Osaka Ronin

2016 Record: 73-87
Projected Record: 66-94
Key Additions: Tim Spooneybarger (free agent)
Key Losses: Rafael Furcal (retired), John Webb (retired)

Consecutive 3rd place finishes for the Ronin have Osaka fans clamoring for change. The powerhouse that was Ellas promised great things when bargaining for a new home in Domukun Field but GM Tom Hey hasn't been up to the task. Two playoff appearances followed by two dogshit performances is going to result in a lot of fans dressed up as empty seats - that's going to look horrible on TV as the place seats more than 57,000.

Last season saw more of the same - lazy fly balls floating over the short porches in left and right - inflating Ronin batting numbers and stretching games over the four hour mark. Great place to play if you're going to be a free agent hitter. Seriously, if you can't slug .500 in Osaka you belong in the minors. Four players hit more than 44 homers last season and the team hit 315 - 47 ahead of second place Philly (268). Those league-leading bombs resulted in just a 4th best total in runs scored however. Time to reevaluate, right?

How warped is this squad? Their 13M pitcher, Johan Santana, put up a sparkling 4.71 ERA. Roy Halladay has to be frustrated as well, he's stuck pitching there for two more seasons and had a 5.17 ERA last season. They were one of 3 teams with an ERA over 5 last year - none of them had a winning season. So what's been done this winter? Well, Rick Ankiel is back for 3 more seasons. Phew. A career 5.88 ERA is just what the doctor ordered. What else? Let's see .... 2B Paul Matthew anyone? Okay, a pinch runner is a good pickup, right? Jon Rauch? Larry Pappas? Oh, look! Tim Spooneybarger is back. He dominated in 61 innings last season with a 3.54 ERA. They'll be turning his middle relieving shoulder into hamburger if Hey doesn't fix this team immediately. Is this squad going to contend in the Far East? Not with Kyoto and Chiang Mai around. Buddha help us.

The Ronin are up against the cap but instead of blowing it up, realizing they're not contending, they're using hope, faith, band aids and praying to statues of Benten (oh just look it up!) that everything will break right for them this year. It's doubtful the fans will buy it this year. No more excuses will pacify this crowd, not injuries, not accounting errors. Let's see this franchise return to what it once was, okay?


Projected Lineup
CF Jerry Kimm
SS Mike Henderson
1B Dave Peppers
3B Chest Rockwell
LF Reuben Brown
C Tony Montana
2B John Thomas
RF Hideki Matsui

Alright, if octogenarian Matsui is starting anywhere, you have problems. There's some nice pieces here to work with - he's not one of them. GM Hey should be on the phones early and often to straighten this roster out. Will Thomas get the nod over Hey favorite Alfonso Soriano? I'm being optimistic here.

Projected Rotation
Johan Santana
Roy Halladay
Ben Sheets
Carl Sadler
Brandon Lyon

Closer
Dwight Schrute

Uh-oh. These guys have to be begging for the fences to be moved back. The 'pen features most of last year's "meat into the grinder" that was part of this debacle. Will rookies Sean Morgan or Bobby Ojeda Jr. get a shot this season? They have to be hoping they don't.