The Heaters: Lineup and Bench Players

I love this team.

There's a weird desperation around this lineup, like the Mets suddenly realized this DeGrom guy is pretty good and maybe we should put some talent around him, but they blew all their payroll money on a Ponzi scheme and had to settle for a bunch of prospects and aging veterans.

Alright that was mean.  The Heaters are much more stable than the Mets.

While I wouldn't call any of the position players on this team Elite (with the possible exceptions of Mantonio Laevo and Hank Hart), this is an outstanding small ball lineup with a bunch of surprise players who are going to spend time in the All Star discussion.  Not many options for hitting the cover off the ball but most of these guys can get on base and effectively move around them.  They are going to find their living in stolen bases, turning double play balls into a fielders' choice, and the hit and run.

They also aren't breaking the bank with only one player (Raise Rufallo at 10.4 million) making over 10 million a year.  That's good because the focus of this team's budget is on pitching and they've pretty effectively created a solid lineup on a shoestring budget.  First here's the default lineup:

And for comparison, here's mine (non-DH):

1.  Dion Bass (2B)
2.  Raise Rufallo (CF)
3.  Mantonio Laevo (1B) vs LHP/Hank Hart (SS) vs. RHP
4.  Theodore Stiffner (3B)/Mantonion Laevo (1B) vs RHP
5.  Hank Hart (SS) vs LHP/Theodore Stiffner (3B) vs RHP
6.  Slapper Glute (LF)
7.  Bubbles Garcia (RF)
8.  Kobe Kingman (C)
9.  Pitcher

Now let's take a look at each position and see how we arrived there.

Catcher:  Kobe Kingman is your highest rated catcher with excellent contact stats, well above average defensive skills, and a strong arm for throwing out baserunners.  While he's not known for power it can still go deep if he gets the barrel of the bat on it.  At 7.3 million Kingman brings outstanding value to the franchise as a high OBP catcher with outstanding defensive attributes.

At backup you can either use Kimme Smoke or Slopper Glute.  Smoke gives you solid offensive production and deceptive speed with good pitch blocking skills but an arm that is going to struggle against the faster baserunners, and you may be best served with Glute who plays a positions with good depth (LF) and is going to give you great offensive production and an absolute cannon of an arm.  Even with suspect defense Glute is overall going to be a superior option at backup as long as his normal spot in LF is covered (it will be).

1st Base:  Though his overall rating is low due to suspect fielding and baserunning, Mantonio Laevo is one of the best offensive players on this team with outstanding contact and power numbers, and at 4.9 million a year is an absolute steal.  I've never been big on defense over at first and if you can get the offensive production, then stick whoever over there.  The guy even hits from both sides of the plate for pete's sake.

He's one of the few true power hitters on this team and any mistakes over the plate are going to be sent into the stratosphere.  On a team that's hurting for cap space like the Heaters Laevo is a guy they should do anything they can to hold onto.

In the event of injury or if you are playing cross conference and want to slot Laevo in at DH, Kimme Smoke or Volt Bolter are both adequate options to fill in at first.  Smoke gives solid offensive numbers with decent defensive traits while Bolter is an outstanding defender but struggles at the plate with poor power and barely average contact, though he has a propensity to work counts and foul pitches off.

All that said, there are better uses for both Bolter and the DH position with this team.

2nd Base:  Dion Bass is a solid player with above average defensive attributes and great small ball potential.  With poor power ratings he isn't going to be hitting the cover off the ball but he has the speed to beat out well placed infield grounders and with that contact rating, is going to be hitting a lot of them.  If he can work counts he could end up on base a lot and once he's there it's off to the races. He isn't the fastest runner on the team but with his potential to get on base he's probably the most offensively viable.

Backup is a bit tougher to decipher.  Hank Hart can fill in for him but then you're out an all star shortstop.  Maggie Rags has an outstanding defensive skillset and can play any position but her abysmal offense relegates her to defensive sub and emergency fill in for the time being.  You can slide Hart in then do some roster wizardry involving Ted Stiffner and Buscha Digman but that is a huge defensive blow along with a small offensive downgrade.  No matter how you twist it losing Bass for any amount of time could put this team in a tough position.

SS:  Both on paper and in reality a major strength.  Hank Hart is one of the best everyday players on this team and is on a very team friendly contract making 8.9 million.  A left handed bat with good speed and offensive potential, he can also cover short with outstanding range and athleticism.  He may be the best all around athlete on the team next to Raise Ruffalo.  Even with average power hitting he's shown an ability to destroy right handed pitching.

In addition to starters like Dion Bass and Theodore Stiffner who can fill in at shortstop, you also have Buscha Digman off the bench.  Digman is nowhere near the athlete Hart is but has outstanding defensive skills with extraordinary power.  Unfortunately he struggles to hit for average, but if he's able to get hold of the ball it's going to get launched.

As always Maggie Rags is available as a gold glove caliber defensive replacement but don't expect to do any favors in the lineup just yet.

3rd Base:  Starting at 3rd is Ted Stiffner, an aging veteran on a team friendly deal at 6.1 million who features some of the fastest baserunning in the game, just barely second to Volt Bolter.  At 36 years old Stiffner's defense (never the strength of his game) has fallen off significantly but his power numbers are still well above average.  Though the Heaters are not in a DH conference Stiffner would make an excellent DH candidate.

The best option at backup, just as at shortstop, is probably Buscha Digman, a right handed power bat capable of filling in at third with average defense but an excellent arm.  Digman is a superb bench player who can defend the left side of the infield with excellent defense and offensive potential on a 4.1 million a year contract.

RF:  Right field is a tough position for this team.  On paper 24 year old Murky Nubswubbles is your only starting RF and, in spite of his terrible fielding he actually isn't a terrible option off the bench if you want to hold onto him as a developmental prospect.  While the official lineup posted above uses Volt Bolter as the RF starter I would take the defensive hit of starting Bubbles Garcia as your everyday RF starter.  He offers an average arm, below average defense, and average contact but surprsingly excellent power ratings offensively and is going to get on base more reliably than Bolter, who is going to be more useful off the bench as a defensive or pinch-running option late.

At back up slot in Bolter with solid defense and an excellent arm.  It'll be an offensive step down but with his outstanding speed he can create havoc on the basepaths when he does manage to get on base and defensively though he has average glove skills he's going to be able to cover a massive area in right and rob a lot of extra base hits.

CF:  Raise Rufallo is your starting center fielder and one of the best players on this team.  Though a bit pricey at 10.4 million he's still right around league average for a top rated outfielder.  A left handed bat that hits for average, he's fast enough to create stress on the bases and stretch extra base hits.  Defensively he has gold glove talent with the speed to cover significant portions of the field, shoring up weaker defenders such as Garcia over at right.  A 5 tool left hander, at only 26 Rufallo is only going to get better and will be a pillar on this team for years to come as long as they can hold on to him.


LF:  Slapper Glute rounds out your outfield with outstanding contact ratings and a cannon for an arm.  With above average speed he can get to most warning track balls and fire them in quick.  He's going to get on base consistently and round them effectively.  Though below average glove and power stats mean he may be overshadowed by Rufallo and Hart his cap hit is well below theirs at 8.5 million and with the ability to hit from either side of the plate, Glute looks like a tremendous value and a vital part of a championship effort.


Bench: No matter who you go with for starters this team has tremendous depth on the bench for situational hitting, running, or defensive replacements.  Maggie Rags is a gold glove defender at any position besides catcher (and should be able to play that adequately as well) though she shouldn't be hitting anywhere above the 9 hole with abysmal offensive ratings, Volt Bolter can back up at 1st or any outfield position with solid defense and proven ability to work counts even if he hasn't translated that into average yet.  He is also in the conversation for fastest baserunning in the league.

Buscha Digman gives great power and solid defensive measurables across the left side of the infield though he's going to struggle to make contact with tough pitches, and Murky Nubswubbles represents a potential future backup option in right field with solid power, speed, and a strong throwing arm.  Smoke represents a good defensive backup at catcher with solid offensive production though with his arm he shouldn't be tapped as a future starter unless you're willing to invest in development.

If you decide to play Bolter in right over Garcia, then Garcia offers great offensive potential in late game situations which could be vital in a non-DH league.  Personally I'd rather take consistent offensive output directly in the lineup but I understand the desire to have a good hitter in reserve.  Without Garcia your best offensive substitution is Nubswubbles which is far from ideal. 

Heaters Pitching Breakdown

The Heaters, an absolutely fascinating team on paper with a lot of extremely promising young talent, but some issues with depth and cap space.

Because this is an expansion team many of the players came from existing franchises. Personally I spent way more time with the team creator than the super mega league so I really don't know who was drafted and who is completely new. Please feel free to fill in for that if you want to write up any historic information on any players.

Rotation

A major strength at the front end, a major weakness at the back end, and not a lot of depth. The rotation alone also represents about 35 million of their 140 million cap, which doesn't sound too wild until you figure out 2 players account for 30 million of that.

Rotation ace Elmo Slayer leads this group. A 24 year old left handed talent, Slayer can do it all with a 5 pitch arsenal, all rated good to great. A true ace on any team, Slayer throws with great velocity, better control, and even better movement. Even if hitters can catch up to his pitches they won't be able to find them.

He's also paid like a true ace at 17.9 million, a number that's only going to increase as he approaches his prime. On the one hand he's going to be around for a long time, on the other so is his contract.

Behind him is Bishop Fuller, rounding out a 1-2 punch of left handed talent with another brilliant 5 pitch arsenal and great measurables in all 3 categories, as well as good plate discipline and contact skill. You won't feel uneasy about leaving him in late in a close game with his ability to work a count and foul off pitches. At 12.1 million his contract is also somewhat more favorable than Slayer's though still a significant investment in a position that measures its impact in innings. In the post season you can bet that investment would be worth every penny though.  

Going forward any GM is going to have a tough choice about who to keep in the top of this rotation.  Both are relatively young arms and likely to get more expensive on a team that already has significant cap problems.  While Elmo Slayer is unquestionably the better pitcher, overall pitch rating between these two is much closer and Fuller might be the best choice going forward for his bat and ability to mix multiple fastballs with his breaking pitches.

3rd Starter: Air Lovestone, a right handed pitcher with 5 options at her disposal, Lovestone would be an intriguing developmental prospect but is nowhere near ready to anchor a rotation like this. Good accuracy but poor velocity and below average break, she has a good pitch selection for creating ground ball contact but is going to be dancing around the strike zone a lot or getting taken deep. She could be ready in two or three seasons but right now she's back of the rotation material at best. She is on the most team friendly contract at 4.3 million.

Boris Biggsworth: Boris has a degree of flexibility in that he can come out of the bullpen or open games for you but in practice he is going to struggle against left handed hitting and with only 3 pitches of fastball, slider, and changeup predictability will be an issue across multiple innings. He throws with average velocity and below average break and control, and at 37 is only going to fade with time. He may be useful coming out of the bullpen in a blowout but is going to need to start at least some games so you aren't forcing Slayer, Fuller, and Lovestone to pitch on 3 days rest.

Unfortunately it will be hard to find an adequate upgrade for Biggworth in free agency as the Heaters have very little cap room to work with due to their huge pitching contracts. Not content to settle in to the Super Mega League, they've decided to go for it all and bring home a title in their inaugural season as an expansion team, spending 40 million dollars on their superstar rotation aces and closer alone. While they have the ability to make some small upgrades they're going to have to weigh a few weaknesses in bullpen, rotation, and lineup, and hope they can grab lightning in a bottle with some of these prospects and veteran players.

Bullpen

Bullpen could be a strength for this team if the starters are able to go deep, but could also be a huge liability if asked to cover more than 2 or 3 innings and will get exposed against a good lineup. The lack of any left handed pitching also hurts them in the matchup game and should be immediately addressed.

Derr Neverwocker is an unbelievable right handed talent. Composed under pressure, 4 pitch selection with outstanding control and absolutely filthy stuff. Fastball that can go over 100 mph on a good day and won't dip below 97 on a bad one, he can overpower or bamboozle you or just make you look silly at the plate. Hand this guy any lead in the 9th and he will save the game with any defense behind him, including the kids in Sandlot or pre-angels Angels in the Outfield. He's also the third of the paid musketeers demanding 13 million a year. Only 27 years old, it's likely you'll have some hard choices to make in a few years about who to keep and who to let walk but Neverwocker is going to be vital to any championship run.

Splash Cashmore is a right handed power arm who makes a solid set up pitcher even with his unfortunate propensity for walks. Rated a C+ overall because of a lack of break, he makes up for it with a mid 90's fastball and above average control, coupled with a tough changeup. Getting up there at 36 but for now he's your best option for getting to Neverwocker.

Huck Enduck is an interesting option to match up against lefty bats with a fastball/slider/curve selection. Below average velocity, break, and control means he isn't going to be a reliable holder in a close game but he isn't an egregious choice either and unfortunately you're going to have to rely on him to get results at some point during a regular season. Also has some pop to his bat so if he gets hold of one it's going to carry.

Simba Delmo rounds out the crew. At 41 years old his skills have badly deteriorated though he can still reach the low 90's with his fastball. A fastball/changeup pitcher, even with his limited control he's probably going to be a better option to battle through a tough inning or two than Enduck. Ultimately Delmo is what Cashmore sees when he looks in one of those funhouse aging mirrors.

Any GM taking on this team is going to have to address the bullpen sooner than later, for retirement if nothing else. To keep your superstar players your bread and butter on this team is going to be identifying and signing talented C and C+ rated players, finding talent while keeping costs down. That means a focus on pitch selection, age, and min/max stats.

That lack of a left handed arm is also dangerous given that this team is coming out the gate in win now mode.  Enduck comes across as a good candidate for a quick sign and release because his contract is slightly more expensive than Delmo and his pitches are lower rated, but it's going to be hard to find a quality left handed arm for 2.1 million.