At The Deadline...

Los Angeles, CA - The deadline has came and gone and the Republic find themselves in a unique position. To be fair, any position that isn't last place in the division/conference would be an improvement for the Republic, but the team really is taking quite a stride this season.

Showing that patience, does pay off.

The winning formula for the 2015 season has been as follows: Patience + Luck + Seattle Injuries  + More Luck and a little development sprinkled in.

So far, the good has been the duo of Gotti Gutierrez and Luis Lopez. They've hit a wall as of late, but with Top 7 ABL Starter, Evan Warner going down with a season-ending injury the two have helped hold the rotation hostage, booking innings and walking few.

And with good, their will always be bad. 

Joe 'Crayon' Frost got hurt, and missed 2-3 months. He's now being sent to AAA to start his rehab assignment, and is expect back within the month of August, with a target date of the third week or so.

Dave 'Loki' McNuir, randomly and confusingly lost tons of speed in velocity, and dropped across the board - going from a 4/4.5* 22 year old talent (with improvements on each season) to 2.5/4.5* 23 year old talent... a thing that the team is a tad confused with.

It's true, McNuir had an incident in the off-season where he lost twenty-five pounds after a horrible stomach virus, but he's gained all but 10 of it back.

Also, now AAA SP Appleby isn't having the resurrection to his career he hoped. Last seen, Appleby showed tons of promise as a young 2.5/3* starter before the horrible off-the-field in game message report of him losing his finger in a wood chopping incident.

Appleby is now .5/1* after the two week injury. 

But onto the luck.

The Republic have had many 2-5, 2-4 sims in which Minnesota, Dallas, Carolina would all go similar and no ground was gained. Recently, the team went 5-1 on a 2-4 sim for Minnesota and gained a full 3 games.

Seattle has been beaten up with injuries again this year, and has allowed the Republic to stay within 4.5 Games, though the team would have been fine selling and not buying at the deadline as the team still is waiting for the wall to fall.

Either way, the Republic lead the Wild Card by 3 Games with 2 Months left. It's going to be a great joy and a playoff appearance, or a brutal ending to an otherwise promising season.

Only time will tell.

Deadline Deals, 2015

So Cal Republic, Hops Agree to Trade

Friday, July 31st, 2015

So Cal and San Diego made a trade today. In this move, the Republic shipped 21-year-old minor league starting pitcher Kazuhiko Kanno, 20-year-old minor league starting pitcher Luis Sandoval, 19-year-old minor league starting pitcher José Lara, 23-year-old minor league center fielder Taylor Thompson and 20-year-old minor league catcher Arturo León to the Hops for 27-year-old reliever Steve Johnson and 26-year-old second baseman Randy Bingham. The So Cal GM told reporters, "I think this trade is beneficial to everyone involved, including the players."

Bingham is presently hitting at a .344 pace with no home runs, 3 RBIs and has scored 3 times.

Evaluation: The get here was MR Johnson. Johnson has 20 stamina, and should provide some quality innings out of the back-end of the rotation which is lacking very much right now. Bingham also is a nice 2* 2B who can play 2B some, but is more suited to 1B in the future. With the arrival of SS Lewis, and the all-star Frost rehabbing in AAA currently Bingham will be fighting for at bats. A demotion to AAA is possible. Steve Lewis also just turned. 

In the deal, the Republic sent the 6th pick in the 2012 draft Kazuhiko Kanno. Kanno easily the best player in the deal, leaves a stacked system of arms and will be a welcome addition to the bare Hops farm system. Also going is IFA darling Luis Sandoval (whose not rated what he was when found, but still very solid) and Jose "Doppleganger" Lara. The team also sent a pair of 3* positional specs from premium positions with Leon at C, and Thompson in CF.

Republic, Toreros Make Trade

Friday, July 31st, 2015

The general manager of the So Cal Republic has signed off on a trade for Cabo San Lucas's 20-year-old minor league reliever Javier Pérez. To complete the deal, the Republic will send 31-year-old reliever Rusty Bell to the Toreros.

This season Bell has logged 1 save. He has thrown 35.1 innings, dished out 27 strikeouts and walked 12 while putting up a 2-1 mark and a 3.31 ERA.

Evaluation: This deal was a small deal, where the Republic moved veteran MR Rusty Bell to Cabo's for 20-year old A baller Javier Perez. Bell doesn't fit into the teams future plans with the stockpile of arms in the system as mentioned above, but Perez at 20 10 10 provides a possible situational MR with a quick hook if developed. This was about turning Bell into something 4-5 years down the road, and the team was able to clear the rest of Bells 500K salary in doing so as well.

All-Stars a plenty...

Los Angeles, CA - The So Cal Republic have a few players selected from the 2015 ABL All-Star Game.

See Below:

So Cal Republic (ABL)

SP Gabriel 'Gotti' Gutierrez

3B Jeffrey 'Robin' Hensley

LF Ron Hutchins 

The most noteable of this group obviously is Hensley, who'll be making his fourth straight all-star game appearance, but just the second of which he didn't start.

Ron Hutchins the outfield All-Star was just sitting in free agency before the season started last year and has blossomed from a 1.5* initial scout cheap signing as a 5th Outfielder into a 3.5* outfielder was awesome stats.

And the most impressive would be Gotti Gutierrez who this time last year, had a 6.91 ERA for the 2014 campaign. His ERA sits swiftly at 3.40 (3.45FIP) and he leads the team in wins at 11-3.

Indian Wells Aeropostales

SP Leonardo 'King of the Hill' Reynoso

CL Jose 'Bijou' Gallegos

LF Charlie 'C-Money' Sutton 

The great piece here is Reynoso making the All-Star game. He was signed in 2012 via defection from Cuba at just 17 and he's just 20 years and 156 days old as of now. He's progressed from .5/2.5-5* and from A to AAA. Very proud.

Bijou was another IFA find, this time from Mexico in March of 2013. Very happy with his progress as well, and glad that the 20 year old made the team.

C-Money, Charlie Sutton was a pick in the first draft I had. Sutton was taken with the first pick of the second round in the 2012 First Year Player Drat and the 19 year old with only one season of professional baseball under his belt from Canada is on the fast-track to the bigs... or maybe not, given the crazy crowded nature of the Republic OF.

Riverside Red Bulls

SP Lincoln 'Odin' Brouillette 2013 7th overall

SP Luis 'Terminator' Sandoval

CL Dan Bowman 2013 2nd rd 

C Billy Bishop signed via fa released by CK just 23

Lincoln's brother Cohen just debuted in the big leagues (and is having it rough, but meh, injuries) and couldn't be happier with Lincoln's domination of the A and AA levels. Lincoln just turned 23 a few days ago, and was the first round pick of the team in the 2013 draft.

The Terminator, Luis Sandoval came over just a few months after his buddy Reynoso in 2013 from Cuba - he's fallen off his initial 4.5* ratings the first year and a half. However, Sandoval has settled for the past two years into a 3* prospect (which is where we think he ends up) and provides one of those potential back end starting pitcher roles that are so valuable.

Another successful draft pick here, as Dan Bowman was taken in the 2nd Round of the 2013 draft out of USC (yuck, ewww, yuck) and went straight to AA at 1.5*. He just turned 24, and 2.5* now and the taking another arm instead of a bat that high in the draft (taking a MR arm that high) has appeared to finally began to pay off. Bowman has just been promoted to AAA as he is dominating.  

Bishop makes me very happy, as I was shocked how I got him. The Tornado's dropped Bishop into free agency and the Republic signed him the first time they opened his page. It took a few months, a while in fact - but it was a match made in history and the reclaimation project with pretty good ratings in the categories I like has went from 1*P to 2.5*P and appears to be the future back-up as it stands right now for So Cal.

Westside Warriors

RF John Dunbar

Not so deep here, but So Cal noticed some potential in Dunbar and signed the un-drafted Free Agent as soon as the draft ended in 2014. He's on pace for 100 walks and 40 steals. He's not going to be a star player, but like Sandoval provides very good depth going forward. Especially being free.

Can So Cal catch a break, plus other notes....

Los Angeles, CA - If the Republic didn't have bad luck, they wouldn't have luck at all.

The team sits 2.5 games up on the BESERKERS, and 2.5 games back on the damn FOREST FOLK.

The team is in the middle of a break-out season and has now lost their best player SP Evan Warner for the remainder of the season as he joins the teams superstar twenty three year old all-star and the teams best offensive weapon Joe 'Color me Red, Crayon' Frost on the disabled list.

Rumors had the team engaged in discussions with the Jacks about aquiring a reliever, but GM Brouillette has been rumored to have said F*** IT and will wait until closer to the deadline. Many in Los Angeles expect the team to fall of with all the injuries, and with Warner going down it should be the death blow.

Warner was having an awesome year, and was leading the teams staff. More responsabilty had even been placed on Warner as Dave 'Loki' McNuir, the wunderkid was sent down to AAA to find out what the fuck happened to his pitching ability.

But alas, the season for the Republic continues to take a "COME ON, MAN" like approach with Warner hitting the sidelines for atleast 3-4 months with an inflammation in his shoulder. 

The Los Angeles native, Warner - was said to have been broken by the news nearly.

Warner signed a team friendly 7 year, 37 million dollar deal and is in the first year of his contract.

Speaking of contracts, Michael Lewis hasn't played a single game for the team but the two sides are in the final stages of a 4 year, 5.2 million dollar exstention. 

First overall pick in the 2012 first-year player draft Cohen 'Thor' Brouillette has been absolutely atrocious in the rotation (3.5/5* however) and will get a few more starts heading into the break, praying we can get something out of him.

Additionally, 7th pick in the innagural draft, Bob 'Bust' Osborn is slated to come up from AAA and his rehab assignment re-joining the Replublic. However, Osborn may not have a place to play as the outfield has been heating up, especially Player of the Week - FROYO Forryan (as well as Guzman, and Yanez)... and Hutchins has been the teams best bat all year.

Where he slides in, as of now - nobody knows. Expect him to play vs LHP only in a platoon role until the team cools off some... that being Osborn.

As for now, the team will scour the system and hope to find a starter they can streamline for the rest of the season.

So Cal nabs an infielder...

Los Angeles, CA - The So Cal Republic did what they've always done, promoted from within and tried to flesh out the roster with little deals and signings.

However, this years class of free agency providing nothing in terms of signable talent for anyone - and when the Republic started to encounter injury, after injury the team had to turn to the previously mentioned dynamic minor league duo of Henry Richardson (whose fallen off) and Francisco Saenz (clearly isn't ready) ... and unfortunately, the pair just can't handle big league duties right now.

Richardson might be the exception, but only time will tell.

Dan Blankenship was signed at the end of spring, whose fantastic glove has been paired with his surprising 362/388/574 vs RHP - but in only 16 games.

All this being said, the Republic went out and made a little trade last night to fill the void in the middle infield, a move that could move Joe Frost to 2B for the forseeable future.

So Cal Sends: 
P Jose Pacheco, AAA

Washington Sends:
SS Michael Lewis, ABL

Here's the kicker though...

Lewis seems to have a good season, then bad season -- good season, then bad season.

Last year he posted a great WAR of 4.9 (thanks largely to his defensive 20+ZNR and his career offensive year).  Let's look at the duos stats this year.

AAA stats (2014)
P Jose Pacheco 36G 5-3REC 2SV 2.09ERA 3.06FIP 43IP 32HA 4HR 17BB 56K 1.14WHIP .286BABIP

ABL stats (2014)
SS Michael Lewis 153AB 41H 9DBL 13B 1HR 1RBI 8BB 34K 268/302/359 2SB

The plan is to play All-Star Joe 'Crayon' Frost at 2B v RHP, and SS v LHP, while the man who has laid claim to the second best claimee in ABL history, Steve Lewis will play 2B vs LHP, and Lewis will start at SS vs RHP.

Overall, this isn't a make or break trade for the 2015 for the Republic, but it's a nice little piece going forward... As always:

#ToWinOrDieInSoCal

Funny seeing you here...

Los Angeles, CA - Henry Richardson got the call-up from AAA to replace injured star shortstop Joe 'Crayon' Frost for the Republic and went 9 for 21 in his first few games with the team.

Richardson went to Mississippi State and so far this year had posted a 325/399/508 line with 10 steals, 22bb 48k and 28 runs scored in AAA.

He played just a few games in ABL before his partner Steve Lewis went down with whatever-the-fuck the rest of the team has and he'll also meet the disabled list.

Up to fill the role comes his second-base partner in Francisco Saenz. Saenz was drafted a round after him in the 2012 first year player draft, and has been his partner on defense since 2012 when the duo played at A, in 2013 at AA, in 2014 in AAA and both also at AAA this season.

" I was happy to see Richie get the call-up,  " Saenz went onto tell reporters after the Indian Wells Aeropostales victory last night, " It's just funny getting called up a week later. We always talked about it. We roomed together, we went to movies together... now we'll be playing for the Republic at the same time together... for atleast a few weeks. "

A few weeks is right, Lewis will be out for 3 weeks with an undisclosed hand injury and is fully expected to be given his starting gig as soon as he's able to come off the disabled list. 

Lewis going to rehab will fully depend on how Saenz plays, after all... 3 weeks isn't really that long.

#ToWinOrDieInSoCal

Cohen Brouillette to get call-up... not so fast.

Los Angeles, CA - While So Cal was preparing to call-up the first overall pick, in the 2012 first year player draft... GM Brouillette's son, Cohen 'Thor' Brouillette the brakes have been put on --- and fast.

And not for reasons you'd think.

Cohen was thrown out for starting a bench-clearing brawl and the suspension has been doubled from the normal time of 5 days, to a firm 10 days!

The last time the two teams met, the Joplin Fireballs (KC affiliate) threw at Charlie Hutton, and Cohen was immediate to return the favor. 

Cohen on the season in 11 starts (not counting the brawl start, as it was .2IP, has a record of 8-2 71IP 74K 34BB 1.12WHIP 2.39ERA/3.47FIP.

He'll be able to return in two sims.

#ToWinOrDieInSoCal