Bearctas....an early evaluation

After taking over the Brooklyn franchise AFTER the dispersal draft, I had to put my own stamp on a franchise that was old and challenged on defense and lacked pitching. I didn't expect a lot, and so far my team has performed as expected thusfar at 13-12.

What did I expect? Powerful offense with a subpar pitching staff. Lets breakdown the roster after block 1.

Catcher-Russell Martin was a late pickup that was obtained to provide a younger defensive presence. He has done that. What was not expected was a .329 avg with 3 HR and .398 OBP after block 1. Gerald Laird has provided a defensively sound backup when Martin needs a day off.

1B-Lance Berkman provided what was expected. Decent avg (.282) and solid power. His age and injury status prompted management to get young slugger Miguel Cabrera who is awaiting his debut.

2B-Chase Utley is the clear MVP of the team thusfar. .300 avg wih .400 OBP. Add to that the fact that he has knocked 9 out of the park already and management is pleased that they resisted trading the popular Utley.

SS-Yunel Escobar. We will start with the good. He has provided a steady defensive precence in the IF. After that, it isn't pretty. An OBP hovering around .260 and and avg below the mendoza line is not acceptable. While management will remain patient, Escobar is losing some AB's vs RHP in favor of Ramon Santiago who is hitting .395 in 38 AB's while also providing solid defense.

3B-Adam Laroche has been exactly what management expected. A solid defender with an adequate bat. Laroche is hitting just under .290 with 13 RBI out of the 7th or 8th spot. If he keeps up the pace, Brighton will be pleased.

LF-Matt Holiday-Holliday was as advertised. His avg was over .350 and OBP of .467 after 80 AB's. Management cringed at the thought of moving him, but you have to give to get. Miguel Cabrera should replace Holliday's bat and help infuse more youth into the lineup. Juan Rivera will take a majority of the AB's in LF. Rivera has shown good pop in a part time role with 4 HR, but the avg/obp will need to improve.

CF-Adam Jones. Brighton has been ecstatic with the play of this young star in the making. His defense is stellar and he has shown good power in the first block with 6HR and an avg of .296. Those numbers combined with his work with the leather will keep him a Bearcat for a long time.

RF-Playing out of position in RF, rookie Colby Rasmus has played well and will be expected to continue as he will get plenty of AB's with Holliday's departure. After 66 AB's, he is hitting .318 with 5 HR and a solid OBP of .366. He will now get a few more AB's vs. lefties.

Bench-Possibly the most pleasant suprise on the bench is veteran Josh Anderson. He was expected to be soleyl a defensive replacement and pinch runner, but he has been good with the bat. In 31 AB's, Anderson is hitting .387 with a .424 OBP. No one expects him to become a regular, but he has earned himself more playing time than planned. Hank Blalock has been dealt as Brighton continues to try and put out a solid defensive effort. His replacement fresh off the waiver wire is Jack Hannahan. He will provide a LH compliment to Adam Laroche without sacrificing defense. Willie Bloomquist is what he is. He is extremely versitile which is valuable to an NL team. His avg is just over .260 and his defense is nothing to brag about. However, as long as he proves to be competent with the bat, his versatility will likely keep him employed. As mentioned, Greald Laird has been a solid backup and Ramon Santiago will see more time vs. RHP.

On to the not so good...the pitching. Jon Lester has been the lone bright spot ijn a dismal rotation. He sports and ERA of 1.76 while striking out 53 in 41 innings. He will need to keep it up if there is any hope of a .500 record. Veteran Jon Garland has provided solid, but unspectacular innings. He has chalked up 3 wins and his ERA is just over 4. Expect more of the same. Lefty John Saunders has been hot and cold. Mostly cold. One brilliant game was followed by 2 poor ones. His ERA is an abysmal 6.61. He will continue to get innings, but the time is now to show more. Ian Snell was not expected to do much of anything and he has done exactly that. His 7.71 ERA is an embarrassment and his 7.2 walks per 9 innings is not stuff of legends. With Clay Buchholz waiting in the wings, Snell is on a short leash. Kevin Slowey has been a pleasant suprise. While he was injured for a large portion of 09', he has pitched a couple strong starts and will get more spot starts in the future. Deric Holland was a 4th rd pick who was picked on promise. He will get some starts by deafult. He will likely be limited to reserves largely due to his 10.00+ ERA so far. Youngsters Clay Buchholz, Felipe Paulino, Garrett Mock, and Kris Medlan are awaiting their opportunites to show what they can do. Out of the bunch, Buchholz is the only one with a clear and bright future with the club. Paulinos K/9 rate provides some hope for the future, but he has yet to get any time on the big club. Medlan will probably see time in long relief and Mock is looking to be a mop up man.

Bullpen. This is a mixed bag. The season started with no clear closer, and it stays that way. The bright spot to date is Ramon Troncoso. With a shaky rotation, Troncoso worked early and often, and delivered. In 15 innings, Troncoso has an ERA of 0.59 with a win and 3 saves. More pleasing to management is that he averages less than one walk per 9 innings thusfar. The season started with Ryan Madsen as closer. He will still get his chances, but pitched himself out of being "the man". He has a record of 1-0 with 2 saves, but an ERA over 6.00. He didn't get too much play, so expect Madsen to sink or swim as closer in block 2. Brighton still continues to try to let one of the clubs lefties to take charge of the top lefty spot. Clay Zavada, Joe Biemel, and Daniel Ray Herrera have all been passable with ERA's under 5, but not that good all with ERA's over 4. Jon Racuh and Fernando Rodney are expected to see more exposure in block 2.

After block 1, there is a lot to like and dislike.

THE GOOD: With Utley, Cabrera, Adam Jones, Rasmus, Martin, Escobar in the lineup, Brighton should still be able to put runs across the plate. Also, Brigthon's defense is a lot better than it was at the start. 2' Utley and Escobar paired with 1's Adam Jones and Russell Martin provide great up the middle defense. Laroche is flypaper at 3B. River and Rasmus are adequate in LF/RF. Miguel Cabrera is a slight step back from Berman defensively, but will more than make up for it with the bat.

THE BAD: Other than Lester and Troncoso, the pitching staff has ranged from mediocre to a train wreck. Slowey and Buchholz will hopefully anchor this rotation in the next season.

THE OUTLOOK: More of the same. Brighton will continue to be involved in a lot of 7-6 type ballgames. They will probably win about as many as they lose. With that said, Brighton management has proven that it it isn't afraid to make moves to get younger and build for a future without tanking the current season. Veterans A-Rod, Lance Berkman, Matt Holliday, and Josh Hamilton, have all been moved in order to bring in Jon Lester, Adam Jones, Miguel Cabrera, and Yunel Escobar (and picks).