 4.8 light years behind the Florida Farstriders. The schedule is about to get tough as I will discuss next so it will be interesting to see if Kentucky can tread water and stay in the race. Despite the improved record the Thoroughbreds have not been overly impressive as of late, many of their wins are in very tight close games. Their run differential is just +18, well below the pace of previous years and well below that of the 2 teams they need to catch - Amsterdam and New Jersey.
Huge week coming up
Besides the playoff games, this next stretch and specifically this next series against Amsterdam will definitely be the biggest and most important games that the Thoroughbreds have played in several seasons. Amsterdam has a half game lead on Kentucky in the wild card race and if Kentucky wants to continue their streak of making the playoffs, these are the types of games they need to win especially at home. Adding to the pressure of this series is the fact that immediately after it is done, the Thoroughbreds fly to Florida to face the best team in the PEBA. The way Florida are demolishing teams ( + 255 runs differential, outscoring teams by 3 runs average per game) the best Kentucky can hope for is to come home with a single win in that series and they will probably be happy with that. If they lose the Amsterdam series the could find themselves well back by the end of the week. Something they can't afford to do as beyond this week, they have games against West Virginia, Scottish and London all on the horizon. Luis Jimenez is slated to pitch in the opener, followed followed by Valke Petiet and then ace Dong-hak Yi.
Jimenez has found is grove again this season after spending all of last year in the bullpen. He leads the team in wins (7) and ERA (2.97). Petiet has been solid at the bottom end of the rotation going 5-4 with a 3.74 ERA on the year. Yi has not been able to replicate his gaudy numbers from last season but he has pitched very well as of late. He gives the team a chance to win every time he starts.
Trouble on the horizon?
Ticket prices are down and so is attendance in Kentucky. It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that with fewer fans coming to the game who are paying less money it means there is less money to be spend. Despite being one of the better teams in the PEBA over the past few years it has hurt that Kentucky plays in the same division as Florida - basically they are playing for second and the wildcard from opening day onward. Perhaps if Kentucky can stay in a heated playoff race this season attendance will improve in the second half.
Along with less money coming in, rumours are abound that owner Josh Myers wants to slash the budget by approximately 50 million by the beginning of the 2041 season. With several players - Mu, Rivera, Santos, Honma - being paid a cumulative total of over 85 million a year until the end of 2042, you can understand how things may get a little tight.
For the first time in the past 5 seasons it looks like the playoffs will not be a guarantee for the Thoroughbreds - if they miss out they will also come up empty on any playoff revenue. Three important players, catcher Antonio Mesegue, 3b Juan Carlos Cruz and closer Matt Brown are all up for free agency this season and it is looking doubtful than they will be able to resign any of them.
More concerning is the fact that ace Dong-hak Yi is up for free agency this year and center fielder Pedro Bermudez is up the year after - both will command huge contracts.
What direction will Kentucky take? Will they try and offload one of their veteran contracts? WIll they trade Bermudez or Yi and try and restock the farm system. A long playoff run would a huge help to restock the coffers, but it may not loosen the purse stings of the owner.
Either way this may we could be seeing the beginning of an new direction or era very shortly in Kentucky.
Rivera settling in?
Last off-season, in an effort to put them over the top and compete with Florida, Kentucky opened up the bank and signed starter Roberto Rivera to a 6 year - 134 million dollar contract. Rivera was a past golden arm award winner and the only concern with the contract was whether the often injured Rivera would stay healthy enough to provide enough value for that large contract. His ability and talent was never a question. Rivera has stayed relatively healthy but last season he was little more than a slightly above average pitcher when the team was looking for an ace. After a mediocre start, Rivera has been very good this season. Despite on having 3 wins, he leads the team with a 0.96 WHIP. He could even get some consideration for the all-star game this year. He will have the biggest start of his Kentucky career coming up next week against Florida. If Kentucky wants to make the postseason, they will need him to stay healthy and be at his best.
Sean Torgerson
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
-
Thoroughbreds
- Double-A
- Posts: 153
- Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:38 am
Re: Call to the Post - 2039 Season Updates
Well, Well, well, what a busy and shocking week it has been for the Kentucky Thoroughbreds. After a very good last month and a half that moved them into playoff position, the Thoroughbreds traded two of their most important players - we will dig into that more below. The also signed several international free agents this past week and they had a few players represent them at the all-star festivities.
As for the baseball side of things, Kentucky just finished a 4 game set against the white hot Alleghenies and after losing the first 3 they managed to salvage the 4th game. Up next is the Scottish who, to say the least, have had Kentucky's number of the past year and a half. On the bright side of things, the schedule does get a little easier for the Thoroughbreds over the next month after the Claymore series - will they be able to take advantage?
The trade that shocked the world...or at least Kentucky
Coming off their best stretch of the season and in a playoff position, things were starting to look up and then out of nowhere two of the most important players on the roster are shipped out?? Antonio Santos and Antonio Mesegue are headed to Kentucky's favourite trading partner, Shin Seiki. Santos, fresh off a 2nd place finish in the HR derby, hit his 400th career homer earlier this season and is 2nd overall in the PEBA this year with 28. Offensively he is arguably their most valuable hitter - he also plays well defensively at first base. Mesegue, who has been an all-star twice in his 4+ seasons with Kentucky was great at handling the staff and was even better in the locker room. Losing these two could really damage Kentucky's playoff chances.
Coming back the other way is 27 year old catcher Yoshiyuki Takahashi who was an all-star in 2038. Although Takahashi can play 1st base as well, he should ultimately be the team's starting catcher for the forseeable future. As much as the team probably didn't want Mesegue to go, it was highly unlikely that the team would be able to afford to resign him.
Veteran outfielder's Lorenzo Valdez and Jason Box will also be joining the Thoroughbreds. Both should be able to provide some offence off the bench but it is unlikely that either will remain with the club after this season.
Kentucky also added 22 year old relief pitcher, Jack Harris. Harris has a live arm and projects to be a solid reliever in the PEBA.
We asked GM Sean Torgerson to explain the logic in this trade and here is what he had to say;
Torgerson "Look, I understand why there are some fans questioning why we did this but I have to keep an eye on the future of this organization as well. The way I see it is - this year is a lot different then my first 4 years here. Even though we had several playoff disappointments in the wild card rounds it felt like we were competitive and had a chance. We played Florida extremely tough and even beat them in the playoffs one year as well as had a decent record against them in the regular season. We had a good battle with West Virginia the year they won the championship.
This year we haven't competed well versus the top teams at all. Both Scottish and London have continued to improve and have beat us pretty easily. So even if we make the playoffs, I don't think it is realistic that we have much of a chance to win one series, let alone 3 against those teams and that would be just to make the championship. We are just not there and have to be realistic. Trading Santos is tough, but it clears 22 million per year in salary the next few years, which provides us a better chance to sign a couple of our free agents over the next couple of years - especially Yi and Bermudez. It also gives us a chance to resign Juan Carlos Cruz this year.
Everyone loved Mesegue - he was great for this organization, but we weren't going to be able to keep him with would have left a big hole at catcher for us going forward. Takahashi is a 26 year old former all-star who can fill that void for us.
And hey, we haven't thrown in the towel yet, we have a good young starting staff and I still have some irons in the fire. There is still plenty of talent on this team and we are still gunning for the playoffs this season.
Bermudez and Gore represent Kentucky
It had to be a little tough for Kentucky fans to see Rory Soutar as the all-starter for the IL - how much better would Kentucky's season look if Soutar was still on the roster? Two players who did represent Kentucky were DH Dan Gore and Center fielder Pedro Bermudez , both of who were making their second consecutive appearance. Bermudez is Kentucky's most valuable position player and one of the best defensive centre fielders in the league. He has had a WAR above 5 the past couple of years and he is well on his way to doing so again. On the year he is hitting .292 with 13 homers, 52 RBI and 26 stolen bases.
Gore who lead the all-star game with 3 hits has been remarkably consistent this year. He is 3rd in the PEBA with hits (114), 2nd it doubles (29) and 7th in total bases (184)t They will need a huge second half from him - especially with the absence of Santos.
As for the baseball side of things, Kentucky just finished a 4 game set against the white hot Alleghenies and after losing the first 3 they managed to salvage the 4th game. Up next is the Scottish who, to say the least, have had Kentucky's number of the past year and a half. On the bright side of things, the schedule does get a little easier for the Thoroughbreds over the next month after the Claymore series - will they be able to take advantage?
The trade that shocked the world...or at least Kentucky
Coming off their best stretch of the season and in a playoff position, things were starting to look up and then out of nowhere two of the most important players on the roster are shipped out?? Antonio Santos and Antonio Mesegue are headed to Kentucky's favourite trading partner, Shin Seiki. Santos, fresh off a 2nd place finish in the HR derby, hit his 400th career homer earlier this season and is 2nd overall in the PEBA this year with 28. Offensively he is arguably their most valuable hitter - he also plays well defensively at first base. Mesegue, who has been an all-star twice in his 4+ seasons with Kentucky was great at handling the staff and was even better in the locker room. Losing these two could really damage Kentucky's playoff chances.
Coming back the other way is 27 year old catcher Yoshiyuki Takahashi who was an all-star in 2038. Although Takahashi can play 1st base as well, he should ultimately be the team's starting catcher for the forseeable future. As much as the team probably didn't want Mesegue to go, it was highly unlikely that the team would be able to afford to resign him.
Veteran outfielder's Lorenzo Valdez and Jason Box will also be joining the Thoroughbreds. Both should be able to provide some offence off the bench but it is unlikely that either will remain with the club after this season.
Kentucky also added 22 year old relief pitcher, Jack Harris. Harris has a live arm and projects to be a solid reliever in the PEBA.
We asked GM Sean Torgerson to explain the logic in this trade and here is what he had to say;
Torgerson "Look, I understand why there are some fans questioning why we did this but I have to keep an eye on the future of this organization as well. The way I see it is - this year is a lot different then my first 4 years here. Even though we had several playoff disappointments in the wild card rounds it felt like we were competitive and had a chance. We played Florida extremely tough and even beat them in the playoffs one year as well as had a decent record against them in the regular season. We had a good battle with West Virginia the year they won the championship.
This year we haven't competed well versus the top teams at all. Both Scottish and London have continued to improve and have beat us pretty easily. So even if we make the playoffs, I don't think it is realistic that we have much of a chance to win one series, let alone 3 against those teams and that would be just to make the championship. We are just not there and have to be realistic. Trading Santos is tough, but it clears 22 million per year in salary the next few years, which provides us a better chance to sign a couple of our free agents over the next couple of years - especially Yi and Bermudez. It also gives us a chance to resign Juan Carlos Cruz this year.
Everyone loved Mesegue - he was great for this organization, but we weren't going to be able to keep him with would have left a big hole at catcher for us going forward. Takahashi is a 26 year old former all-star who can fill that void for us.
And hey, we haven't thrown in the towel yet, we have a good young starting staff and I still have some irons in the fire. There is still plenty of talent on this team and we are still gunning for the playoffs this season.
Bermudez and Gore represent Kentucky
It had to be a little tough for Kentucky fans to see Rory Soutar as the all-starter for the IL - how much better would Kentucky's season look if Soutar was still on the roster? Two players who did represent Kentucky were DH Dan Gore and Center fielder Pedro Bermudez , both of who were making their second consecutive appearance. Bermudez is Kentucky's most valuable position player and one of the best defensive centre fielders in the league. He has had a WAR above 5 the past couple of years and he is well on his way to doing so again. On the year he is hitting .292 with 13 homers, 52 RBI and 26 stolen bases.
Gore who lead the all-star game with 3 hits has been remarkably consistent this year. He is 3rd in the PEBA with hits (114), 2nd it doubles (29) and 7th in total bases (184)t They will need a huge second half from him - especially with the absence of Santos.
Sean Torgerson
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
-
Thoroughbreds
- Double-A
- Posts: 153
- Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2022 1:38 am
Re: Call to the Post - 2039 Season Updates
It is shaping up to be one of the most exciting months the IL has seen in a long time. With a little over a month left, West Virginia, New Jersey, Kentucky, Amsterdam and London are all within 1.5 games of each other. New Jersey and West Virginia have 2 shots to make the playoffs, one of the two teams will qualify as a division winner, while the other will battle the remaining 4 teams for 3 wild card spots. Each week there will be at least one huge series and it starts right away for Kentucky as they host West Virginia in a massive 4 game series. Kentucky will be hoping for at least a split in this one, but it will be tough. With both of their direct competitors facing off New Jersey might be the winner here if they can take care of business against Manchester while Kentucky and West Virginia beat up on each other.
After a terrible start to the season Kentucky was red hot during the easier part of their schedule which got them back in the playoff picture. A recent 1-5 record in 2 series vs Florida and a sweep at the hands of the Trendsetters have put a dent in the Thoroughbreds playoff chances.
Will Shu-de Mu stay?
WAR wise, Shu-de Mu is one of the most productive players to ever play for Kentucky. While playing for Kentucky, only two players have a higher combined WAR - Pedro Rodriguez and Marcus Sanchez, both of whom won a Royal Raker award with Kentucky. In fact if Mu has a strong finish to the season he may sit alone on top of that list. After a slow start to the season most people thought it was a no brainer that he would decline his right to opt of of his contract that would pay him 18 million next season. But after an August that saw MU hit .323 with a .422 OBP his numbers are starting to normalize. Most people think he will still opt to play here next season because it will be tough to see someone signing him for 18 million next year despite his productivity. However after next season in 2041 the team has an opportunity to opt out of the contract, which will probably be a safe bet. So will he opt for 18 million next year and hope he has a good year or will he opt out this year and play for less money next season but potentially for a 3 or 4 year deal that will give him some security?
Either way if Kentucky makes the playoffs this season, they need Mu at his best, hopefully for their sake he stays hot.
Did Kentucky hit a home run with their 1st round pick
In a farm system that is devoid of any blue chip prospects, Kentucky needs all the help they can get. Their pick this season may provide a glimmer of light for the future. Dave Ramirez was selected 31st overall in the first round of this past draft. He was generally thought as a glove first infielder with a little bit of pop in his bat. The Texas native had never hit higher than .270 in college with the Marshall McConaugheys and that was in his 18 year old freshman season - 4 years ago. After the draft Ramirez was assigned to the Bowling Green Rebels in double AA and has done nothing but impress the coaching staff. He can play shortstop, second base and third base all extremely well and it looks like his offense maybe better than advertised. Despite a bit of a slow start he now has a .327 OBP and 7 homers. Most people think he will be ready for triple AAA next season. On top of all this he has an extremely high work ethic. With current shortstop Naomi Honma age 34 and second baseman Luke Kossan age 32, a new middle infielder could be arriving at exactly the right time.
Could the bullpen be Kentucky's downfall
Over the past few seasons, the bullpen in Kentucky has been one of their strengths. Besides 24 year old closer Mike Travis , who has been great all season and perhaps rookie lefthander Declan Maclean everyone else has underperformed and manager Paul Connor has very few options when he needs a reliable arm. Kentucky paid a relatively high price to get 25 year old Omar Bickford from New Orleans. Bickford was coming off a rookie season that saw him produce a 2.84 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. This season his WHIP has ballooned to 1.59 and his ERA to 4.82. The fact that he is still in a setup role says a lot about the rest of the bullpen. Esteban Benitez has been ok (3.21 ERA) and there is some speculation he will take over Bickford's role. Ramiro Perez has been a disaster this year - at one point clearing waivers and being sent to the minors. It is doubtful that he will be with the team next season. Veteran closer Matt Brown is having his worst season in the PEBA and has lost his closer's role. Other than that, Edward Anderson has provided some decent innings after flaming out as the team's 5th start - but with his control problems he is definitely hard to trust. If Kentucky is the odd team out this season it will be tough not to put a decent chunk of the blame on the pen.
After a terrible start to the season Kentucky was red hot during the easier part of their schedule which got them back in the playoff picture. A recent 1-5 record in 2 series vs Florida and a sweep at the hands of the Trendsetters have put a dent in the Thoroughbreds playoff chances.
Will Shu-de Mu stay?
WAR wise, Shu-de Mu is one of the most productive players to ever play for Kentucky. While playing for Kentucky, only two players have a higher combined WAR - Pedro Rodriguez and Marcus Sanchez, both of whom won a Royal Raker award with Kentucky. In fact if Mu has a strong finish to the season he may sit alone on top of that list. After a slow start to the season most people thought it was a no brainer that he would decline his right to opt of of his contract that would pay him 18 million next season. But after an August that saw MU hit .323 with a .422 OBP his numbers are starting to normalize. Most people think he will still opt to play here next season because it will be tough to see someone signing him for 18 million next year despite his productivity. However after next season in 2041 the team has an opportunity to opt out of the contract, which will probably be a safe bet. So will he opt for 18 million next year and hope he has a good year or will he opt out this year and play for less money next season but potentially for a 3 or 4 year deal that will give him some security?
Either way if Kentucky makes the playoffs this season, they need Mu at his best, hopefully for their sake he stays hot.
Did Kentucky hit a home run with their 1st round pick
In a farm system that is devoid of any blue chip prospects, Kentucky needs all the help they can get. Their pick this season may provide a glimmer of light for the future. Dave Ramirez was selected 31st overall in the first round of this past draft. He was generally thought as a glove first infielder with a little bit of pop in his bat. The Texas native had never hit higher than .270 in college with the Marshall McConaugheys and that was in his 18 year old freshman season - 4 years ago. After the draft Ramirez was assigned to the Bowling Green Rebels in double AA and has done nothing but impress the coaching staff. He can play shortstop, second base and third base all extremely well and it looks like his offense maybe better than advertised. Despite a bit of a slow start he now has a .327 OBP and 7 homers. Most people think he will be ready for triple AAA next season. On top of all this he has an extremely high work ethic. With current shortstop Naomi Honma age 34 and second baseman Luke Kossan age 32, a new middle infielder could be arriving at exactly the right time.
Could the bullpen be Kentucky's downfall
Over the past few seasons, the bullpen in Kentucky has been one of their strengths. Besides 24 year old closer Mike Travis , who has been great all season and perhaps rookie lefthander Declan Maclean everyone else has underperformed and manager Paul Connor has very few options when he needs a reliable arm. Kentucky paid a relatively high price to get 25 year old Omar Bickford from New Orleans. Bickford was coming off a rookie season that saw him produce a 2.84 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. This season his WHIP has ballooned to 1.59 and his ERA to 4.82. The fact that he is still in a setup role says a lot about the rest of the bullpen. Esteban Benitez has been ok (3.21 ERA) and there is some speculation he will take over Bickford's role. Ramiro Perez has been a disaster this year - at one point clearing waivers and being sent to the minors. It is doubtful that he will be with the team next season. Veteran closer Matt Brown is having his worst season in the PEBA and has lost his closer's role. Other than that, Edward Anderson has provided some decent innings after flaming out as the team's 5th start - but with his control problems he is definitely hard to trust. If Kentucky is the odd team out this season it will be tough not to put a decent chunk of the blame on the pen.
Sean Torgerson
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds
GM Kentucky Thoroughbreds