WHO IS IN AISLE 9: THE '42 GROCERS PREVIEW
By Gracy Heneke
When I told my friends over at The Gotham Press, the most elite New York Gothams fan blog that I was leaving to write for Blue Street Market, they said "wait what?" You're not supposed to change your favorite team, no matter what. But what happens when a team moves literally into your backyard?
This Brattleboro team showed up on my doorstep and having moved back from college, I can't be happier to have a major league team in my neck of the woods and I can hardly believe it's real. In fact, if I wasn't seeing the stadium with my own eyes, I'd think the whole thing was a practical joke.
Rooting for a new team is like getting a new boyfriend (or girlfriend) where you can't help but compare them to your old one and wonder what might have been, if they got their act together. Still stuff this new person does will annoy you and it'll leave you longing for your old love.
This Grocers team is surely going to end up bagging our grocery wrong more than once this year and there's no way I believe the hype about a playoff appearance, but I am legitimately excited after the moves they made this off-season. The team did a lot of addition by subtraction and we have a lot of young, hungry guys that we're going to get to grow up with.
The Grocers ended last year with a Top 5 farm system that's currently ranked 3rd now and we're gonna see some of those gems start taking the field this season. This has the potential to go badly but...it's better than having them rotting away in the minors.
After over a decade of permanent suckage in Memphis, the team is hoping to get a little bit of New England magic in Southern Vermont. With a fan base stretching throughout upstate New England, western Massachusetts and Connecticut; seems like Grocers fever is spreading slow and steadily.
But will the on-field product be any better?
ROSTER
PROBABLE LINEUP
Only four guys on this roster played a full major league season last year. It's a team of untested guys who might either be amazing or it'll be a long year.
WHO WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT
LF J.J. SINCLAIR
22-year old rookie who has all of the upside in the world. Will probably strike out too much, but should enter the lineup and be a real big bat presence from Day 1. If he can put it all together, it'll be a hell of a foundation and it was a quality pickup for the new club in exchange for a major league catcher.
2B AMARI HAYNES
Haynes was a reserve infielder for the Chicago Rogues over the past three seasons and at age 25 looks like he's ready to step into a starting role. He was another one of those new trade acquisitions and it'll be interesting to see if he has the chops to play everyday. Hit .339 last year in 356 ABs (1.3 WAR) and has speed too.
CF ETHAN HARRIS
It took a deal including a major league outfielder - Tristan Chatman - and a Top 100 prospect Volk Rockmeier and another prospect to pry this one-year rental (?) from El Paso, but Ethan Harris gives this team a huge amount of legitimacy in centerfield. Publicly they've been saying they want to sign him, but it'll be interesting to see how he adapts to a new environment on the eve of his free agency year.
TOM SWART
He's one of the longest tenured members of the franchise, a first-rounder of the Memphis Hounds back in '33. A positive WAR player (3.8 last year) and a leader in the clubhouse, we're happy he's still here.
ROTATION
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The offense might be inexperienced and interesting. The pitching is experienced. With the 5th lowest payroll in the bigs, this team didn't exactly have a lot to work with in terms of making big splashes on the FA market, but the trades with the Top 5 farm system were deft. It got us some intriguing guys.
Pat Ramey (14-9, 3.64 ERA) comes from Great Plains and is the staff's ace. That might be a tall order for him, honestly. He's always been a reliable middle of the rotation guy. But this is a chance for him to shine and we'll see how it goes.
Rogelio Zeballos (14-9 4.41 ERA, 4.0 WAR) is a holdover from last year, acquired in a mid-season deal with Toronto. He's a top of the rotation arm with a good fastball, changeup and an ability to eat up innings.
Jay Miller is a bit of an unknown. Acquired in the blockbuster that also brought us Amari Haynes from the Chicago Rogues, he's 27 and has never had a full season in a rotation. In 61 games last year in relief, he had a 2.96 ERA. He has three good pitches and as goes Miller, so goes the franchise this year. He's the bellweather.
The bottom of the rotation contains more unproven arms that'll need to be battle tested. Closer
Omarion Taylor is two years removed from a 40-save season where he had an ERA under 2.00. After considering using him as a starter, he's sensibly been entrusted with the closer role and should be a good stopper for this team if there are wins to be had.
OUTLOOK
This team is in a new city, new division and has a lot of new personnel. The core of this team won 74 games last year, so it's not impossible to think the changes that have been made coupled with a few breakout seasons could propel this team into a wild card spot. On the flip side, a few injuries or key losses will lead to the 11th losing season in 14 years.
It'll be exciting either way.
Let's BAG 'EM UP BOYS!