Last year may have been one to forget for the Buffalo Bisons on the scoreboard, but it certainly was successful from a development standpoint. 

It’s all in the way you look at it. 

The team finished with a 68-80 record, their worst since Casey Candaele became the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays Triple-A affiliate in 2021. 

On the other hand … the Bisons had multiple key players who spent time with both them and the Blue Jays this past season, including Nathan Lukes, Addison Barger, Bowden Francis, Zach Pop, and Eric Swanson.

“We had a lot of movement and things that happened last year, and our guys still went out and played hard,” Candaele said on an internet call from Dunedin, Fla. “We’re going into this season with a positive outlook, we’re gonna go out and compete every day, and we’re going to go out and give it our best and be successful in what we do.”

Most notably, Francis was effective for both teams in 2024, appearing in six games for the Bisons while putting up a 3-1 record and an impressive 0.93 ERA. The right-handed pitcher had an 8-5 record in 27 games for the Blue Jays, including a career performance where he carried a no-hit bid into the ninth inning. 

In Candaele’s three-and-a-half seasons as the Bisons manager, he has amassed 266 victories. Even with spring training still in session, he believes that the team needs to get better defensively in the infield. The outfield and pitching staff however, have a veteran presence.

“Looking on paper, we have the ability to do pretty well offensively, and for our pitching we’re going to have some veteran guys,” he said. 

“For the first time in three or four years, we’re going to have a starting rotation of five pitchers, and most of them have some big league time.”

The team will also have multiple relievers returning, which Candaele said performed great last year. Pitchers such as Mason Fluharty and Hayden Juenger in particular are expected to be strong.  

Fluharty and Juenger both appeared in over 50 games for the club last season, combining for over 135 innings pitched. 

“I think we’ll be able to compete, it’s just a matter of putting it all together,” said the manager.

The goal this year for the Bisons is to make it to Las Vegas, for the championship game.

“I tell the guys every year that the final game is in Vegas. They know how bad I want us to go to Vegas.”

The Bisons will open the season on March 28 against the Rochester Red Wings.