Season Preview: Kyoto Bushido

2017 Record: 75-85, 2nd in Far East
Key Additions: RP Hack Bubser, SP Daisuke Matsuzaka, OF Grady Sizemore, C Tony Montana
Key Losses: P's Roy Oswalt, Jason Jennings, Runelvys Hernandez, CF Josh Hamilton
2018 Prediction: 87-73

Last year's Bushido scored a woeful 635 runs, second fewest in SLB. Finishing just a game out of the playoffs, you'd expect that the Kyoto pitching staff dominated, right? You'd be correct, with GM Darin Keesing's squad putting up a nice 4.13 mark. But instead of grabbing just speed or thunder for the lineup, Keesing appears to be upgrading a strength, signing ace Matsuzaka for 11.25M per season and then picking up some cheap, run-of-the-mill arms to fill out the bullpen and provided depth at AAA. But unless Dice-K can really swing the bat, this team still has obvious flaws. For a team that didn't hit for enough power (second worst slugging percentage), hit into the 4th most double plays, didn't show enough speed (9th in stolen bases, 2nd fewest triples), will Montana, Sizemore and a rookie be enough to improve the offense?

New CF Sizemore (career .299) is the writing on the wall for veteran Andruw Jones, who may not make another appearance in SLB. Sizemore is 34, doesn't handle CF too well anymore and has lost a step or two but is still considered an upgrade. Rookie Dave Meijas, who charmed Keesing in spring with his .302 average, is being handed the starting 2B spot and will bat leadoff. If Meijas can handle the pressure and show some baserunning smarts, that may help make up for the mediocrity of RF Jeremy Reed and SS Bobby Crosby in the bottom of the order. Manager Bobby Valentine had to like what he saw out of 22 year-old LF Cray Boggs this spring, who hit .302 with some power and speed. If Keesing can find a taker for the 8M mistake Jeremy Reed, look for Boggs to get called up. The key to the offense will be Montana, who hit 69 bombs last year in Osaka but now has to the same in Kyoto, where good catchers go to die.

Batting Order
2B D Meijas
CF G Sizemore
LF A Mule
C T Montana
1B M Hamilton
RF J Reed
3B E See
SS B Crosby

With a bench of C K Thibault, 1B R Howard, 3B B Hawpe, OF S Smitherman and CF A Murphy, there are some excellent pinch-hitting options and short-term injury fill-ins. Noone Valentine will want to play for a long period of time but his GM still has plenty of cash to spend when and if a serious injury occurs.

Pitching Rotation: Jordan Auerbach, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Jake Peavy, Hank Daniels, Jeremy Affeldt
Closer: Tim Gudex

Matsuzaka makes any rotation look good, doesn't he? The 24 year-old Auerbach gets the Opening Day nod though. 35 year-old Jake Peavy shows no sign of slowing down and Daniels was league average. That's a nice 1-4. Affeldt in the 5th spot? He hasn't pitched in SLB in two years and I can't see him making it through the first month of the season, unless Valentine hides him on the bench going with a 4-man rotation. Look for some tweaks to the pitching staff with Affeldt and Rule 5 pickup Bubser vanishing. Tim Gudex, only 26, dominated last year and if he repeats his success should be looking at a huge payday after the season. Kyoto should be able to afford it, because with the additions of Matsuzaka and Montana, they'll be in the playoffs this fall.