Casting a wide off-season net

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/05/2019 (2527 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes entered last year’s training camp with one goal in mind: to make history.

After winning back-to-back American Association titles in 2016 and 2017, the Goldeyes had an opportunity to become the first team in league history to win three championships in a row.

And, yes, 2018 did end up as a history-making season, but for all the wrong reasons. The Fish finished with a 41-59 record — the worst mark in their 25-year history — and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

In the world of independent baseball, the off-season is always full of roster moves. But after a season with nothing going their way, it was obvious manager Rick Forney had to make some big moves to get this team back to being title contenders in 2019.

Spring training kicked off this week, and there will be a lot of introductions as there are only eight players returning from this past season. In total, 27 players are expected at camp, and the Goldeyes will have to trim their roster down to 23 and meet all classification rules by May 14. The Fish will play seven exhibition games, including two at Shaw Park next Wednesday and Thursday, before they officially open the season May 16 on the road against the Texas AirHogs.

With players filing into Winnipeg for camp, let’s take a look at what the Goldeyes did in the off-season and what the team may look like on opening day:

Starting pitching

Projected rotation: Kevin McGovern, Mitch Lambson, Kevin McAvoy, Parker French

In the mix: Joel Bender and Tyler Garkow

Key departures: Edwin Carl and Alex Boshers

To keep things rated G, let’s just say this past year’s starting rotation was, ahem, below average. The rotation took a big hit in late June when Charle Rosario, a key starter in Winnipeg’s run to the 2017 championship, signed with a team in Mexico after only eight starts. In the same week, they lost another reliable starter when fourth-year Goldeye Edwin Carl was out of action for a month with an upper-body injury. It also didn’t help matters that the team’s ace from the two title runs, McGovern, had a down year. McGovern went from an all-star in 2017 with a 13-3 record and a 2.56 ERA in 21 starts to 5-12 and a 4.73 ERA in the same number of starts last year. The Fish are counting on McGovern — a 29-year-old lefty who will enter the 2019 season second on the league’s career strikeouts list (535) — having a bounce-back season.

The one positive from this past year’s staff was the emergence of Lambson, who was in the bullpen for the Fish in 2017 and started 2018 playing in the Mexican league. In his previous seven professional seasons, Lambson worked as a reliever. But for whatever reason, his Mexican team, Pericos de Puebla, tabbed Lambson as a starter.

He did OK, finishing the first half of the season with a 5-4 record and a 5.86 ERA. But Pericos released him. The Goldeyes jumped at the chance to bring the 28-year-old lefty back into the fold, and Lambson was with the Fish in mid-June. In 17 starts, Lambson threw three complete games and had an 8-6 record to go along with a 3.81 ERA.

Was this past year’s success a fluke, or has the nine-year veteran found a new calling as a starter? The Goldeyes are obviously hoping for the latter.

The Fish brought in McAvoy and French in the hopes of bolstering their rotation. In six seasons as a pro, McAvoy is 26-37 with a 4.81 ERA in 107 games, 96 of which he started. McAvoy was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2014 MLB draft and split the 2018 season between their single-A and double-A affiliates.

However, his numbers in 2018 weren’t very encouraging. At the double-A level, McAvoy, 25, saw action in nine games, starting seven, and went 0-2 with an 8.64 ERA for the Portland Sea Dogs.

French also got lit up at the double-A level this past year, but for the Colorado Rockies’ affiliate. French played 27 games for the Hartford Yard Goats, 19 of them in relief, and finished the season 1-4 with a 7.95 ERA. French, 26, was drafted in the fifth round by the Rockies in 2015.

For the fifth spot in the rotation, it could likely come down to Bender or Garkow — both in their first seasons with the Fish. Bender, 26, excelled as a reliever this past year for the Cincinnati Reds’ double-A affiliate, where he didn’t give up a run in 16 of 19 appearances and had a sparkling 1.59 ERA. The 28-year-old Garkow has spent the past five years playing independent baseball, starting 43 of 52 games for a 19-15 record and 3.89 ERA.

Perhaps independent baseball will be more kind to guys such as McAvoy and French. After all, numbers don’t always tell the full story, especially in minor-league baseball. But their numbers definitely don’t suggest the Goldeyes’ starting rotation will be much improved from 2018. Expect McGovern and Lambson to be heavily leaned on once again. If Lambson regresses and McGovern doesn’t get back to his old ways, the Fish could be in deep trouble.

Bullpen

Projected relievers: Eric Carter, Brandon Bingel, Mitchell Aker, Dylan Thompson, Harrison Cooney, Landon Hughes, Trevor Charpie, Victor Capellan, Jack Charleston

Key departure: P.J. Browne

Charleston and Capellan didn’t spend much time hanging out in the bullpen chewing on sunflower seeds this past year.

Charleston made 60 appearances, an American Association single-season record. And it wasn’t just quantity for Charleston; his appearances were quality, too. The 26-year-old finished the year with a 2-3 record, one save and a team-leading 2.63 ERA.

Capellan claimed a record of his own, as well. The 29-year-old from the Dominican Republic, who’s entering his fourth season in Winnipeg, tied a team record with 22 saves, while also making 47 appearances. Getting Charleston and Capellan back is huge for the Fish, and so is Bingel’s return. Bingel had a 2.85 ERA in 41 relief appearances a season ago. The trio will need some help from the new faces in the bullpen to limit their workloads.

That help might come from Thompson, who was acquired in a trade with the Sioux Falls Canaries in October in exchange for Alex Boshers. Thompson was an all-star reliever for the Canaries in 2017, but his numbers took a dip this past season as a starter. The bullpen competition will arguably be the most competitive one in camp, as 10 players will be vying for possibly six spots.

Catcher

One of the many things that went wrong for the Goldeyes in 2018 was losing Kevin Garcia to a season-ending leg injury in late June. Garcia had a solid start at the plate in his first season with the Fish, batting .273 with 18 RBIs in 40 games. But the Goldeyes struggled to fill Garcia’s shoes for the rest of the season, as they didn’t get the same production from Tyler Baker or Gavin Stupienski.

The Goldeyes are confident Garcia will return to form, as they brought him back for a second season. Luis Touron, who played this past year in the Czech Republic, is expected to be his backup.

Outfield

Key departure: Grant Heyman

The outfield is by far the biggest strength of the Goldeyes. Returning for his 20th season of pro ball, and sixth with the Goldeyes, is Reggie Abercrombie. It’s hard to believe, but the 38-year-old is coming off one of his best seasons. He led the team with a .316 batting average in 2018. Right behind Abercrombie was 2017 American Association player-of-the-year Josh Romanski, who is also returning to the Fish. Romanski started this past year in Mexico before returning to the Goldeyes in late June. Abercrombie and Romanski had to carry the load on offence in 2018. But this year, they should get some help from James Harris and Willy Garcia.

Harris was the most valuable player of the Frontier League a season ago with the Washington Wild Things. He hit .305 with 16 home runs and 64 RBIs, but also got things done in the outfield, where he only committed two errors all season. Garcia, a former major-leaguer with the Chicago White Sox, is also a big addition. He played 44 games for the White Sox in 2017, batting .238 with two home runs and 12 RBIs. Garcia didn’t play anywhere this past season.

It will be interesting to see what Forney’s vision for the outfield will be. Will one of these guys be a full-time designated hitter? Will they take turns? It remains to be seen, but it’s a good problem to have.

Infield:

Key departures: Andrew Sohn, Jordan Ebert and Josh Mazzola

It’s a brand-new infield for the Goldeyes in 2019, which probably isn’t a bad thing, considering the Fish had the third-most errors in the league last year. However, there will be a familiar face on the hot corner, as Wes Darvill returns to the team after spending 2018 playing affiliated ball in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization.

Darvill was a big contributor in the Goldeyes’ back-to-back championship runs. In 2017, Darvill was a league all-star, as he batted .309 with four home runs and 49 RBI. The Langley, B.C., native also knows a thing or two about winning, as he’s won professional minor-league championships in five out of the past six seasons.

Next to him will be shortstop Adrian Marin. He’ll replace Sohn, who retired in the off-season. Sohn had a big bat for a shortstop, but he wasn’t the best fielder, as he committed 10 errors in 58 games last year. Marin only committed two errors in 60 games at shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles’ triple-A affiliate this past year.

Alex Perez will take over second base for Ebert, who was traded to the Frontier League for James Harris. Perez spent time at all three levels of the Minnesota Twins organization a season ago.

Perez will also provide an upgrade defensively, as the fifth-year pro was top-three in fielding percentage at second base three out of his first four professional seasons.

At first base, it will be a battle between Correlle Prime and Dominic Ficociello. Prime was in the league this past year with the AirHogs, where the 6-5 Florida native hit .279 with seven home runs and 42 RBIs. Prime also spent time as a DH and in the outfield for Texas, so he can fill in at several spots for the Fish. Ficociello might be the best fit at first base, as the seven-year veteran has a career .994 fielding percentage. Ficociello is also a career .273 hitter and reached the triple-A level in the Detroit Tigers organization in 2017.

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On paper, this team looks like an improvement from last year’s dismal squad.

What’s that worth? Absolutely nothing.

The 2018 edition of the Goldeyes also looked good on paper, and we all know how that turned out. Outside of their starting pitching, which still looks a little shaky, it looks like Forney did a solid job in upgrading defensively and offensively. Abercrombie and Romanski needed some help.

Will the Goldeyes get back to being the most consistent team in the city, or was this past year the beginning of a new trend?

Only time will tell. Those aren’t questions that can be answered in May.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31