We Are Expecting Great Things From You, Kid. We'll Always Be Watching: 2015 Pelicans Preview
Back in the heady days of 2010, a newcomer entered the league with two simple beliefs: honor the periwinkle Disney era and never trade draft picks under any circumstances. Done and done. Personally, I favor the Mel Clark-California days but to each his own. Roster turnover has been preternaturally low (the lineup at the end of his first season featured Aaron Hill, Starlin Castro, Dillon Gee, nine-time Tommy John surgery winner Cory Luebke and Vance Worley). However, the ascent up the league table has shown an equal measure of consistency. We shan't speak of the Great Demehssion that occurred when we (im)migrated from the previous two league sites with regards to copying records, so I will have to use some available Yahoo point totals. In this quasi-reality, he has climbed from 19th (of 20) to 16th (20), 12th (18) and finally 9th (18) last year, with one small hiccup in Year Three where his activity level dropped to the point where I now recall having to be dispatched as Co-Manager.
After that season he returned like an esquire out of hell and has put in the necessary offseason legwork to strengthen the system. Much like with Shape, Pels has a knack for snatching the right pound of flesh off of outgoing managers' rosters. Coupled with a steady diet of five square lottos, the stage is now set for this team to swoop down and secure in its expanded throat pouch a first playoff spot which drifts like so many small fish near the water's surface. Vance is super pumped and so is this guy!
Big League Chew
The true Antonio Vincenzo "Ratso" Rizzo finally emerged in 2014. A 6th round pick by Boston back in 2007, Rizzo was never fully embraced by the fanbase's potatohead Sullys and Paddys and was shipped out in the Adrian Gonzalez deal. However, Theo Epstein felt a soft spot for the fellow (if you've lived in a city on the eastern seaboard you're aware of the similarities between these two tribes) and brought him to the North Side in exchange for tonsorial artist, and DL Pub regular, Andrew Cashner [pictured at right]. If he starts swatting LHP at better than a .228 clip, expect him to eclipse last season's career high 32 bombs and join the elite 1B tier. Sal Perez and Christian Yelich (a 5-tool--if we're being generous--OF with nowhere to go but up at 23), along with Good Starlin Castro (when he's around), help solidify the offense.
Among Pelican moundmen, David Price stands above the rest. In fact, he seems to have adopted that bump in the middle of the infield as his home, leading the majors in IP (248.1) and K (271) while earning the distinction as the only man to face >1000 batters (1009, +68) last season. While he did allow the most hits in baseball, his overall numbers did not suffer as his 2.78 FIP was 8th best in the bigs and he was one of only four pitchers with 7+ K/BB ratio. Pitching in a not-as-big-as-yesteryear-but-still-spacious Comerica with 200+ million reasons awaiting next winter, this could be a magical year for the big lefthander from Tennessee.
Getting back to those lotto picks, Pels cashed four of this year's allotment in for starters, knowing full well the opportunity at hand. Garrett Richards (who broke out so hard last season his plant knee couldn't keep up), Drew Smyly (1.70 ERA with 44 K in 47.2 IP after going the other way in the Price deal), Trevor Bauer (peacocking during his first start of the year with 6 no-hit innings, 11 K and 5 BB) and Josh Collmenter (hey, he was the Snakes' Opening Day starter) bring their talents to a now-brimming rotation that has a chance to lead the Defectors in several major categories. Kenley Jansen, if he returns to full strength, should have myriad chances to put away Ks and saves in Andrew Friedman's nouveau decadent tableau. (I'm told this is their clubhouse.)
E-I-E-I-O
I've gone 600-plus words without mentioning this guy
which speaks highly of the rest of the roster, no? Well, the prospect who's launched a thousand huffy comments from the players' union, and will soon launch a thousand home runs into Lake Michigan or Wisconsin or somewhere pretty far from Wrigleyville, is banging at the door. I'm going to fold the "Hang On!" section into this one because it's all the Kris Bryant Show. Two years later, West Coast Conference pitchers are still seeking counseling to work out their PTSD. And every so often, while cleaning out the storage shed, a Knoxville resident will unearth a Kris Bryant-Smokies souvenir.
Other high-upside minor leaguers include Twins slugging 3B Miguel Sano (working his way back from TJ), Astros lightning rod and former 1st overall pick Mark Appel, Rockies righty Eddie Butler and very large human being that Otto would like to acquire so respond to his emails please and thank you, Aaron Judge. There is also a fair amount of MLB-now talent cooling their heels, waiting for a chance to help, good Lord willin'.
Prediction
I feel very confident in saying this is the first year of the rest of his Defectors life, which is a stupid way of saying PLAYOFFS, BABY! YEAH. Depending on how his offense responds and whether his pitching staff stays healthy, any seed is possible. Win a few extra tight games and the ShadowCat crown is a definite possibility. Catch some bad luck and perhaps he enters via the points wild card door. Regardless, this is a team that has a chance to make some serious noise in 2015, Ã la Catz three years ago.
