Youthful Sluggers Look to Avoid Another 100-loss Campaign

1/6/2013: Laredo, TX – For the Calzones in 2013, growing pains are to be expected, but with a fan base that long ago quit on this struggling franchise, it has become imperative that the team not use youth as an excuse.  The need to put wins on the board now is very real.  To that end, the Calzones have done what they can, without jeopardizing the future, to find the right parts to fit into the right holes in an effort to turn things around now.  San Antonio has used the Rule 5 draft once again to fill in certain holes and have made various trades for young players with potential.

CATCHER
Glen Wallace – 26 years old – Right-handed – Rule 5 selection, round 1, pick 3, 12-1-11
Wallace had a fine rookie season as the Calzones starting catcher in 2012 after being selected in the Rule 5 draft.  He batted .252 with an OPS of an even .700, contributing 28 doubles, 10 HR and 46 RBI in 130 games.  His work behind the plate was nearly as impressive, as he was one of the top defensive catchers in the league.  While he won’t walk a lot, he does have the ability to put the ball in play and his strikeout numbers should come down in his second season, hopefully leading to a corresponding rise in the batting average.  Wallace has warning track power and the Calzones are hoping he will avoid trying to muscle up and start taking the ball to the gaps a little more.  Unlikely to ever be a stud, he was the Calzones All-Star representative in 2012 and should continue to be a solid contributor from the bottom part of the lineup.

Emílio González – 23 years old – Left-handed – Signed as a minor league free agent, 6-16-08
González is a guy who has spent most of his career to this point as an organizational soldier, but his intelligent play and hard work have landed him a spot as the Calzones’ backup catcher.  He hits from the left side, making him a perfect complement to the right-handed Wallace.  He will likely never be a high average hitter, but he works the count well and draws a lot of walks, and when he makes contact, he has good power to the gaps.  His defensive skills are just average.  Expect him to start once or twice a week when Wallace needs a breather.

INFIELD
1B/DH Rafael Guerrero – 24 – Switch-hitter – Trade with Tempe Knights, 6-8-11
A former 16^th round draft selection, Guerrero moved quickly through the minors and has proven his doubters wrong every step of the way.  His splits of .286/.334/.756 were his lowest at any stop in his short career, but considering he is less than two years removed from the 2010 draft, those numbers are likely to improve.  A gifted fielder he is not, nor is he blessed with anything that resembles speed.  He’s considered a fairly selfish player, as well.  What he can do is flat-out rake, and his excellent size suggests that he should develop even more power down the line.  Projected to be in the middle part of the Calzones lineup for a long, long time.

1B/DH Paul Weaver – 22 years old – Switch-hitter – Trade with Manchester Maulers, 12-13-12
A Rule 5 draftee who came to the Calzones by way of a trade with Manchester at the Winter Meetings, Weaver is another solid-hitting switch hitter who projects to be a fixture in the middle part of the Calzones’ lineup.  Originally drafted in the 62^nd round of the PEBA inaugural draft, Weaver was a little slow to develop at first, but over the last four seasons, his OBP has been fantastic and he is starting to show signs of growing into the power that scouts have long projected.  He is not blessed with speed and his defensive skills are below average.  He will be skipping AAA because of his Rule 5 status, so some growing pains are probably to be expected.  With a large number of options at the corner infield and DH positions, Weaver will have to earn his playing time this season, but the Calzones have high hopes for the switch-hitting tandem of Guerrero and Weaver over the next few seasons.

2B Nathan Thomas – 25 years old – Right-handed – Trade with Tempe Knights, 12-18-11
Thomas forced his way into the Calzones’ plans with a fine first half of the season at AA, posting splits of .335/.381/.821 in 74 games.  When injuries struck, he was promoted to the big league club for the final couple of months.  Considering his quick ascension to the PEBA, Thomas’s numbers with San Antonio (.242/.304/.613) were somewhat predictable.  His fielding has been rather respectable throughout his career, but his weak arm limits him to the right side of the infield.  The Calzones may elect to bring in a defensive replacement for him at times during tight games.  He has great speed, but his base running instincts are somewhat suspect.  The Calzones are toying with the idea of batting him leadoff, but a spot at the bottom of the order seems like a better fit.

SS Kenneth Bridges – 26 years old – Right-handed – Trade with Yuma Bulldozers, 6-4-12
Bridges is another former 16^th round selection who has found a home with the Calzones.  Despite just 269 at bats at AA, the Calzones brought Bridges straight to the bigs and handed him the starting shortstop job as soon as the ink was dry on the trade agreement with Yuma.  Bridges responded by hitting .324 in 99 games in his rookie season, and scouts still see room for more growth.  He doesn’t have great speed or power, but he can flat-out hit and some scouts see batting titles in his future.  His work with the glove was equally impressive and had, he qualified (he was a handful of games short), he surely would have been a leading contender for an All-Leather award.  Expected to be a fixture near the top of the Calzones’ lineup for years to come.

3B Josh Wetmore – 26 years old – Right-handed – Trade with Yuma Bulldozers, 6-4-12
Wetmore can do a lot of things.  A corner infielder by trade, he can also work the middle of the diamond as needed and has enough skill in the outfield to be used there in a pinch.  Wetmore struggled in his first PEBA action last season, but the Calzones love his versatility and his power potential, so they will find ways to get him at bats, especially against left-handers.  With his ability to play the outfield, the Calzones are hopeful they can develop him into a super utility player over the next few seasons, so don’t be surprised when Wetmore shows up in left field on occasion.  He is a stone-cold lock to be in the lineup against southpaws, probably at third base.  He will probably also see some time at first base, especially as a defensive replacement.

3B Pedro Marrero – 25 years old – Left-handed – Trade with Kentucky Thoroughbreds, 12-28-12
Marrero is a quality player who was blocked in the Kentucky organization until the recent trade that brought him to Laredo.  He only has 266 at bats at AA, but the Calzones are bringing his bat straight to the PEBA level and handing him the starting 3B job, at least against right-handers.  It’s possible he might see an occasional game over 1B, as well.  He’s not the most gifted defensively, but his strong arm might help hide some of his other shortcomings with the glove.  A former 2^nd round pick, Marrero has an excellent combination of power and speed.  He has exhibited a far better eye at the plate than scouts give him credit for.  Marrero  is a born leader and an excellent clubhouse guy, as well.  His acquisition does beg the question, however: How will the Calzones find playing time for all their corner infielders, especially with top prospect Carlos Miranda on the horizon?

SS Keith Eby – 26 years old – Right-handed – Rule 5 selection, round 1, pick 16, 12-1-10
Last year’s IL All-Leather award winner at 3B finds himself in the odd position of being relegated to a utility role this year.  Despite his fantastic glove work, his bat has never even approached reaching the levels the Calzones thought they might see when he was brought in via the Rule 5 draft.  Eby’s excellent glove work makes him a decent (though not ideal) choice as a utility player.  He can play anywhere on the infield and could play the outfield in a pinch but lacks the speed the Calzones prefer to have in a utility player.  With the Calzones lacking a true thumper in their order, having a little extra power on the bench might not be a bad idea.  Eby does have the potential to go yard; he’s just never quite lived up to the billing.  At this point, he could be the odd man out if it’s deemed Miranda is ready by mid-season.

OUTFIELD
LF António Medina – 27 years old – Left-handed – Trade with New Orleans Trendsetters, 11-4-12
Medina is a rather average-looking outfielder.  He has mediocre speed and barely average defensive skills.  He was brought in to be part of a platoon, and the Calzones hope that his ability to punish right-handed pitchers continues.  Southpaws are kryptonite to this guy; he batted just .165 against lefties last year, and his career numbers fall in line with the assumption that he is a platoon player.  But against right-handers, Medina batted .287 with a .370 OBP along with 10 HR in 331 at bats.  He has good power to the gaps, some power to go deep, and a good eye at the plate… as long as he never, ever faces a left-hander.  Considering that last year was Medina’s first in the PEBA, bigger things are expected from the strong side of the Calzones left field platoon.

LF Ramón Camacho – 28 years old – Right-handed – Two trades with West Virginia Coal Sox, the latest being 12-15-12.
The Calzones traded for Camacho twice this past off-season.  It seems that they forgot to cross all the I’s and dot all the T’s or something, because Camacho snuck off into minor league free agency on the very day they traded for him the first time.  Several weeks later, the very helpful and gracious brain trust of the Coal Sox re-signed him and offered him again in trade for a simple 15^th round draft pick.  As for Camacho the player, when he’s not off gallivanting as a free agent, he has a decent skill set that is almost exactly the same as Medina’s, except from the right side.  Enough speed not to clog the base paths, rather average skills at the corner outfield spots, good power to the gaps, an excellent eye at the plate and enough power to take a pitcher deep on occasion.  Even though he only boasts a .242 career AVG versus right-handers, he still has a .388 OBP against them, so he’s not an automatic out.  However, he will be the weak side of a platoon for the Calzones this season, and his career .830 OPS versus southpaws makes him a perfect complement for Medina.

CF Jarred Curran – 26 years old – Left-handed – Trade with Yuma Bulldozers, 12-6-12
A Rule 5 pick by Yuma, the Calzones acquired him via trade just days later.  A former 6^th round draft pick in 2008, Curran has excellent speed and great range in the outfield.  He has shown the ability to make contact and even occasionally hit one in the gaps, but it doesn’t appear as if he will ever be a high OBP type.  The Calzones envision Curran in the two-slot in the order, where his ability to make contact should allow them to get runners on the move and be aggressive on the base paths.  He has actually hit southpaws very well in his minor league career, but the Calzones are unsure if that will carry over to the PEBA.  He will start the season as the strong side of the CF platoon.

CF Bob Jefferson – 34 years old – Right-handed – Trade with Connecticut Nutmeggers, 12-14-12
The old man of the team, Jefferson is one of those players who is likely never to go away.  Traded in a swap of bad contracts that gave the Calzones breathing room for this season, Jefferson is unlikely to be either happy or productive.  He does have good defensive skills, good speed and the ability to make contact, so the Calzones hope to make the most of a bad situation by having Jefferson serve as the weak side of the CF platoon.  His career OPS is 119 points higher against left-handers, so here’s hoping that he can at least be moderately useful in a platoon situation.  The fact that his skill set is similar to Curran’s makes him a perfect complement to Curran in CF and in the two-hole in the batting order.

RF James Hayes – 26 years old – Left-handed – Trade with Yuma Bulldozers, 6-14-12
Hayes is yet another left-hander who can never, under any circumstance, start against a southpaw.  He batted .206 versus lefties last season for San Antonio while hitting .289 against right-handers.  He is the strong side of the RF platoon.  Hayes has great speed, good skills in the outfield and a cannon for an arm.  Scouts aren’t particularly impressed with him, but he does everything just well enough to fit perfectly into a platoon situation.

RF Domingo Rojas – 24 years old – Right-handed – Trade with Charleston Statesmen, 6-16-11
Rojas doesn’t quite have the power that Hayes has, but in every other way, he is a nearly perfect complement as the weak side of the RF platoon.  He has good speed, slightly above average defense, and an ability to make good contact.  His career numbers show him batting .282 versus left-handers compared to .243 versus right-handers.

How far the Calzones go in 2013 will determined by how fast this group of youngsters grows up, and how well the pieces fit together.  There is no stud to lead the rotation.  There are four young live arms, but asking any of them to carry the team will be too much.  There is no dominant hitter who can put the club on his back and carry it for long – or even short – stretches.  However, San Antonio is more talented and has more potential than last year’s squad.  Most of the deadwood has been cut, and the team is ripe with hungry young players ready to make their mark.

Hopes will run high in the spring for this squad, no doubt, but this writer chooses to be a realist.  The team is young.  The bullpen is still likely to be charged with arson.  There is a lack of big-time power.  On the plus side, the rotation could grow into something that is better than average.  Some of the young position players offer some real upside.  Some solid and affordable platoons have been put together that give the Calzones plenty of lineup options every day.

Another 100-loss season?  Not likely.  The playoffs?  Again, not likely, but if we set our expectations somewhere in between, I doubt we will be disappointed.  I give this young team a realistic chance at losing less than 90 games in 2013.  Let’s call it 73-89, with a lot of hope for the future.