It's going to be a season of transition as we have a number of free agents departing from the most successful regular season team we had in seven seasons (and that was after a 1-7 start!) albeit one that didn't survive the first round of the playoffs.
Owner Jorge Rios has given me a $160M payroll for 2052 and before I pretend that I haven't already made a bunch of moves right after the season ended, I'll instead lay those out.
November 2: Signed RP Jimmy Bernal to a 2-year contract extension worth a total of $18,000,000.
Bernal was 9-3, 3.14 in a swing role last year and really found his niche as a long reliever. He was 5-3, 4.40 a starter and after he was moved to the pen he was 4-0, 1.53 with a 10/53 BB/K ratio in 58 IP with only 5 HR allowed. He's getting 5th starter money here but I'm leaning toward keeping him in relief. It's one spot on the staff I don't have to worry about now.
November 4: Made a couple of trades:
Viatoro was set to make $10.5M in arbitration this year and we have a glut of 1B types. I decided to keep Ruben Ramirez over him since he's been an out-and-out lefty masher the last few years for us and platoon him at the position with rookie Nesty de la Rosa, who was up for a while and hit and is 70 contact, 55 power. And in return we picked up a quality starting pitcher in Johnson who was 14-9, 3.34 with the Lightning and earned 2.5 WAR in 181 IP. He has 65 stuff and 60 movement with only his 40 control an issue. We also get Brown, a 19-year-old 2B prospect with incredible bat-to-ball potential, projected for 75 or 80 contact (and likewise in avoiding Ks) depending on which scout you talk to and backed that up by hitting 365/405/532 in 233 AB in complex ball last year. He's not a total punch-and-Judy guy either with 50 power potential. To get Brown in the deal we have to cut the cord on our 2049 supplemental first-rounded Briseno, who hasn't panned out as hoped as is projected as a 45/50/45 starter at best.
With Juan Davila set to depart via free agency, we're going to need a new 2B. This second deal isn't going to give us one right away, but this guy's a lot closer than Prince Brown:
This was a prospects-for-prospect deal that saw us part with a couple of more former first rounders of ours for Machado, Boston's 2nd-round pick out of Rice last season:
Should his potential be reached or come close to being reached, he could be an All-Star 2B. Right now he's rated the #132 prospect in baseball and also had an impressive pro debut in Low-A, hitting 342/435/553 in 39 games. I'm going to stick him in AA ball and see how he responds and hopefully he'll be our starting 2B by 2053. Loera was our first-round pick in 2048 and is a defensive wizard but his bat is a question mark although he has 50 contact and 45 power potential so if he lives up to that he'll have value. Soler was a supplemental first-rounder in 2049 who's dropped from 75 potential stuff to 45 with potential 55 movement and control, now looking like a 5th starter at best.
November 8: Signed CL Steve Talbott to a 2-year contract extension worth a total of $26,000,000.
If you had told me earlier this season I'd be doing this I would have had myself voluntarily committed. But Talbott finally lived up to the original 2/30 contract I signed him to two years ago, setting a team single-season record for saves and being incredibly reliable after a very shaky 2050. Re-signing him was an owner goal and although I had acquired Mario Berumen last year with an eye toward making him the 2052 closer, I'm glad to bring Talbott back at a $2M pay cut as he still has his 80 stuff and 75 movement.
So with these moves on the board, here's the payroll breakdown as I haven't reached arbitration yet:
I plan on keeping all the arb guys I haven't already settled with, and I have a feeling Jon Morales is going to get more than this (he wants a 9-year deal which I'm not ready to discuss). With all of these guys plus the minimum-salary types the committed payroll is estimated at $117M, giving me a nice chunk of change to spend if need be.
Here's how things shake out positionally:
C-David Morales had a brilliant rookie season and Cesar Scroggins is a backup with pop, so set there.
1B-As mentioned above this will be a de la Rosa/R.Ramirez platoon and I feel the position is well-covered.
2B-Ah, the big Juan Davila-sized hole in our lineup. The star (dare I say superstar) is going to go for a small nation's GDP in free agency and while I will miss the bat I will not miss the lousy defense at the position. Next man up on the roster is Ismael Morales, who would hit .300 with 30-35 SB if he played every day but without much power. Morales also isn't a great defender but he's not the butcher Davila is. I still have defensive whiz Mike Wood around but his bat is way too awful to start so he'll reprise his role as a defensive backup. There doesn't appear to be a free agent 2B worth splurging for so hopefully Morales keeps the position warm until Machado is ready.
SS-Dantel Chinchilla is set after a fine debut season with us.
3B-Luis Barela - the man, the myth, the legend. He's 36 now and did finally start showing some signs of age as he "only" had 5.1 WAR last year and did have a terrible September (.212 was both his batting average and slugging percentage for the month as he had only 18 singles) and continued that by going 3-14 with no XBH in 5 playoff games. He was downgraded from 60 to 55 contact but is still rated 65 power and 70 eye. Hopefully it will be a soft, slow decline for him rather than a precipitous one. He's under contract for one more year after this one at $35M, a player option I imagine he'd exercise if he falls off.
IF-Wood is the MI backup and Ramirez will be the 1B backup with Morales sliding over from 2B when Barela needs a day off.
LF-Beau Bonczek had a great 5-WAR season which has priced him out of our plans as he's a free agent. We have Jose Lozada, acquired in the Alex Duran trade last summer from St. Louis, who didn't get healthy until playoff time when he pinch-hit a couple of times. Lozada is a 70 contact, 80 avoid Ks guy who has a leadoff-type profile although he doesn't walk a lot and has marginal (45) power. He's the front-runner for the job although top prospect Jose Avalos is ready for the bigs as well and although he played CF with Montgomery last year he didn't play it very well and is better suited for a corner. Avalos could also be our 4th OF.
CF-Jon McGovern had a very solid rookie season with 1.7 WAR, adequate but not awe-inspiring. His defense was a bit subpar. While Chris Kidd can play the position better his bat is more questionable than McGovern's as McGovern had 54 XBH last year. Kidd also could be the 4th OF.
RF-Jon Morales stands an excellent chance of being named MVP for the second time in his three big league seasons after putting up an 8.1 WAR year, so yeah we're set here. He also played above-average D which was a slight surprise.
DH-Ezequiel Avalos can rake, and did so the last couple of months for us so he'll be fine here. He's a lefty hitter without a huge platoon split so he could play every day at the position. He platooned with Ramirez last year but Ramirez will be busy platooning at 1B.
Rotation-Ace Dave Rose returns, as does Alec McInerney, Steve Morris and we have newly-acquired Tim Johnson. I'd like to give the 5th spot to prospect Randy Mastropietro, who profiles at 50/65/50 with potential to go a tick higher in movement and control. But Melvin Lopez, acquired Duran deal along with Lozada from St. Louis, pitched very well in long relief in September and dominated in the rotation at Durham so he could get a look as well. Chad Winger and Rex Bransington are free agents.
Bullpen-The back end duo of Talbott and Berumen return but we'll miss lefty Mel Mejia, who wants starter money as a free agent. Mejia was brilliant with 2.5 WAR last year. We also lose lefty Steve Kay to free agency leaving Joe Roberts as the top lefty returnee. Jeremy King at Durham could claim a lefty role in the pen and Steve Morris might get moved back there after an iffy year as a starter despite 18 wins. Otherwise middle guys Willie Navarro, Chris Hetzel and Bernal are back. One more solid arm (preferably a lefty) could arrive via free agency since we have $ to spend.