Introducing Your 2013 Flemingo Baseball Club

Here's the Opening Day Roster for the 2013 Flemingos:

(position / player name / team / salary / birth year or last year of long term contract)

C   Buster Posey, SF  $5/87

1B Eric Hosmer, KC  $5/89

2B Emilio Bonifacio, TOR $11/13

3B Will Middlebrooks, BOS $9/88

SS Elvis Andrus, TEX  $5/88

U   Ike Davis, NYM $3/87

OF Dexter Fowler, COL  $9/14

OF Jason Heyward, ATL $5/89

OF Aaron Hicks, MIN $1/89
OF Mark Trumbo, $11/14

It's an interesting bunch of hitters.  I'm expecting lots of home runs from Posey, Davis, and Trumbo.  Lots of general production from Middlebrooks, Andrus and Heyward.  Lots of stolen bases from Bonifacio.  And hopefully lots of not real bad numbers from Hosmer, Fowler and Hicks.

I expect Jurickson Profar to be up sometime this year - possibly to replace an injured 2B/SS for Texas (hoping more for the 2B because Andrus is the Texas shortstop and so that I can move Bonifacio to the outfield and waive Aaron Hicks) or to play centerfield for Texas since there's not much room in their infield.  And Christian Yelich will probably be called up by Miami sometime this year to play outfield.  If so Aaron Hicks will probably be the player he replaces.  Otherwise, it doesn't look like I have any other soon-to-be-called-up impact hitters in my minor leagues.

P Johnny Cueto, CIN $11/14

P Jeremy Hellickson, TB $5/87

P Lance Lynn, STL $5/87

P Shelby Miller, STL $4/90
P Jose Fernandez, MIA $5/92
P Brad Peacock, HOU $1/88
P Wily Peralta, MIL $1/89

The first thing that jumps out is that the Flemingos have no relief pitching.  It was an unusual draft because there were no relief pitchers in the pool of free agents who were destined to get saves.  The Salsa Sharks took a flyer on Rosenthall of the Cardinals who, if Jason Motte falters, might get the closer job for St. Louis.  But otherwise, there was nothing available.  Sometime during the year I hope to pick up a player that gets put into the closer job for some team when someone else falters - but I don't have high hopes of that happening.  We'll see.

Otherwise, the Flemingo pitching appears to be adequate.  It doesn't look like it will carry the team this year.  It could if St. Louis wins 100 games, Jose Fernandez turns out to be the second coming of Dwight Gooden, and Cueto and Hellickson have career years.  Again, I don't have high hopes of that happening.  We'll see...

From the minor leagues we might see Zach Wheeler of the Mets and Gerrit Cole from Pittsburgh.  Peacock and Peralta should keep a suitcase packed just in case...