Pitchers and Position Players next year

Half of those pitchers are hurt and half of those position players can’t hit. We’re in good shape? Expecting several freshman to step up and play a pivotal role is delusional.

I agree. This is 2 big "if's"... If our pitchers come back healthy and IF we have freshman that can hit.
On paper, our lineup looks terrible. Josh Smith back will help, but it doesn't look scary that's for sure

Our best pitchers and our best overall hitter was a freshman. We are lsu, we land elite freshman every year.

Cabrera might also pitch. You left out Kodros, Mofitt, Reese and Nowak all young--there is no telling what another year of working out and a summer of pitching in a summer league might do for one of them.

We lost a couple of position guys along the way like Wooley that had troubles.

We should concentrate on position players and aces as we recruit this year. Sounds simple doesn't it??

It's very likely you'll see a significant roster purge from this year.

But LSU's signing class has no less than 20 kids in it, and it's a decent expectation that 15 of those will make it to campus. This is going to be a very new team next year, and it should be a pretty talented group.

Losing Walker, Storz, Hilliard and Labas and having Gilbert struggle the way he did is what destroyed what could have been a quality pitching staff, but along the way they managed to get some development out of Beck, Bush, Fontenot and Peterson that will greatly serve next year's staff. Adding the injured guys back into the mix and some seven or eight of the 10 pitchers they signed after the draft takes its toll should make next year's staff extremely deep and very talented. It would be unlikely you run out of pitching like you did this year.

At the plate, we'll see. The returning position players are no doubt questionable and some of them could well be candidates for a good roster purge. But Smith and Cabrera are a couple of very solid pieces to build around, there are some potential big sticks coming in with Cabell, Garza and Beloso and it wouldn't be a surprise to see another couple of signees this summer to add hitting depth. Mainieri might also rethink his opposition to letting his pitchers hit and play the field, because he has some assets should he do that (most notably Storz, who probably could have helped this year).

Pitching will be very deep if we come back healthy no doubt. Just going off the players already on the roster and no threat to the draft I think we see Peterson, Hilliard, and Walker have the first crack at the weekend rotation. Labas and Gilbert will start midweek games and move to the weekend if any of the other three struggle or need rest. If Gilbert can get right this makes for a very dangerous staff in tournament play. I am VERY high on Fontenot and think he becomes our closer assuming Peterson can handle the starter role. If Fontenot doesn't take it I look for Storz or possibly Bush in the closer role. I like Storz in relief this year to give him some time to build his stamina back up and hopefully he's allowed to hit as hitting will be the big question mark of this team.

Can we please get someone that can play third so Slaughter can retire his glove?

Agreed, but thought Josh Smith was THE next shortstop.

Maybe next year will be different, but he didn't look like a great SS when he played this year. Looked like a gold glove 3rd baseman his freshman year though.

Hopefully next year is different though. We might have to play Hughes at SS if we can't find someone to beat him out. CPM will probably trot Hughes out there & stick him in the 8 or 9 hole if we can't find a legit defensive SS.

I can see Cam Sanders getting drafted, but Slaughter? Who is going to draft him? The only position he's good at is 1st base & he's a .250 hitter.

He does have good power, good size, & good speed for a 1st baseman. Still can't see it though.