The Scotsman: Claymores improve but miss playoffs again
Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2022 1:23 am
Claymores improve but miss playoffs again
Missing the playoffs six straight seasons is nothing to be proud of, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. The Claymores Pitching and Defense once again anchored the team, and helped improve the previous seasons win total by eight games. If the Claymores can improve their win total by eight again next year, fans can expect to be playing meaningful games in September battling for a playoff spot.
As the PEBA moves past winter meetings, fans have been debating at their local pubs what the Claymores need to do to reach the goal of eight or more wins than last season. Understandably, the primary focus has to start at creating more runs. The Claymores at the back of the IL in nearly every offensive category, so the optimist would say it's hard to do that again. The pessimist would point out that running the same roster out there again would end up with similar results.
The Niihama-Shi Ghosts and Claymores agreed to terms on a trade that helped address areas both teams were looking to improve during the offseason. The major pieces of the trade involved RP Herb Williams going to the Ghosts and prospect 3B Juan Ramos back to the Claymores. Ramos may get a shot in Spring Training to crack the Opening Day Roster, but appears to be a solid option in the future at 3B.
As free agency opened up, OF Paul Oglethorpe was targeted as a player that could add some much needed power to the lineup. The Claymores team leader in home runs last season had 14 total home runs, while "Bananas" had 32. Some may question the amount offered to Oglethorpe, but it's hard to really question a three year contract at $8.5 mil per year with the third year as a team option. The Oglethorpe signing is just one piece of a much larger puzzle, and GM Sean Bain had this to say about the rest of the offseason.
"We're definitely not done tweaking this roster, and have time before Opening Day to address areas we want to improve. We look forward to showing our fans that their support is appreciated and that we are not rebuilding anymore. We are no longer running a lineup out there of players that are only elite defenders. Our pitchers deserve better run support and so do our fans."
Missing the playoffs six straight seasons is nothing to be proud of, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. The Claymores Pitching and Defense once again anchored the team, and helped improve the previous seasons win total by eight games. If the Claymores can improve their win total by eight again next year, fans can expect to be playing meaningful games in September battling for a playoff spot.
As the PEBA moves past winter meetings, fans have been debating at their local pubs what the Claymores need to do to reach the goal of eight or more wins than last season. Understandably, the primary focus has to start at creating more runs. The Claymores at the back of the IL in nearly every offensive category, so the optimist would say it's hard to do that again. The pessimist would point out that running the same roster out there again would end up with similar results.
The Niihama-Shi Ghosts and Claymores agreed to terms on a trade that helped address areas both teams were looking to improve during the offseason. The major pieces of the trade involved RP Herb Williams going to the Ghosts and prospect 3B Juan Ramos back to the Claymores. Ramos may get a shot in Spring Training to crack the Opening Day Roster, but appears to be a solid option in the future at 3B.
As free agency opened up, OF Paul Oglethorpe was targeted as a player that could add some much needed power to the lineup. The Claymores team leader in home runs last season had 14 total home runs, while "Bananas" had 32. Some may question the amount offered to Oglethorpe, but it's hard to really question a three year contract at $8.5 mil per year with the third year as a team option. The Oglethorpe signing is just one piece of a much larger puzzle, and GM Sean Bain had this to say about the rest of the offseason.
"We're definitely not done tweaking this roster, and have time before Opening Day to address areas we want to improve. We look forward to showing our fans that their support is appreciated and that we are not rebuilding anymore. We are no longer running a lineup out there of players that are only elite defenders. Our pitchers deserve better run support and so do our fans."