Arlington’s Mid-Season Report
July 5, 2009: Arlington, VA – The first half of the 2009 season has been a huge disappointment marked by poor performances and regressions. Ownership has changed hands and new owner Daniel Woods and new GM Dan DiVincenzo will have their work cut out for them in turning the team around. After making the playoffs last year, the ‘Crats have slipped into a mediocre season and are in dire need of a jumpstart.
The offense has been a mess throughout the first half and many players will have to kick it up a notch if the team is to play competitive baseball. Putra Simbolon and Andrés López are the only batters making much noise (though muffled it may be).
Upcoming Free Agents
Several of Arlington’s players are set to become free agents after the completion of the season but there has been no word of any progress in contract extension negotiations or talks of trading any of them to a contender before the deadline. The Bureaucrats’s free agent class of 2009 includes:
RF Andrés López
After coming off a monster season with Duluth in 2008, Andrés has started off slow in 2009, at least by his standards. In reality, his numbers are good enough to rank him as one of the top Arlington batters throughout the first half, which highlights the futility of the Bureaucrats offense this year. López has begun to improve these past couple weeks and hopefully will help spark the ‘Crats to finish the season with a somewhat respectable record.
The years are beginning to catch up with Ernie but he still has something left in the tank after 17 seasons. He’s proven to be a decent right-handed bat off the bench in 2009 and has even filled in at 3B and DH on occasion. Cunningham was plagued by injuries in 2007 and 2008 but seems to be holding up better this year in his more limited role. It is doubtful that the ‘Crats will offer a contract extension due to his age and inability to play defense.
SS Tom Franks
Franks is just starting to get his 2009 season underway after missing 6 months with a broken jaw. Tom has turned 31 years old this year but has been putting up some pretty good numbers since coming off the DL. The shortstop has provided solid defense while producing an OPS in the .700s since 2007. Considering the upcoming free agent market for shortstops, Arlington would like to extend Franks’s contract but money might be the hang-up for GM DiVincenzo. The whole organization is in need of repair and the ‘Crats probably won’t be willing to offer an expensive long-term deal for a player on the wrong side of 30. If in fact no extension is signed, the team may look to see if David Teague (currently playing for AAA Newport News) is ready to take over the position.
Mr. Godwin has been a superb reliever for the past three seasons and is due a pay raise in 2010. Hollis has said that he wants to close ballgames, so a change in scenery may be in order during the 2010 free agency period. Arlington has a few relievers who are capable of being the team’s closer, so even though Arlington would like to keep Godwin on the payroll it appears that like he would like to play for a team that will give him the opportunity to close full-time.
2B Pablo Souza
Pablo Souza is an enigma. The scouts say he has the skills to be above average at the plate but the numbers just aren’t there. After a rather pedestrian 2007 season at Newport News, Souza was called up to Arlington and the coaching staff has been expecting him to break out at any moment. Time may be running out for the second baseman as he will be hitting the free agent market after the completion of the season. Rumor has it that the Bureaucrats have approached him with a framework for an extension but details beyond that are unknown.
First-Half Bureaucrats MVP
Surprise, Surprise! Arlington’s ace, Víctor Matos, is the team’s MVP for the first half of the 2009 season. While it wouldn’t take much to stand out from the rest of the team, Víctor has been putting up legitimate ace-like numbers so far this season. He has been the definition of reliability since 2007 (33 games started in 2007 and 2008 and on a similar pace this year). Unlike many of his teammates, Matos has earned his paychecks this year.
Second Half
To be competitive for the remainder of the season, the Bureaucrats offense is going to have to right the ship. Several players have been underachieving and the ‘Crats will have to hope that offensive production will increase for the second half. Considering the team is under new ownership and leadership, this upcoming offseason looks to be a busy one for Arlington’s GM as he will look to improve the team for 2010.