And the proper reaction:Starting pitching: #1 Nestor Cortes, #2 Dakota Hudson, #3 Vladimir Gutierrez, #4 Jacob Nix, #5 Cory Abbott
The bullpen: Felix Bautista, Carlos Belen, Jake Cousins, Camilo Doval, Joey Gatto, Jakob Hernandez, Mike Montgomery, Phoenix Sanders
And your starting lineup:
1 Tim Locastro, CF
2 Adalberto Mondesi, 3B
3 Anthony Santander, RF
4 Mike Ford, 1B
5 Albert Pujols, DH
6 Hanser Alberto, 2B
7 Cooper Hummel, LF
8 Kevin Newman, SS
9 Jose Trevino, C
Bench: OF Nomar Mazara, INF Ildemaro Vargas, 1B-OF Jake Bauers, C Eliezer Alfonzo, INF Jermaine Palacios
In the minors so far: SP Manny Banuelos, RP Hagen Danner, RP Diosmerky Taveras, INF Jordan Diaz, INF Rodolfo Castro, OF Albert Almora Jr., 1B Justin Yurchak, OF Tirso Ornelas
This is quite hideous and we're all going to die.
OTOH, there are some interesting storylines, here. I picked up Pujols specifically to spite the Cardinals; he's there only for the extra attendance factor. I picked up a number of interesting prospects - Belen is a converted shortstop, Doval is absolutely world-class but has little control and walks a lot of people, Banuelos is back from pitching in Taiwan, Alfonzo hit pretty well in the minors but is kind of iffy behind the plate. And Diaz is gonna be good someday.
I also got my favorite weird ballplayer in Locastro: fastest timed runner in baseball and leads the league in hit-by-pitches. Hummel is very interesting as well: not at all an inspiring hitter, but plays a bunch of positions, including catcher, and he's supernaturally patient at the plate, so he walks a lot.
The rotation is wreckage and I need pitching in a serious way, so I'm going to sign somebody to pitch for me. I also need an actual third baseman so I can move Mondesi to his natural position of shortstop and sit Newman down. More to come.
