Pitching
Every team should have an ace that can eat tons of innings and be relied upon to give the bullpen a break – that’s exactly what the Bears have in Arnold Cantrell. He led the Frick League in innings pitched and posted a solid 88 FIP-. Sure, you could ask for a better pitcher at the top of the rotation, but one who eats innings like Cantrell does is just as important as a pitcher with a 70 FIP-, but rarely makes it past the fifth inning. Rubén bin Majid al Din is a great #2 option, who, like Cantrell, will eat a lot of innings and keep the bull[pen well-rested. RBMAD not only pitches deep into games, but is durable and reliable to stay in the rotation, which is especially important since Keith Mays is expected to miss nearly all of 2059 after suffering am injury in spring training. The Bears will have to rely on their first round draft pick from last year, Rick Mariott. Though he may be forced into the rotation a little earlier than the Bears might like, Mariott is well-developed and ready for big league action. While he doesn’t do anything great, he’s very good at a lot of things and that was proven with his 2.71 ERA in AA after being drafted. His promotion to AAA went great to the tune of 1.29 ERA in 14 IP. Morgan Tomsett had a great sophomore year after a fine rookie campaign. While he hasn’t been quite the pitcher he had hoped, Tomsett looks like he’ll be a middle of the rotation starter for years to come. The last man in the rotation should be Ben Weaver, whom the Bears selected in the Rule 5 draft. Weaver is an interesting pitcher with an arsenal of weapons, but low stamina. If he doesn’t work out, look for Fernando Ferretti or Candrata Parmar to fill in the rotation. Jim Achbar did the job well at the end of games in 2058, but the lack of star power in the bullpen will make the inning eaters all that more valuable.
Infield
Switch-hitting catcher, Dale Olds should be the primary catcher for the Bears this season, but he will have veteran Clinton Tyler alongside him. The pair should combine for an above-replacement player level, but don’t expect any all-star games. Michael Schultz led the league in HR for much of the season and the slugger hopes to do the same again in 2059. However, he’s not much of a fielder at 1B; maybe the Bears should consider converting him to a full-time 1B…Then you move over to 2B and find a bunch of mediocre people competing for the job, but I expect Takeichi Suzuki to win the job over veterans, Borges and Espinosa. The departure of Sammy McNeill leaves a gaping hole that Dick looks to fill, though he often finds himself limping around too much to perform. Kensaku Kato could wind up getting most of the playing time, creating a Japanese double play tandem. Roberto Rivera continues to be a force at the hot corner, but Father Time will likely have to slow the veteran down at some point. A lot of question marks in the infield could pose a problem for the Bears, but if everyone stays healthy, they’ll be alright.
Outfield
The Bears only brought 19 outfielders to spring training, so I’m not sure they have enough to cover every blade of grass in the outfield this season. The 2058 trade deadline acquisition of Sonny Bigalow was a big one. Bigalow can play several positions, but will likely see most of his time in CF. The corners will be filled with a myriad of similar players, but since only two can play, my nod goes to Roberto Delgado, who you may not see until a few weeks into the season so he can get, erm, extended training, and Tommy Harrison. Both players are great hitters with good gloves, however, if one should fall due to injury, the Bears outfield depth should prevent any missed production. Keith Tims could see his first action and 2056 Silk winner, Roger Kidd could be a candidate for comeback player of the year if given an opportunity in San Fernando.
Designated Hitter
The aforementioned Kidd could be a viable option at designated hitter, but he will first have to displace Don Moore. The slugger has a disappointing season in 2058 after a resurgent career with the Bears. This could be a spring training battle to watch and if both players fail to impress, look for veteran Jose Romero to come in and steal the job.
This 2059 San Fernando club is a solid team. However, they don’t have the star power to catapult to the top of the Pacific and should remain in the mix for a wild car spot. The infield is too weak to be a true contender and injury risk is around every corner. The pitching staff will help carry this team as much as they can, but the bullpen is too weak to be dependable and could cause more harm than good. No Game 163 for the Bears this year as they drop a bit and finish 78-84
