When Chuck Valenches took over the New Orleans Trendsetters before the 2038 season he had dreams of a quick improvement, followed by a trip to the playoffs, eventual PEBA championship, multiple awards and Alexandra Daddario would bat her blue eyes and fall in love with him.

So much for best laid plans.

“Turns out the other teams are trying to win too!” says Valenches as he works at his office in New Orleans’ New Frontier Park. “One think I found out quickly is that the other GMs are smart and savvy and it is not like they will trade me their best pitching prospects for a 38 year old never has been or never was. You have to make sure the deal works for both sides and when you do that you have to figure out where YOU will sacrifice.

The Trendsetters have finished yet another losing season and it has been 11 straight years below .500 and an even more astounding 32 years since the team finished higher than 3rd place. Valenches is pretty Zen about it. “Listen, we sit in the division that has had eight of the last nine PEBA Imperial League Champions, seven of those being the Florida Farstriders who have won 100 games now for the last decade. Charleston knocked them off the perch through last season so maybe the team is finally sinking to a human level, but it is still the toughest division in the league in my opinion.

Valenches always knew the rebuild would need to happen internally. They have retained only nine players on the 40 man roster who began their career with the Trendsetters and the rest have been traded, DFA’d allowed to walk or outright released. “It’s been a slog. When i took over we had the 325 or 36 ranked system in the PEBA and we did not really have any pieces in the big leagues to trade. Hideo Mura was an exception, an potentially valuable reliever traded to Toyama for David Sanz (now languishing in AAA, though he did improve his numbers last season) as well as a 2nd and 3rd round pick who turned into 2B Edward Derrick and LF Christopher Davidson. Valenches also has replaced almost every manager and coach in the system, trying to put the best team together that will put the prospects in the best position to succeed.

The farm system itself has begun to produce. At a slower trickle than hoped, but some youngsters are beginning to show up. Hyung-On Che, a scouting discovery in 2034 as a teenager, blossomed in the new system and became the teams top prospect, Gabriel Santos, the first pick made by the current GM, reached the PEBA last year and while his defense in CF is par excellence his hitting needs a bit of improvement. Santos will likely visit winter ball this year. The Trendsetters currently have the 5th ranked minor league system and there are some good talents on the way. Harold “Hulk Smash!” Belafonte is a year at most from making his debut at 3B and SS, Eiichi Kuhabara could debut at the same time. This year 1st round pick out of Matsudo, Japan, Kuhabara has quickly marched up the ladder and will likely start at AAA in 2042.

Pitching is where the team needs help. Che and Alfredo Vargas aside, the staff has consistently underperformed and this year was no exception. The 13th ranked rotation and the 12th ranked bullpen are where they usually finish and there really is not much on the horizon. “We have had better luck developing hitters than pitchers outside of Che.” added Valenches, “Over the last four drafts we have drafted the best available player as the system was in such dire need everywhere. But now we may look at trying to deal or draft some young mound talent.” Pitching was our downfall in the PEBA last year and it has to be addressed.

Valenches summarized the state of the team. “I think we have a pretty solid offense with some younger players I think will develop a bit more in their sophomore season. We still need that 40 HR bat when we get a bit closer and we definitely pitching all around, but I am not prepared to veer from the plan of developing our own. I wholeheartedly believe it will prove to be the right path and will allow us to reach the post season.