By Scott Plack

4/1/2012: New Orleans, LA – The Trendsetters are about to start their first full season without Mr. Golden Arm, and fans are not sure what to make of this year’s team.  Today we will take a look and see just whom the Trendsetter faithful will be rooting for this season in the infield.  This year, Trendsetter scout Tomás Flores and Manager David Parks have given us access to a few of their thoughts on each player.

Catchers:

C Tsuyoshi Konishi – Height: 6′ 1” / Weight: 190 lbs. / Age: 24

Acquired: Drafted in the 2009 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 20, 20^th overall pick) by the New Orleans Trendsetters.

“Sushi”, as his teammates call him, spent the majority of last season in AAA.  He spent September in the PEBA and posted a modest .261/.306/.370 line.  Sushi showed flashes of brilliance behind the plate, throwing out three of seven potential base stealers.  He hasn’t had a particularly impressive spring offensively, posting a meager .571 OPS.

Flores: Konishi was a player I pushed for back in 2009.  I think a few teams were scared away by the injury (a fractured skull), especially since catchers take a lot of abuse over the season, but Sushi hasn’t had a major injury since his recovery.  I still see him as a high contact guy, though that’s about it.  His plus-plus defense, however, could keep Sushi in place for a long time.

Parks: Konishi has struggled a bit this spring, but we have had him on a pretty rigorous regimen of learning details about Imperial League batters, as well as getting to know our pitchers inside and out.  His swing will catch up, but let’s be honest; he’s not out there for his bat, so if he can hit in the .250/.350/.360 range, then we will consider it a good season.

C John Ray – Height: 6′ 0” / Weight: 205 lbs. / Age: 26

Acquired: Drafted in the 2007 inaugural draft (Round 20, Pick 10, 466^th overall pick) by the New Orleans Trendsetters.

Ray has spent the majority of his career at AAA for the Trendsetters.  Up until the last week of spring training, Ray was slated to be the starter, but a trade that brought over Salgardo moved Ray into the backup role and eventually back to AAA.  Ray has had nothing more to prove at AAA for a couple of seasons, but when Cline is on the roster, then your opportunities will be far and few.  Ray will be spelling Sushi and playing some 1B in 2012.

Flores: At the time of the Inaugural Draft, I thought this guy was going be the catcher of the future.  We had picked Javier Rodríguez, who was 33 at the time, to start for us.  So Ray’s arrival was predicted to be not too far off.  Then we picked up Tsuneari Horiuchi before spring training, and Horiuchi went with a few other players in a trade for Cline.  (Editors side note: That trade was also the first and last to attempt to put a “player to be named later” in the deal, as the Nutmeggers were looking to pick up first year draftee pitcher Wil Suárez.  The Meggers got a 3^rd round draft pick instead, and once Suárez was available to be traded, he was swapped back for the draft pick.  The Commish effectively put the kibosh to any future PTBNL trades.)  Cline and spring training deals have been rough on Ray’s career, and consequently I no longer view him as the catcher of the future and haven’t for a long time.

Parks: Ray has got a good bit of pop in his bat and his defense is not a major drop off from Sushi… what more can a manager ask for in a guy that’s going to get to play once or twice every week?

Infield:

1B Carlos Tamayo – Height: 6′ 0” / Weight: 181 lbs. / Age: 27

Acquired: Was traded by the Fargo Dinosaurs to the New Orleans Trendsetters in exchange for SS Á. Zarate.

Tamayo spent most of his time as a pinch hitter in Fargo and found himself stuck behind Ramón Flores.  Fargo, looking for an upgrade to their middle infield, found New Orleans willing to part with Zarate and his larger contract to take a chance on seeing Tamayo perform in the starting role.  Like Konishi, Tamayo has had a slow spring, though he has continued to demonstrate his ability to get on base via the walk.

Flores: Tamayo is a fine example of the new approach New Orleans is looking to bring to town… our early history has been marked by having the ability to hit the long ball on a fairly consistent basis.  Tamayo can do that some, but more importantly, Tamayo is going to stretch pitch counts and generally be a tough out every time he comes to the plate.  This season should see team totals of strikeouts going down and walks going up.  Of course, the hope is that the win column will be somewhat reflective if we are successful.

Parks: We have really been focused on getting Tamayo in the field as much as possible without overextending him this spring.  He’s not going to win any gold gloves, but he will be serviceable.  If he can hit 20 HR and collect 60-plus walks, then we will be satisfied.

2B Leonard Martin – Height: 6′ 1” / Weight: 190 lbs. / Age: 27

Acquired: Was traded by the Fargo Dinosaurs to the New Orleans Trendsetters, along with C R.  McDonald, in exchange for SP J. Aguilar.

2011 marked Martin’s first appearance in the PEBA All-Star Game and continued to show that Martin, while not a superstar, is the kind of solid player you build around.  Martin moved to the cleanup spot during last season and posted career highs in hits, runs scored, homeruns and runs batted in.  Unfortunately, he also posted a career high in strikeouts.  Martin had a decent spring and looks ready to repeat similar numbers as the cleanup hitter this year.

Flores: Martin is quality… would like him to be a little better with the glove, but he has matured into the type of player I was hoping he would, and this year I feel like he could be another career year for him

Parks: L-Mart is solid, comes to the ballpark, does his job, goes home.  Not often is he spectacular, but spectacular doesn’t net wins… consistency does.

SS Juan Monasterio – Height: 6′ 2” / Weight: 195 lbs. / Age: 25

Acquired: Drafted in the 2008 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 22, 94^th overall pick) by the New Orleans Trendsetters.

Monasterio had a short stint in September before being place on the DL for an injury.  Even before his injury, he struggled to catch the speed of the PEBA level.  Spring training has not been much better for the young SS, but the Trendsetters are pushing this talented prospect out of the nest and hope he will learn to fly before he hits the ground.

Flores: If this kid works out then Tanner will finally get off my back about being wrong all the time… he projects to have plus-plus speed, average to above average power, and decent contact and defense… all in all, not a bad pickup for round 4.

Parks: Monasterio will often let events get the best of him and I have seen his attitude play out poorly… even in his short stint with the team last year.  He has all the potential in the world and I plan on helping him reach that… but the process maybe a difficult one for both of us.

3B Víctor Puente – Height: 6′ 3” / Weight: 218 lbs. / Age: 25

Acquired: Was traded by the San Antonio Calzones of Laredo to the New Orleans Trendsetters, along with LF A. Santana, in exchange for LF R. Rodríguez, LF S. Romero.

Puente came out of nowhere in 2011, spent a short time at AAA and then made it to the PEBA with the Calzones.  Puente showed promise in stretching counts and making contact, an area the Trendsetters are apparently very serious about pursuing.  Puente is only an average 3B, but a fan from the stands would be better than having Lluea in New Orleans for another season.  Spring training has been interesting for Puente, as he notched up 11 runs batted in and 11 walks.

Flores: Good eye, decent pop, average defense.  He’s not the future but he is the right now… and a cheap option at that.

Parks: VP was clutch in spring training, so I am going to expect more from him again… often players like VP just need a chance to shine, and he’s going to get that in New Orleans, day in and day out.

SS Tom Sherriff – Height: 6′ 1” / Weight: 171 lbs. / Age: 26

Acquired: Drafted in the 2007 inaugural draft (Round 75, Pick 15, 1791^st overall pick) by the New Orleans Trendsetters.

Sherriff got his chance due to an injury to John Deschamps, but 2011 turned the injury tables on him.  Sheriff began 2011 on a hot streak before he went down and the Trendsetters are looking to get him into as many games as they can from a utility standpoint.  Sheriff is the best SS/3B on the team, not to mention his speed and knack for running the bases, so it won’t be surprising to see him late in games.  Sheriff has torn up the ball in spring training, picking up from where he left off last season.

Flores: Sherriff was a guy we had to call up to avoid losing him in the Rule 5 draft, and if he can stay healthy, he would be a big contributor.  If Monasterio can’t hack it this year, then Sheriff will be our guy.

Parks: Sheriff is our go-to guy.  I am going to ask him to perform in all the tough situations – defense in late games… that pinch runner who scores the winning run… he will also get in about three games a week to give our guys a rest and keep people from wearing themselves out.