The Omaha Storm Chasers, the Kansas City Royals AAA affiliate, were 83-61 in 2012. They won their division by 16 games and are the defending Pacific Coast League American Conference champions.
Omaha manager Mike Jirschele, who begins his 14th season at the helm, has some big bats to replace after the Royals dealt Clint Robinson and Wil Myers during the offseason. But he should have a number of good options to choose from. The team will also need to replace starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi, who was also dealt during the offseason.
Here’s how the 2013 roster might look on opening day, and beyond.
Pitchers
Depending on how things work out at the big league level during the last week of spring training, Omaha’s pitching staff could include, Will Smith, Ryan Verdugo, Nate Adcock, Justin Marks (who is dealing with a groin injury right now and probably won’t start the season with the club), Chris Dwyer, Donnie Joseph, Louis Coleman, Everett Teaford, Francisley Bueno and Dan Wheeler. Blaine Hardy and Michael Mariot are also listed on the team’s roster.
Jirschele spoke about Joseph and Teaford on the Storm Chasers radio preview show with Mark Nasser on Monday, March 25.
Joseph has had an outstanding spring training — against lefties and righties,” Jirschele said. “He made a few minor adjustments I guess with his delivery and he’s just throwing strikes and pounding the strike zone. He’s been very effective against these major-league hitters [this spring].”
“Teaf’s got good stuff and had success at AAA,” Jirschele said. “He had an injury earlier in the spring and it set him back a little bit and I think that sort of bumped him out of picture, but I’m happy to have him and there’s a chance he could end up being one of our five starters to begin the season.”
It looks like Adam Moore and Manuel Pina will share time behind the dish. Max Ramirez could log some time there as well.
“Adam had a great spring with the big league club,” Jirschele said. “I think options got him because since he had options they could option him out and not lose him. It made their decision a little easier on who to keep.”
But Jirschele said the Royals haven’t fully decided yet what they’ll do for a backup to Salvador Perez.
First Base
Both Ramirez and Storm Chaser-killer Chad Tracy, who was acquired over the offseason, could log some time at first base.
“I was very happy to see Chad on our team and not against us because he has come up with some big hits against us,” Jirschele said. “But we’re just going to have to see how things work out because we’re going to get a few more guys yet from the big leagues and we’ll have to see what adjustments we have to make.”
Second Base
Johnny Giavotella, who recently lost the competition for the starting second base job at the big league level to Chris Getz, will be back with the Chasers. It’s a repeat of last spring for Giavotella.
“I think he’s down, there’s no doubt about it,” Jirschele said. “He just got sent out, so he took yesterday off, came out today and played intersquad and didn’t really look like the Johnny Giavotella I remember — striking out three times. I’m sure there’s a lot going through his mind and it’s going to take him a while to get back into it, but when the gun goes off, he’ll be ready to go.”
Jirschele said Christian Colon will also play some second base.
“In the future, he could possibly be an everyday second baseman in the big leagues, we feel. He’s going to have to get over there and get a lot of playing time.”
Shortstop-Third Base
Colon will probably play some shortstop. As will Irving Falu, Brandon Wood, and possibly Anthony Seratelli. Any combination of Falu, Wood and Seratelli will cover third base. Seratelli will probably open the season as the team’s utility man since he can also play first base, second base, third base and outfield.
Outfield
So far Jirschele will be looking to play David Lough, Willy Taveras, Paulo Orlando and Luis Durango in the outfield.
The Royals released Xavier Nady, but he could also end up with the Storm Chasers if they offer him a reassignment to the minors and if he accepts that offer. According to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star, the Royals are expected to re-sign Nady.
“I talked to Xavier yesterday, and it sounds like there’s a pretty good chance he will come down,” Jirschele said. “And that puts more pressure on me getting these guys in because you’re talking about another first baseman/DH.”
Jirschele’s Outlook
“I just feel that we’ve got a lot of good ballplayers,” Jirschele said. The biggest job for me is going to be just getting them out there into the games and keeping them all fresh.
“You can see that there’s a lot of talent out there. Our pitching is strong and we’ve got a good bullpen. I think if there’s anything I worry about, it’s the number of lefties we have. But I can see that we’re going to be very competitive.”
The Storm Chasers open the season on April 4 at Round Rock.
Source:
All quotes from Mike Jirschele are from the Omaha Storm Chasers radio preview show and are used with permission of the team.
This is Lee Warren’s fifth season covering the Omaha Storm Chasers, the AAA affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Follow him on Twitter @OmahaBaseball for updates about the Storm Chasers.
