OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Spoiler

Well the 2020 season despite the hope and promise at the all-star break ended pretty pathetically. The punches came fast and plentiful. While my rotation was below average to bad, hopes on getting Harvey back were dashed when the day before his return I was told he had a setback and would be out for another 3 months. While that was bad, the start to the second half of the season on the field was a disaster. We came out the gate going 3-14. I went to a 6 man rotation as a way to try to stop the bleeding nothing really worked. Season ended in a thud at 80-82.

While that was going on I was feverishly working with Joc Pederson and his representation on trying to secure a long term deal for him to keep him in Baltimore. On July 31st we were able to reach a deal. 9 years $241 million. Joc clearly wanted to sat in Baltimore and worked with me on the 1st year of the contract only taking $18 million, I inturn gave him an opt out clause after the 2024 season his 31 age season. He can stay and have another $139 million guaranteed. So it works for both sides.

Despite the season imploding there were some bright spots in the second half. One being SP Roniel Raudes a 23 year old pitcher we acquired along with Xandar Bogarts in the Zach Britton trade. In 14 starts Raudes posted a 6-2 record with a 3.26 ERA in 80 innings. His performance ensured him a spot in the rotation in 2021.

Spoiler

Offensively outside of Machado and Pederson most everyone else slid back a bit. With the exception on LF/DH Anthony Santander who in his first year of solid playing time produced .260/.323/.452 slugging 25 home runs and driving in 91 runs. His 139 strikeouts were problematic, but there is hope he can cut that number down with more experience. Rule 5 pick Kevin Newman finished the season .275/.348/.405 while not a HR threat Newman is a patient hitter with a good eye for the strike zone his 59 BB and 36 doubles show he has the ability to pound balls into the gaps. CF Billy Hamilton won his second career gold glove in center field. He posted a career bests in Range Factor (3.65), zone rating (+26.3) and efficiency (1.067) while committing only one error in 574 total chances.

As for the business of baseball, after the season Angelos upped out budged from $100 million to $126 million, which was a nice bump bit still left us limited in free agency, but not totally unable to make moves. We retained Steven Souza (3y $5.9 million) and Julio Teheran (2y, $2.7 million) while letting Kevin Gausman among others walk. In free Agency we added SP Carlos Carrasco (2y, $17.1) and RF Kole Calhoun (1y, $1.9) to round out our 25 man roster while adding Rule 5 C Marcus Green Jr to replace the departed Andrew Susac as the back-up catcher. I also added RPs Justin Wilson (3y, $12.6) and Andrew Kittredge (2y, 2.4). I think this will shore up the pen and allow the quicker hook from Girardi in sims to not hurt as much.

I was pretty frustrated when Angelos sent me an email at the end of Free Agency that he was upping my budged from $126 million to $140 million about a week after Marcus Stroman finally signed and we missed out on him. So looking at our upcoming Free Agents I decided to invest that extra money in our team doubling the scouting budget to $8 million and adding 2 million to the development budget to $10 million. Signs point to things turning around with the fan base, there is excitement and interest in the team, season ticket sales project to be up 45%, season ticket revenue has almost eclipsed last years numbers and the local media TV deal has already brought in more money than last year. Projected revenue is tracking to be about $17 million more than last year. So after doing all that and looking at my pen I decided to spend some of that money on the relievers mentioned above.

Still trying to rebuild the minors as that is also one of my goals, but we do have two prospects in the top 100 and both are under the age of 23. SS Bobby Witt Jr seems to be popular with just about every GM in the league as he is mentioned in every trade proposal that I've received.

Spoiler

Lastly as we start the season we are predicted to finish 85-77, 4th in the AL East. Not too bad considering how loaded the Blue Jays are. Harper won the batting triple crown in 2020 and their pitcher Joe Musgrove won the pitching triple crown as they won 121 games and the world series, and this year they added Giancarlo Stanton who opted out of his deal with the Yankees.

Sorry if this is so long, i wrote it as I was going through the off-season/spring training this afternoon/evening.

Gross. Can't believe you had a $100MM budget for a team like the Orioles. Won't Angelos just die already?

Carrasco is a much needed addition.

Spoiler

Off-season report:

Spoiler

0 end of season awards for the Braves:
-Jason Heyward won the RF GG despite some fantastic defensive metrics by Acuna. I think it will be tougher competition next year when Acuna spends the entire season in RF
-RoY went to Colorado 1B Ryan McMahon. Acuna finished runner up, and rookie closer AJ Minter finished 4th in voting.

Coaching Changes
Several coaching changes to report.
Manager - Long time member of the Braves organization Brian Snitker is out as manager. Replacing him is former Braves player Steve Avery. Avery is an unproven manager, but we are surrounding him with proven guys in the dugout (below).

Pitching Coach - Chuck Hernandez is out after failing to develop any of the young arms. In is a proven commodity of Ken Howell who works well with power pitchers.

Hitting Coach - Kevin Seitzer is out after overseeing one of the worst NL offenses. The man now in charge of helping the team score runs is Dave Clark

Hall of Fame
Mariano Rivera was the only member inducted into the HoF this year (94.8%).
Todd Helton & Roy Halladay just missed the cut at 72% and 71% respectively.

Arbitration & Extensions
-Arbitration was very favorable to us as we won all of our cases.
-We avoided arbitration with Michael Fulmer and signed him to a long term deal through 2025. It's always risky committing to a pitcher that long, but he would become unaffordable in another 1-2 seasons.


Free Agency & Trades & Rule 5 Draft
It was a busy offseason

-We signed a couple of young international free agents with some potential.

-Also signed a major league read Intl. FA RP. Scouting director Brian Bridges had a lot of good things to say.

-We plucked 25 y/o switch hitting first basemen Victor Caratini from the cubs in the Rule 5 draft. Caratini hit a very solid .302 in AAA last year with 12 HR. He projects to be the backup 1B for the team this year.

-After losing Kurt Suzuki to free agency we targeted and are bringing back Brian McCann to serve as our veteran catcher on a 1 year deal. Brian at age 34 is coming off a solid year in Houston where he belted 17 homers and had a .776 OPS. Fans are very excited to have him back in a Braves uniform.

-During the Winter Meetings the Padres approached us about a trade. They wanted C Rafel Lopez back, and we worked out a deal where they received Rafael Lopez and AAA catching prospect for LF Cory Spangenberg. This created quite the log jam in the OF. With Endar Incarte & Ronald Acuna firmly in place in their OF spots that leaves Renfroe, Spangenberg, and Mallex Smith all fighting for the final spot in LF. We will see if any of these guys remain on the team when Spring Training begins.

-Houston & the Braves agreed to a swap. The Braves unload 1B Kendry Morales and SP prospect Brice Wilson receiving RP prospect Siwad Aquino in return. The Braves also retained some of the 1B salary. This was a salary dump by the Braves who are set to save about $6m in 2019 after all factors are taken into account. Wilson didn't project to break through the other talented young arms in the near future and was deemed expendable. Aquino is an interesting piece. He's just 19 with a ++ fastball and a + curve.

-Braves trade Brandon McCarthy to the Yankees for a pair of relievers (Chance Adams & Ben Hiller). Despite the Braves picking up his $5m team option McCarthy was on the outside looking in for the 2019 season, and this gives some added flexibility to a bullpen which saw a lot of action in 2018.

-Braves and Cardinals swing a mega deal which solidifies LF the next few seasons for the Braves. The Braves received the big bat of Marcell Ozuna. In return the Cardinals receive a pair of quality outfielders in Hunter Renfroe and Cory Spangenberg. Also in the deal for St. Louis are RHRP Grant Dayton & RHRP Arodys Vizcaino as well as low minor league SP prospect Freddy Tanok. St Louis is expected to retain a small portion of Ozuna's salary.
For the Braves this trade clears up the crowded OF for 2019 that was looking to have a 3 way fight for playing time at LF. Ozuna also offers protection for Freddie Freeman in the lineup which was something this team sorely lacked in 2018. Dayton and Vizcaino will be missed in the bullpen.

-Braves sign RP Trevor Rosenthal to 1 year "show me" deal. Trevor wasn't picking up any interest throughout the winter, and agreed on a 1 year deal with the Braves.

Other notable signings
-Toronto broke the bank this off season to sign Brice Harper (6 years @ $155m) and Dallas Keuchel (4 years @ $88m)
-The NL East just got a lot tougher. The Mets signed both AJ Pollack and Josh Donaldson.

Stories around the league
-Buster Posey opened his own car dealership, Posey Motors. I'm sure this will be the first place San Francisco residents will look when shopping for a new car.

2019 Season Preview

Spoiler

As the 2019 Atlanta Braves get ready for their April 4 opening day game against the Reds the team has a very different look from this time a year ago after a flurry of offseason moves. The team starts the season with new starters at 3 positions (LF, 3B, C).

The new faces in the starting 8:
C Brian McCann
McCann who spent his first 9 seasons in a Braves uniform is back after signing a 1 year deal in Free Agency. Fans are excited to have him back, and the team is excited to have his bat in the lineup.

3B Austin Riley
Not technically a new face, he is new to the opening day roster. Riley was a late season call up in 2018 where he blasted 9 home runs in just 154 at-bats. The team will be looking for even more out of him now with a full season to show off his power.

LF Marcell Ozuna
The Braves are starting to make a habit of pulling off blockbuster trades. Last year it was bringing in Michael Fulmer to anchor the rotation, and this year it's Marcell Ozuna solidify this lineup. Ozuna is coming off back to back 30+ Home Run years, and the Braves will be looking for more of that as they have penciled him into the cleanup spot to protect Freddie Freeman.

The Rotation
With all the moves to improve the offense, the elephant in the room which was not addressed this off-season was the starting rotation. There was some hope that the teams bevy of young arms, but a disappointing spring has left the rotation mostly the same.

Michael Fulmer - No surprises here. Fulmer was one of the better NL pitchers last year, and is far and away the leader on this staff.

Julio Teheran - Reports are that Julio asked for a trade after the season ended, but management had no intention of trading away one of their only established starters. Julio had a respectable 2018 in all measures except wins/losses. He was also a bit unlucky being hit by a .312 BABIP

Mike Sirotka - The 1 young arm who didn't disappoint. Sirotka had an overall successful cup of coffee in 2018, and he put together a solid Spring Training to earn a spot in this rotation.

Mike Folynewicz - returns as the teams #4 starter in what appears to be move of desperation than one he actually earned. Folty followed up a disappointing 2018 with a less than stellar Spring Training. There was some thought that he would find his way into the bullpen, but the lack of any other pitchers stepping up will keep him in the rotation for now.

Chase Whitley - is the presumed #5 starter. Though still unannounced, he was a pleasant surprise filling in for injuries and spot starts in 2018. He will likely be bumped from this spot when/if one of the organization's valued young arms shows enough to get a call up.

Projections:
Braves fans aren't the only ones with optimism after a busy off-season. Preseason projections expect 87 wins out of the 2019 Braves. Not only is this a very welcome improvement over the last several season of barely 70 wins, but it would also be good enough for the 2nd Wild Card spot based on these projections.

lol. Pretty sure you mean Mike Soroka. Mike Sirotka is long retired. Along with Mark Buehrle, Bob Howry etc.

I agree that your starting staff will be the elephant in the room this year. Enjoy Acuna, tho.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

By the way, I think Bryce Harper got underpaid in both KSUowls' and KBLover's OOTP saves. If he commands just $20MM/yr in mine, I will do everything in my power to sign him. That would be a STEAL.

[N51_rob]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

By the way, I think Bryce Harper got underpaid in both KSUowls' and KBLover's OOTP saves. If he commands just $20MM/yr in mine, I will do everything in my power to sign him. That would be a STEAL.

Yeah he got $27.8 million in mine and I paid Manny $30 million a year. They Blue Jays also signed Stanton for $23.2 and Donaldson for $25.4.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Yeah he got $27.8 million in mine and I paid Manny $30 million a year. They Blue Jays also signed Stanton for $23.2 and Donaldson for $25.4.

Not super unrealistic figures. But, with Harper...you're saying there's a chance?

I am managing my games though so it'll be a while before offseason and free agency arrives. Still in April.

[N51_rob]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

2021 April - May Report

So rather than write books here I will break down the season into 3rd and report on it that way.

So the Orioles got off to a hot start to the 2021 season for the first time in my tenure running the O's winning their first 6 games and 9 of the first 12 before our first trip to the west coast. The revamped rotation and bullpen have been fantastic. A fast start is key in the AL East were the Blue Jays have a loaded squad and Boston and New York are always around. Roniel Raudes continued to be the solid front end pitcher that he showed he could be last year. He has posted a 4-3 record with a 2.18 ERA and more importantly he's gone at least 5 innings in each of his 11 starts. De facto staff ace Carlos Carrasco has been a nice surprise looking more like his 2018 Cy Young winning self his 7-2 record is best on the club on June 1st. He is getting tremendous run support in his starts, but he continues to pitch well in these games. Matt Harvey and Dylan Bundy are both doing what they can to keep the momentum in their walk year. Harvey is 6-3 and Bundy is 4-0 with ERAs of 2.55 and 3.50 respectively. While Julio Tehran didn't work out and he was eventually released there was help ready to jump up from AAA in the form of Michael Baumann the 25 year old is 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in 4 starts. The bullpen's back end has been lights out set-up man Jose Torres lights out he has allowed 3 ER in 28 innings his WHIP is 0.93 and his K/9 is an astounding 13.8. Closer Yin-Tou Lai has converted all 17 of his save opportunities. Overall the pitching is best in the AL in runs against and starter ERA.

Offensively the hot start has been paced by the new "Big Three" in Baltimore. Manny Machado, Joc Pederson and Ryan Mountcastle are leading the team HR (52 between them) and RBI (142). They have allowed the rest of the lineup to sort themselves out. CF Billy Hamilton started slow not hitting above .200 till May 7th, but he's worked that out and is now batting batting .262, his ability to steal bases is as dangerous as ever he has 29 steals in 37 attempts. Rule 5 draft pick C Marcus Green Jr has been a pleasant surprise in 66 AB he's been productive .318/.384/.561 with 4 HRs and 16 RBIs, he's even managed to leg out a triple! The Right Field platoon of Kole Calhoun and Steven Souza have taken well to their role each doing what they can in limited consistent playing time. The duo have 12 HRs and 27 RBI. Ideally we'd like to settle on one or the other to start, but still playing the R/L matchup for the time being.

So on June 1st the Orioles are 37-19 4.5 games back in the East but hold a 7.5 game lead on the 2nd Wild Card spot over the Red Sox and Trail the Ray for that by a .5 game.


Down on the Farm

Spoiler

The top prospect in the organization SS Bobby Witt Jr the teams 2019 first round pick (4th overall) is starting to show the promise that made him the 4th overall pick. His AA slash in 189 ABs is .312/.370/.508 with 7 HRs and 33 RBIs. He also managed to for the cycle on May 28th. This is a good sign for the organization as the minors haven't really been much worth talking about. Witt will turn 21 in two weeks struggled last year at AA(he hit .221 in 145 ABs) so the club is happy to see that he has continued his development. His development could make Ryan Mountcastle a trade piece in a few years as he gets closer to FA, no plans to rush Witt but he could be in line for a September call-up this year.

RP Jeremy Elliot continues to progress in the system. He is currently playing in low A ball in Aberdeen. In 4.1 innings he's allowed 2 hits and 0 ER. His stuff is developing nicely and the club hopes to see him in high A later in the summer.

As I mentioned there isn't much to get excited about in the Orioles farm system at the moment. Many of the draft picks from last year are still finding their way in the pros. With another draft approaching my goal of improving the organization continues to be my #2 focus behind winning in the big leagues.

I am pleased with the teams performance and the financial projections for the team. Dylan Bundy is probably the most pressing item that needs my attention. He is 28 years old a pending free agent, and looking at the upcoming FA class he might be the best pitcher under 30 coming out. On the whole there isn't a lot to get excited about in the upcoming FA class at all. Carlos Correa and Fancisco Lindor both project to be free agents, but I'm pretty solid on the left side of the infield.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

By the way, I think Bryce Harper got underpaid in both KSUowls' and KBLover's OOTP saves. If he commands just $20MM/yr in mine, I will do everything in my power to sign him. That would be a STEAL.

It's funny because he was talking about wanting $43 M/yr and then he signs a few weeks later with his old team for literally half that. He didn't even hold out that long. At least when Donaldson took less than half (he wanted $47 M/yr!) he went unsigned the whole offseason and into February.

I kinda wish I could have gone after him. Granted one player won't do much for a 54-win team, even if he would come here.

Edit: All default settings - now I wonder why he got underpaid and why the Nats didn't just extend him at that figure. I would have.

[bravesfan1984]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

I've never played OOTP, so a quick question for you guys. Do I need to have online access to play or just to download? Reason being, I'd like to be able to take it to work and play during down time.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Operation Sports mobile app

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

I've never played OOTP, so a quick question for you guys. Do I need to have online access to play or just to download? Reason being, I'd like to be able to take it to work and play during down time.

I don't think OOTP needs online access/account unless you're doing some of the features.

It doesn't seem to log in to any servers if you're just playing a solo or purely offline game.

[bravesfan1984]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

I don't think OOTP needs online access/account unless you're doing some of the features.

It doesn't seem to log in to any servers if you're just playing a solo or purely offline game.

Thanks, yea I'd just like to do some offline franchise stuff. This thread has me itching to buy!

Sent from my SM-G920P using Operation Sports mobile app

[KSUowls]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

I agree that your starting staff will be the elephant in the room this year. Enjoy Acuna, tho.

The Braves have not made it easy on their fans over the last 30 years with names like
Schuerholz
Copolella
Anthopoulos
Foltynewicz

Then I go and misspell Siroka, an easy one by comparison lol

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

The Braves have not made it easy on their fans over the last 30 years with names like
Schuerholz
Copolella
Anthopoulos
Foltynewicz

Then I go and misspell Siroka, an easy one by comparison lol

LOL. Siroka... 3rd time's the charm

Whatever his name is, I hope he turns into a nice piece for you.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Opening Day 2019
Marlins Hope to See Improved Season

During the waning days of Spring Training, the Marlins made a couple moves:

• Marlins traded P Zac Gallen to the Twins for pitchers Tyler Jay, John Curtiss, and Gabriel Moya.
  
• Marlins signed P Neil Ramirez for $1.1 M/1 yr.
• Marlins traded 3B Martin Prado, cash considerations, and a trio of prospects to Blue Jays for C Oscar Hernandez. The Marlins will retain a portion of Prado's contract.
  

Both of the moves for pitchers were made in hopes of shoring up the bullpen while waiting and hoping some of the young arms turn into capable relievers.

The Prado trade finally removes his contract from the books. While some will be retained, the hit will be lowered significantly.

"Hopefully, this will be the last kind of deal like this where we need to give away talent for bad contract reasons, " the Marlins GM commented.


Spring News and Notes

Royce Lewis was absent from the Opening Day roster; however, K.L. himself wrote a letter to Royce to let him know not to get down...and that it was only temporary.

"This was like one long Christmas day to Royce. He just loved being around the guys, getting to play next to big leaguers, getting a taste of what the majors is like. I just wanted him to know that we aren't taking anything away or that he did anything wrong. Just roster crap and stuff we need to get situated. I told him to pack, get everything squared away, say goodbyes if he wants, and make sure to check the top prospects report as what both he and I hope to be his last job in the minors, " K.L. spoke, "And above all else...stay healthy."

The main reason for that 'check the top prospect reports' was so Lewis can see that he's climbed from #20 when the Marlins acquired him all the way to #1 in the span of a handful of months.

For his part, Lewis was surprised to get the letter.

"When the front office, and the GM himself, of the organization takes the time to send you an encouraging letter and basically promising you that you'll be back at the bigs sooner than later...it really does something for you, " Lewis spoke, still holding the letter, "It's a new beginning and I'm going to have to work twice as hard at that level. If you guys see him [K.L.] or he sees this, tell him that I'll see him in the bigs and that I got that top prospects report, " Lewis gave a wink and a smirk.


Siri Wins

Elsewhere in spring news, Jose Siri did indeed win the job from Monte Harrison in CF...though perhaps Harrison lost the job might be more accurate. Harrison continued to look completely overmatched against major league pitching, batting just .121 in spring action, which follows on the heels of a season where he batted .162.

Also sticking on the roster is Sierra. He again played above his scout grades and showed a lot of energy on the field.

It's not all terrible news for Harrison. Scouts do think he is ready for the majors in terms of his tools, so he'll likely work with Sierra on the bench. Sierra will likely give the corners time off while Harrison's CF experience places him as the depth option there.


Pitching Resolved? Maybe?

Pitchers Pablo Lopez and Nick Neidert also fall into the "lost the job" category with their poor spring performances as did perhaps every reliever...hence the moves the Marlins made during Spring Training. Nick Wittgren and Miguel Del Pozo are the two that held on to roles with Del Pozo getting the early look as closer.

Sandy Alcantara, however, won his spot in the rotation by pitching strong in the bullpen and in his opportunities to start. He had one bad outing, but that didn't derail what was a solid performance.

Jorge Guzman is a curious case as there's conflict on how he's best utilized.

"I think he's our closer in the making, " Stan Meek commented, "I think the front office agrees with me. However, the staff on the field think he should be developed as a flamethrowing starting pitcher. I just don't see how he can cope as basically a two-pitch starter since his third pitch stills need refinement."

Mattingly, for his part, has relented, for now, about Guzman and will work him from the bullpen as a late-inning reliever. That clears the way for Zach Eflin to show what he can do in the rotation. Of course, should one or both struggle, the arrangement will be jeopardized.

Feierabend certainly won his job. The veteran knuckleballer befuddled spring hitters, allowing just a handful of hits and an ERA just over 1.00 in his spring work. Likewise, Saotome gave an impressive spring performance and he will be the Opening Day starter.




Diaz Succeeds

Scouts were pleased with Isan Diaz's progress at 3B. Diaz will continue to work there once the season begins.

"He learned pretty quickly. He had a couple awkward games but quickly took to the position. As we thought, his arm is making plays and his footwork better serves the smaller area he has to cover. He won't be elite...but he should be average and that's just fine with his bat, " head scout Stan Meek commented.

Working through kinks in the field didn't hinder his offense in spring action. A .343/.392/.582 batting line shows evidence of that and provides confidence that he'll be fine going forward.

Diaz staying at third and Estrada sticking at second should indeed clear a path for Lewis to occupy shortstop. In the meantime, Luis Carpio is expected to hold down the position. To Carpio's credit, he has the defense for the job. His bat is the drawback.

[SoxFan01605]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

Despite what has suddenly become an incredibly hectic personal life, I finally was able to get my 1999 historical expansion started. Here's a look at the Carolina Blue Sox.




I'm going to be constantly looking to adjust, but here's a quick look at the lineup/rotation after the expansion draft.




The lineup has some good pop and patience, but stringing hits together may be a concern. Add in the relative lack of speed and there's going to be a lot of "all or nothing" offensive performances.

Justice was my biggest reach, given his contract and injury history. Jaha and Sanders are similar risk/reward pickups in terms of their health, but their contracts were less prohibitive. If I can keep them healthy though, I'm hoping their bats prove valuable to a contender. If I go at least 1-3 here, I'll be pleased.

Starting pitching is weak outside of Chen (if he even reaches potential), but my bullpen could potentially be quite good.

I'm going to try Nelson in the closer role and see if he can perform well enough to garner some attention on the market. I'll probably hang onto the younger arms, though I'm obviously open to anything that builds for the future.

Thankfully, I have an owner who is relatively patient and wants me to build the farm system.

[sbmnky]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

It's really cool to read everyone's experience with the game, especially those who are committed to rebuilding a current or historic roster, and those who create their own universe. I think the game is so accessible in that fashion, and there are so many ways to play and enjoy. It would be very easy to run simultaneous saves, and then have to remind yourself you "love them all equally" as though they are your children (while secretly having a favorite and least favorite. Full disclosure, I don't have kids yet, and this is a joke!)

I've find myself doing more of GM role during the regular season and managing during the postseason. I get getting geeked around off-season stuff mostly, and devising a plan to run the organization. This definitely fulfills a gaming need that I didn't know was missing, and gives me "permission" to just enjoy the gameplay elements of The Show.

Please keep the updates coming - it's a joy to ready how differently we all play the game.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

First Half Review
Marlins Showing Promise?
Marlins Sit at 36-45

The Marlins brought up Royce Lewis to try to excite both the clubhouse and the fan base. It may not have been optimal from a financial stand point, but the move has already helped rejuvenate the city.

The main reason for that so far has been Lewis' community involvement. Not long into the season, Lewis started spending time helping the less fortunate young people of Miami. Not satisfied with that, he urged the front office to start an official team charity, which the Marlins agreed to do.

Some wondered if the young man was trying to do too much as his play on the field started to suffer.


May Meltdown

He wasn't alone, however. The entire Marlins squad had a horrific month of May. The team won just 7 games in the month and what had been a "maybe it's not too bad" turned into "it's actually really getting worse".

Lewis, along with Carpio and Curtiss helped keep the clubhouse in tact. While the guys weren't exactly happy to play another game, it was no where near as bad as last season when it devolved into pure chaos and in-fighting.

"Things were still under control and that let us keep focusing on improving and trying to win another day, " manager Don Mattingly commented.

One problem, and it's still a problem, is getting the bullpen sorted out. Del Pozo's stint at closer just showed he's not ready for the role, despite his high-level talent. That really set the tone for the rest of the bullpen as even having a lead kept everyone on edge.

Even the hot bats fell off. Jose Siri came flying out of the gate and then collapsed. Sierra disappeared. Lewis was striking out way too much and hitting too many pop ups. Realmuto was batting in the low .100's and there was some thought that Telis would end up taking the spot.

June Revival?

Then the calendar flipped to June and it's like a switch went on. The starting rotation started keeping the team in the game. The bats started back and leading that charge was Isan Diaz, who has taking to 3B like it was his natural position.

"I feel free and comfortable there, " Diaz spoke, "I'm confident and I can just go and hit since my body is not tense and I can focus."

Thairo Estrada has paid the team's faith in him with a Rookie of the Month award and continuing to hold down 2B and the #2 spot in the lineup.

Perhaps the biggest change has been in Monte Harrison.

"I think that spring experience might have awakened something in him. He's been working a lot harder and putting in more time with individual workouts and video sessions, " batting coach Ramon Henderson commented.

Harrison has won back a starting job, pushing Derek Dietrich to the bench. Harrison is in CF again after the team shifted Siri to left field as he didn't look as comfortable in center as he did in the spring. The move seems to be helping both outfielders.

There are still concerns, however. For one, the pitching is still a big question mark.

"I don't know if it's just time that's needed, to feel out everyone's roles, to refine pitches, or is it something where the coaching isn't reaching them, is it our tactics during the game? Hard to say because it just doesn't seem like a talent problem according to our scouts, " GM K.L. commented.

The Marlins were able to claim young pitcher Tyler Glasnow from the Pirates via waivers. He's been placed into the rotation. His first start was solid, though he took the loss in a 3-0 defeat.

The Marlins did make some moves. Charlie Hough was reassigned to AAA and Ken Howell, noted for working with power pitchers, has been brought in for the major league level.

Draft Results

The Marlins held the first overall pick after their horrific season in 2018. That first pick became P Jared Dixon.

Dixon features a hard, heavy sinker that sits around 96 MPH. He also features a cutter, and power slider, and a forkball of all things that he uses as his off-speed pitch.

"I really like the ceiling on Dixon. I think if he comes anywhere close, we'll be happy with the result, " Stan Meek spoke.

Dixon was by far not the only pitcher the Marlins selected. In all, the Marlins selected 19 pitchers out of 35 picks.


Prospects Report

Overall, the Marlins farm system is now considered the 3rd best in the league.

Some notes on the team's top prospects:

P Jared Dixon has been used in the bullpen and now will move to the rotation. He was strong in the bullpen, but the Marlins want him getting used to learning being a starter.

P Se-woong Park is another that's been moved around as the team tries to find the best fit. Currently, he's at the majors and back in the rotation. He's posting a 4.18 ERA so far for the Marlins.

3B James Nelson doesn't get much attention, but he's been slowly and quietly moving up the ranks. He's now broken into the top 100, sitting at #77. He was just recently promoted to A+. "We're going to start pushing him a little bit, " one team official spoke.

CF Max Marusak, last year's 1st round pick, is currently #93 in the prospect rankings. He's fallen back as it's become evident that he won't hit for much power. He's more a OBP type player, which he then tries to use to wreak havoc on the bases. He's batting .293/.363/.339 for A-Greensboro.

P Bryan Hoeing, the team's second round pick this year, comes in at #118. His season in Low A-Batavia has just begun. He doesn't have the highest ceiling, but at 22 and with four decent pitches, the Marlins are expecting him to rise quickly through the minor league levels.

And while technically not considered one of the team's best prospects, 1B/RP Kristopher Armstrong is continuing his quest to be a two-way player, much to the dismay of his coaches at Greensboro. He's yet to get much opportunity to work on the mound, which leaves two questions: Can he develop his pitching ability? And how will he hold up once he does get regular relief work?