OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

2036 Report

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The Foxes came up short of their franchise-high win total (109 wins, 2028) but finished right behind it at 107 wins, the fourth time the team has won 105 or more games.

However, concerns remain, especially heading into the postseason. The starting rotation never got back under control. It was good enough, but it might not be so against other high-level offenses, like the Phillies, who, along with the Braves, won NL Wildcard spots.

The bullpen had to carry the load, bringing back the first batch of Foxes that had an "okay" rotation and a strong offense and bullpen. That is how it worked this year - the offense was 2nd in the NL and the bullpen was 1st in the NL in ERA, led by another strong season by Lavache, another 4+ WAR season for the ace reliever.

Offensively, Koba and DeBouse continued their strong seasons, and they will be needed in the postseason to keep the runs flowing. Koba led the NL in HR and RBI with 65 and 173, respectively.

"He's been such a source of energy both on and off the field. The guys are just feeding off him. Other teams have to go after him because Romero and Kadota's getting on in front of him. And then DeBouse behind, " manager Jerad Head commented.

Kenishi Kadota has been overlooked and has quietly been a great compliment to the Romero-Koba duo. Given next to no attention, all Kadota did was lead the NL in hits with 227, match Romero's NL leading 128 runs scored, and stole 48 bases.

"Many of us were concerned if he could fill Montero's shoes, but he's been just the perfect bat to fit between Romero and Koba. People forget about him after dealing with Romero and worrying about Koba and DeBouse, " Head continued.

Koba's performance was worth 7 WAR along with the Foxes lead off hitter Juan Romero's performance. Romero did it with a .424 OBP, 42 doubles, and 46 stolen bases. Combined, the duo was a fearsome mix to power the Foxes attack and with Kadota, one of the more dynamic top of the lineups around.

The playoff rotation will likely be Casteles, Clegg, and Shibuya, the three best performers in the rotation this season. Clegg worked as a follower during the rotation and that will likely be the same with the veteran Brad Peterson becoming the opener for the playoffs.

Matano and Lerma are notable omissions from the playoff rotation. Matano is clearly affected by his successive long-term injuries last year. He looked nothing like his usual self and showed no signs of getting back to normal all year. The Foxes are very concerned.

Concern is mounting over Lerma as well as he's finishing up rehab from his own long-term injury. Scouts are worried about his mechanics are have pulled down his grades in raw stuff and command. This comes not long after signing his extension this season, so the Foxes are hoping he will be fine.

On the farm, shortstop Keishi Murata is making good progress in the low minors. His .300/.355/.409 line in 413 at-bats marks another solid performance in a new minor league level. This could slot him for hitting the high minors next season.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

Foxes Falter in NLDS--Braves Advance in Five

The Foxes had an exciting start to the NLDS as Koba hit a walk-off 2-run home run to cap a three-run rally in the bottom of the 9th. The Foxes would then win the next game 13-1.

After that, the bats disappeared as the Braves pitching staff found ways to not give the Foxes lineup a crack in the door to work with.

"We feel like once we get something going, we can run with it and put up some crooked numbers, but they stopped that. We couldn't get anything going, couldn't put any pressure on, " manager Jerad Head spoke after game five.

Game four was the most crushing for the Foxes because it contained something the Foxes rarely saw during the year - the top five hitters all shut down all game long.

Romero, Kadota, Koba, DeBouse, and Kennedy went a combined 2-for-19 with one walk in the game. The only hits were from Romero. It was a rare case where Romero reached base and no one could bring him in even once.

"What can you do?" Head continued, "I mean Kennedy had a rough series but the other four guys hit the ball well. This was the one game where all of them just had a bad day at once. You literally take one line from that 13-1 game from them and put it in this game and we're still playing baseball. Nothing you can do, that's what makes this game and the playoffs so tough."

It will be little consolation to the Foxes, blowing another 2-0 lead in the NLDS to end up being sent home.

Yankees Win World Series
Bronx Bombers Thwart Cinderella Story

The feel-good story of the postseason was the run the Charlotte River Rats were on. In what felt like an unusual kind of season, the River Rats won the AL West with a very solid 95 wins. After struggling in their first nine seasons of existence, the River Rats tasted the postseason, with a division crown, to round out the first decade in their history.

That playoff run continued by beating a fellow expansion squad, the Raleigh Warriors, who are the sister squad to the Foxes. The Warriors were making their seventh playoff appearance.

The River Rats won 3-1 to make it to the ALCS. However, the dream would fade there as the Yankees would win in six games and go on to beat the Braves in the World Series, also in six games.

"I'm proud of how we fought. We got past some quality clubs in our division and then advanced to the LCS. We did good work. Hopefully, we can build on it, " manager David Bell spoke.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

Lavache, Koba Unanimous Award Winners

Michiomi Koba didn't get to enjoy much of his first postseason action, but he'll have all winter to enjoy his first MVP Award.

The Foxes DH was a unanimous winner of the NL MVP on the strength of his 62 home runs and .313 batting average. He posted 7.2 WAR tying him for the NL lead in the category.

"I want more, but I'll take this for sure, Koba smiled, "Everyone knows what I can do now and that will make all of us better."

Koba will look to make good on his talk and follow up on this highly successful campaign in the coming season. For now, he'll bask in the spotlight he's earned.

Meanwhile, Eric Lavache's season was so strong that not only did he walk away with the NL Reliever of the Year award, he came in second in the NL Cy Young voting.

He even beat out Casteles, the Foxes ace starting pitcher.

"Is there anyone better than him in any bullpen in baseball? He eats innings. He eats important innings. He gives up very little on a consistent basis. Offense seems to be ticking upward the last few years, but he's posted his best ERAs in that same span. He's getting better. And he's humble enough to work outside the closer role, which just increases his own value, " on BBWAA member spoke.

Lavache posted a 1.66 ERA in 124 innings in relief. He earned an 11-5 record with 13 saves, amounting to 4.3 WAR.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

2037 Foxes

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Last year's magical season looks to be considered just that - a flash and a everything-went-right season. According to most analysts, the Foxes and Braves are a toss up at the top of the division with the Phillies not far behind.

In other words: back to business as usual.

The difference will be which pitching staff shows up, according to the consensus. Whichever team that analyst has on top is which staff they think will do enough on a consistent basis.

This is where the Foxes rotation might end up being an issue. Assuming Casteles gets back to the lower 2's in ERA, he's the only one that will be close to untouchable. Lerma is full of question marks. Shibuya was the beneficiary of insane run support last season. Castro comes over via a trade after pitching in Fenway. Granted, The Fox's Den should be very similar to Fenway. Brad Peterson is dependable, but not a top-level pitcher.

A notable omission from the rotation, and the roster as a whole, is Matano. The Foxes want to send him to AAA to get some work in but that might not work out because Matano could refuse demotion. That will force the Foxes' hands. He could work out of the bullpen, moving down someone with options, or the team could just cut him and eat the contract, painful as that would be.

"Matano continues to look ragged after his injuries, putting up more poor numbers in spring action. It's clear the after effects are really degrading his pitches. In two years he's gone from top 3 material to now we're questioning if he's even a major league level player. Sad, " one analyst spoke.

The bullpen, could be even better. Butch Clegg moves back to the bullpen, for now, as just a reliever. No opener/follower duty slated for him out of Opening Day. This could change, especially if the bullpen looks steady and strong.

That possibility is very likely with Lavache doing his thing with Liu and Ti there to support. Mike Harrist is getting yet another chance, this time as a full-time reliever. Scouts think this is a great fit for his stuff and are expecting a strong season. Walz is another addition, making the jump from AAA. His power fastball and 12-6 curve can be a very lethal combination when he's on his stuff.

Offensively, Koba's big season might be quite as big, but most put him down for a solid 50 home runs or more with the same quality batting average to go with it. Again, maybe not over .300, but close to it. And that's where it ends. The rest of the lineup is expected to take a notable step back, further explaining the would-be drop from last season.

The Foxes still have quality hitters in the lineup. In fact, it's largely the same exact lineup. The only difference is the loss of Berber in the trade that brought Castro over from the Red Sox. As such, the team's approach at the plate should be similar and any regression might be overstated, which could improve the team's chances.

On the farm, there is a sign of life. Left fielder Yojiro Sato is catching notice from Baseball America as the Japanese import was named the #33 prospect in baseball, best in the Foxes system. Sato, now 18 years old, seems penciled for AAA, which would be a big leap should he stick.

Bartolomeo Flores is another that's turning attention in the organization. Baseball America isn't high on him, which is not surprising since he looks like a singles hitter that will have to live on his contact and base running acumen for production. Still, team scouts believe he will be exceptionally good at racking up those hits. He's yet to hit under .320 at any level of the minors so far and the 18-year-old will put that to the test in his first taste of the high minors at AA-Leon Valley.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

June Draft Report

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June has arrived and that means another chance to add to the farm via the Amateur Draft. But, it's also a good time to check on how the current Foxes and their farmhands are doing.

At the majors, the Foxes are holding steady. The division, for now at least, seems weaker than past years, though that could be just a passing phase. There's a lot of baseball left to play.

On the Foxes' end, there's some concerns as well. Castelles is having his second consecutive poor first half to a season. Reason is unknown at this point and no one is really getting too scared just yet. Last season, he pulled it together in the second half and dropped his ERA to the low 3's (which was still his worst mark in his young career), and it's happening again. Is the league adjusting? Is the league just getting more offensive?

His BABIP allowed is, frankly, alarming against his past. It's at .341, which is high in and of itself, let alone compared to his usual .220-.260 standard. The other concern is the home runs allowed. He's allowing 1.5 per 9 innings. Again, is it just the league getting more sluggers? Is this more his norm and he just had a few years of low HR/9 rates?

The strikeouts are still there so maybe that's a sign things will get better. Believers in FIP say "not to worry, his FIP is around what it's been his whole career, it's not him, it's his defense".

To be fair, the defense is not doing what it usually does. Defensive efficiency is 6th, which is not bad, per se, but the Foxes are usually top-3, if not number 1. Also, to be fair, the outfield defense is much lower than it was in terms of range and Kadota, the 3B, has average range while at 1B, DeBouse...well, he's not here for his glove, let's just put it like that.

Everything about Castelles above can be written in bold print about Lerma. The "fastball trio" pitcher has been struggling mightily. He, like Matano, is trying to put it together after a long-term injury, and it's not happening. He's on pace for a horrific season.

Matano is looking better, even as scouts continue to drop their opinions about his future. They are worried about Lerma, giving Castelles a pass, and have given up on Matano.

The rest of the pitching staff can be summed up in one word: Lavache. Steady, stable, exceptional, Lavache is just owning from the bullpen once again. For what it's worth, Lavache's BABIP is also very high compared to his norm. Like Castelles, Lavache's BABIP allowed is around .340, which could point to team defensive issues truly having a hand in things so far.

On offense, the magic that overtook the bats last season has faded, and it's back to being in the bottom half of the NL in runs scored. Koba is doing his best, and has the best production so far, but it's nothing like last season, which probably is to be expected. Part of that is Juan Romero not getting it done. Even with last year taken out, the two seasons prior to that were strong and this year, he's been maybe average.

The one that's holding on to his production from last season is Kenishi Kadota, the team's third baseman. He's looking for another 200 hits this season, on pace for 206 at the moment. His energetic approach to the game and how he plays it is trying to jumpstart the top of the lineup.

The whole bottom of the lineup, however, has no energy in it at all. Bob Kennedy and Jorge Rivera are doing what they can, but they aren't the types that can lift the bottom up on their own.

Prospects in Focus

Top hitting prospect, LF Yojiro Sato, is already in AAA, and while it's expected that he will be Honolulu for a while, the fact he's getting his major league experience at the top level is exciting. The big draw to him is his tremendous power potential. "You can see it, he's starting to not try to force the ball out with max effort upper cut swings, but instead taking a more natural path to the ball that will give it lift and then his strength and better contact will provide the carry, " a team scout spoke.

Former top hitting prospect, 1B Luis Luna, might be showing signs that he's finally ready. He's posting up a .900 OPS at AAA Honolulu, which would be, by far, his best season mark in the high minors. Most of the hype around him has completely died, but scouts note that he's still a mechanically sound hitter that still has power he could grow into. Perhaps, Luna has done better once the attention was not on him...maybe letting him focus on the game and not press podium.

SP Jamari Kizzle has been upset at not being promoted, and he might have a case. He, quite possibly, has the best change-up in AAA. It might be one of the top changes in the majors as well. What has kept him down and scared off scouts is that he works everything up in the zone...including the changeup. The fear is that, especially at the major league level, he will give up way too many home runs. Eventually, though, the Foxes will need to give him a chance.

Draft Results Overview

For the Draft, the Foxes continued their search for pitching prospects. The team's efforts in that regard have not produced great results. Prospects up the middle of the diamond have also been lackluster. The farm hasn't produced even a hopeful that could help with both hitting and fielding. The Foxes thought they had one in Keishi Murata, but in recent years, the bat has faded, leaving him as a defensive threat at third base, but with a bat that will struggle to be average. In other words: the usual.

Part of this situation is being lower in the order consistently, but even then, that can't excuse everything. After a certain point, everyone is drafting on pure hopes and dreams with all the phenoms and "can't miss" prospects long gone.

The Foxes must take a long look at what they are doing. Is it selection process? Is it the personnel at the farm? It isn't likely just bad luck.

Will the coming years be different? Well, it starts with this batch of draftees.

Notable Draftees:

1st round - SP Jim Warren - A 21-year-old out of East Carolina, Warren seems to have solid stuff and an awareness of how to use it. His best pitch is his change-up, which he sometimes can overuse, diluting it's effectiveness as a surprise pitch. As he advances, he'll need to learn to work off his cut fastball or at least his harder breaking pitch, the splitter, to throw off the timing more. Mechanically, his delivery has a lot to it and that makes it harder to repeat, decreasing the consistency of his command.

2nd round - SP Chris Pompeo - Another college pitcher, this time from Missouri, Pompeo is an "actual" knuckleballer. What the team scouts mean by that is that it's truly his bread-and-butter pitch, instead of one that works along side other, usually equally medicore pitches. Of course, that doesn't make the pitch any easier to master and use effectively in a game. Scouts are pretty much kicking the can when it comes to projecting Pompeo, just slapping 50's on his grades while they wait and see.

3rd round - C Daryl Marlow - Daryl instantly becomes the team's best catcher prospect. His defense is something he'll have to learn as he matures, but the bat might be just a year or two from being ready to go. The Foxes usually have success developing contact hitters, and Marlow fits that mold. Scouts think he'll make his living by being a tough battle at the plate and wearing pitchers down until he gets a hit, and those hits will find the gaps as the least.

23rd round - 2B Robby Barts - The Foxes are hoping other teams overlooked Barts because nothing seems to jump out at you as being good. "He's one of those kids that got overlooked because he looks like a ho-hum every day player, but we think that's the kind of foundation you want on a prospect, " a team official commented. Indeed, Barts doesn't have the exceptional athleticism that a top talent might possess, but with a enough work and enough breaks, Barts could become a very solid player that provide value, if not flash, to a roster.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

Juan Romero Injured in Fight With Reporter
Foxes Center Fielder to Miss Three Months

"We are highly disappointed with Juan's lack of professionalism and judgement in this matter. We apologize to the reporter's family, organization, and to our fans that this incident happened in our organization, " Foxes G.M. Ander Lyle commented.

No one knows the full details and what information that has been gained has been kept confidential due to privacy concerns. All that is known is that Juan Romero went off about some story in a Montreal newspaper, likely stemming from his performance being below expectations.

What is known is that the outfielder will miss three months with a concussion and related symptoms. The fact he suffered such a severe injury begs questions about just how heated the altercation was.

Romero would not comment on the matter, nor would his agent have any color to add to the situation.

The Foxes did not say if there would be any disciplinary action levied against Romero once he returns or if there's any pending legal action from the reporter or their family.

"It's always bad to hear about this and how a player hurts his team with nonsense like this, but all I can do is try to keep winning games and keep the guys together in the clubhouse. I don't want this to be a festering or spreading behavior with the other guys, " Foxes manager Jerad Head spoke.

Romero is hitting .269 with 4 home runs this season. Outfielder Chris Barney was recalled from AAA-Honolulu and is likely to fill in at center field.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

Front Office Rebuff Fan Calls for More Hitter-Friendly Park
Foxes Say Fans Are "Misguided"

"I get it, they see us lose 2-0 at home on three hits and are like 'if we had a better park, we'd win', but what they don't see is that we'd probably just lose 5-3 that day, " G.M. Lyle commented, "It's emotionally driven, misguided thinking."

"They are also forgetting that our park has been one of our key advantages since this franchise began, " Lyle continued.

Indeed, the Foxes have always had a dominating home record. Perhaps dominating doesn't do it justice. It's been oppressive.

Case in point, the team is playing .700 ball at home through late August, compiling a 40-17 record. Meanwhile, the Foxes are basically .500 on the road, checking in at 33-32.

That's not just a one-off thing. It's a consistent pattern. In fact, some years, the Foxes can't pull .500 on the road, or win "only" about 60% of their games at home, leading to the lower records in those seasons.

"The fans want more offense and in the process, they want to destroy the only real advantage the team has, " a local sports talk radio host commented, "Just check the numbers. Look how the team is built, it's designed to smother people at home and do what it can on the road."

"Where were these folks when we were getting shut out 2-0 at home and winning World Series titles," the talk host asked smugly, "Eleven straight division wins, playoffs 14 out of 18 seasons and in control of their fate this year, I think they know better than you armchair hitters."

The debate actually lowered fan interest in the team for a while, especially as the Foxes did not pursue top bats in the offseason, instead acquiring Castro from the Red Sox, a move that's holding up the rotation right now.

As long as the Foxes have their oppressive home record, fans might just need to get use to seeing 2-0 games.

And winning baseball.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

Koba Out as Foxes Fight for Division
Slugger to Miss 4-5 Weeks

Michiomi Koba, who is leading almost every offensive team category and was on pace for a 50 HR season, will miss most, if not all, of September with a fractured foot.

He suffered the injury sliding into second trying to break up a double play.

"He [the opposing shortstop] caught my foot just right as I was coming in with the slide. It's just part of the game but it sucks it happened now of all times, " Koba spoke.

The Foxes are currently in a neck-and-neck race with the Braves, with the Phillies lurking around at third place. Losing Koba piles on the injury to Kadota, who will be out 2-3 more weeks himself, and could shatter what offense the Foxes are generating.

Luis Luna, a former top prospect, will get his moment to shine and really endear himself. DeBouse will slide to DH, allowing Luna to play in the field.

Luna will be joined by Jamari Kizzie as prospects who get their time in the spotlight. Kizzie has been itching for a chance to show his mettle in the majors, and he'll have all September to prove his worth. He will replace Lerma in the rotation.



Lerma currently has 5.60 ERA in 127 innings of work with a career low 7.9 K/9 rate.

Koba is batting .314/.385/.609 with 37 HR and 123 RBI.

Luna batted .291/.381/.520 with 22 HR and 74 RBI at AAA-Honolulu.

Kizzie went 10-5 with a 3.49 ERA in 147 innings of work at AAA-Honolulu.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

DeBouse Expected to Test Free Agency

The Foxes have tried to keep a very similar roster over the years as the team has been successful. However, that's becoming a difficult thing to imagine happening going forward.

The talks with DeBouse are one reason, some of the players are going for top dollar and then some, and the Foxes are deciding who the core will be and who will move on to their next opportunity.

Castelles and Koba are likely in that "next core" group along with Lavache, who is one of the best bargains in the game... a 4-6 WAR pitcher for only $12 million per year.

The Foxes are also likely gun shy a bit after Lerma and Matano, both not nearly pitching up to their lofty price tags. Granted, injuries are a factor for both players, but that's a demon lurking around every player.

Reports are that DeBouse wants to be in this "next-core" group, and paid accordingly. Not helping is the fact that the Phillies signed one of their major hitters to a $300 million contract extension. DeBouse probably thinks he's giving the Foxes a deal with the reported $270 million extension demand.

Meanwhile, the Foxes have been a small market, despite their success, and the top dogs in revenue are pulling away. The Phillies, for example, have a projected revenue that's $130 million more than the Foxes' payroll. The Foxes do have very loyal fans...but if players like DeBouse leave, that loyalty could fade...and along with it more revenue.

"We can't keep giving everyone $20-30 million a year just because they've been here. We have to make choices or they will be made for us, " a team official commented.

It will be interesting to see who the Foxes manage things going forward.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

2037 Report

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The Foxes faltered in a final week in a half in a very concerning stretch where both the Braves and Phillies beat up on the Foxes in consecutive series. And, of course, it's very likely one of these, if not both, will be their opponent during the playoffs.

The offense indeed let the team down in those games, and even the return of Koba had only some effect.

Still, though, the Foxes did make the playoffs, so the season was at least a partial success.

The prospects that got the call in September did little to help their stock. The fears around Kizzie's approach manifested just as expected. He gave up too many home runs, and it was the biggest weakness in his game. While it was just a handful of innings, this poor showing is likely enough to sour the organization on him.

Luis Luna was also disappointing. There was little sign of that hitter that looked to be on the upswing in AAA. Instead, Luna looked uncomfortable and unable to find his best swing at the plate.

Among the regulars, Ajani DeBouse really fell apart down the stretch. Whether it's the distraction of not having a contract or just a horribly timed slump, he ended up at a .229 batting average after being respectable in that regard the rest of the season.

Romero, however, looked much more like his usual self as the season went on. The Foxes were pleased and relieved to see their sparkplug at the top of the order firing on all cylinders again. Bob Kennedy and Juan Rivera also provided a stabilizing presence in the lineup. Both had over 20 HR and were consistent most of the season.

On the pitching side, it's really the Eric Lavache story. The ace reliever outdid himself by posting a whopping 6.3 WAR on the season. He posted an 8-4 record with a 1.42 ERA, but FIP says he could have been even better. He posted a 1.05 FIP, implying that defense/randomness "hurt" his production by a not-insignificant margin.

Castelles again put together a solid second half of the season to lower his ERA. He came in right around his ERA mark of last season, checking in with a 15-6 record and a 3.25 ERA. Last season, he was 14-6 with a 3.15 ERA. In fact, his last two seasons were almost carbon copies of each other.

The rest of the rotation was hit-or-miss all season, but overall solid enough. The concerns continue to mount around Lerma and Matano, the latter is hurt once again, this time for six more weeks. Castro did a decent job for the Foxes and pretty much matched his last season with the Red Sox. Brad Peterson's knuckleball also lacked consistency, but also was effective enough for a 3.56 ERA, which is solid in this league environment.

On the farm, the next pitcher on the list is Walt Ilgenfritz. Scouts are more positive on Ilgenfritz, saying he looks like a "mini Castelles". Ilgenfritz has three well-developed pitches, the usual fastball, curve, change assortment, and should limit walks and homers enough to let his stuff help his production.

Beyond Ilgenfritz, there's Quadir Menifield. He's a four-pitch pitcher (fastball, curve, change, splitter), and nothing really jumps out about Menifield, either positive or negative, in his overall mechanics or stuff. There are questions about his focus and mental toughness as well as his lack of baseball IQ and instincts, however. Some scouts think these intangibles will slow his progress or limit his upside.

[KSUowls]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

I don't have a good write-up, but I started a franchise a couple weeks ago, starting from the end of the 2019 season with the intention of playing for 2020 and beyond.

My goal was to get to the offseason so I just did a full sim through the playoffs, and Atlanta (my team) lost to Houston in 7 games (guess giving up 10 runs in the first inning of the NLDS only happens in real life).

I'm going to try and keep up with this going forward, but here is a summary of what has happened so far:

2019 Offseason:
Let Donaldson walk and everyone who wasn't under contract for 2020 as well
Blew my budget to sign Anthony Rendon to an 8 year 35+m contract
Signed Madison Bumgarner for 5 years @ 20
Signed Felix Hernandez
Signed Dylan Bundy
Signed Adam Jones
Traded for Bieber and Lindor from Cleveland (this cost me most of my farm and several MLB players like Fried, Newcomb, and Dansby. I was able to keep Ian Anderson, Christian Pache and Drew Waters

2020 Season Summary:

Opening Day Roster

Spoiler

Lineup:
CF Ronald Acuna
SS Francisco Lindor
1B Freddie Freeman
3B Anthony Rendon
2B Ozzie Albies
LF Adam Jones
RF Nick Markakis/Adam Duvall
C Brian McCann/Francisco Cervelli

Rotation
Mike Soroka
Shane Bieber
Madison Bumgarner
Dyland Bundy
Felix Hernandez

Story:
Record: 92-70; 1st NL East, WS Champions
The offense was on fire for much of the year crossing the plate 826 times.
The pitching was solid with the team putting up an overall 3.64 ERA, but this was a very top heavy pitching staff with many blown saves (hence the low win total given the RS and ERA).


Roster Moves:

Spoiler

Eventually Felix Hernandez was designated for assignment (5.27 ERA), with top prospect Ian Anderson being called up to replace him (in 18 starts he went 8-3 with a 3.90 ERA). Dylan Bundy was moved removed from his starter role due to poor performance, but he found a home as a long reliever. Prospect Kyle Mullar was called up to replace him providing an adequate enough performance (7-3 over 16 starts and 4.33 ERA).

Note:
Mike Soroka wins his first Cy Young at the age of 22 going 14-8 with a 2.39 ERA over 211 IP. Despite the team's overall success, being among the league leaders in innings pitched, and the league leader in ERA (all on a team that had one of the best offenses in baseball), Soroka often found himself without much run support earning no-decisions in many games that he allowed 1 or fewer runs through 7 innings of work.

2020 Offseason
Ownership desired an upgrade at catcher, one of the few weak points of the offense that didn't have a ready replacement in AAA. So, we traded for Carson Kelly with Arizona receiving 2 high caliber catching prospects and 2 talented MLB ready and young relievers. All other major changes on the offense were internal after saying goodbye to Adam Jones and Nick Markakis/Adam Duvall

We also knew that we couldn't go through another season with a bullpen that blew saves left and right. So, we won the bidding for closer Brad Hand, traded for RP Will Smith, kept Dylan Bundy in his long relief role, and filled in the rest of the pieces with Rule 5 guys and some prospects.

2021 Roster:

Spoiler

RF Ronald Acuna
SS Francisco Lindor
1B Freddie Freeman
3B Anthony Rendon
2B Ozzie Albies
C Carson Kelly
LF Drew Waters
CF Christian Pache

Rotation
Mike Soroka
Shane Bieber
Madison Bumgarner
Ian Anderson
Kyle Muller

Story:
Record 96-66, 1st NL East, WS Champions
The offense took a big step back scoring more than 100 fewer runs than they did the prior year. This was partially due to the two rookies in the OF. Drew Waters put up a respectable .749 OPS as a rookie, but his counterpart Christian Pache was a mere .641. They weren't the only ones to blame though. Ronald Acuna JR went from 39 HR in 2020 to just 25 in 2021. These factors + a weakened bench resulted in a much less potent offense.

Where the offense took a step back the pitching took a major leap forward. Soroka flirted with a sub 2 ERA for most of the year (finished 2.10). In his first full season, Ian Anderson posted a sub 3 ERA. Dylan Bundy shined as a long reliever with a 3.06 ERA over 82 innings. The highest ERA of any reliever was just 3.43.

Roster Moves:

Spoiler

No major roster moves occured during the season. Outside of some minor injuries, the roster never changed from the one that was seen on opening day.

Notes:
Francisco Lindor won the NL MVP posting a 9.6 WAR.
Mike Soroka was robbed of his 2nd consecutive Cy Young award by Noah Syndergaard despite posting lower ERA over more IP and a WAR that was 1.2 better.

2021 Offseason:
All good things must come to an end. Atlanta's payroll had skyrocketed since the new leadership took over with big FA signings of Madbum and Rendon, giving Freddie Freeman another extension, and buying out years of Free Agency early with Soroka. The biggest contract remained Anthony Rendon who at 31 represented a dilemna for the team. On one hand he was still one of the best 3B around, and he was a major force in the team's back to back championships. On the other hand, the team lacked any payroll flexibility and really wanted to try and negotiate an extension with rising star Ian Anderson.

So, the decision was made to trade Rendon, and Atlanta found a willing partner in Chicago (AL), and in return Atlanta acquired 26 year old 3B Yoan Moncada (a rising star in his own right). In addition to sending Rendon to Chicago, Atlanta also had to package 3 other MLB ready talents that were in AAA. Overall this was a win though as it secured a much cheaper option at 3B (~$15m in arbitration) while still giving the team a good option at 3B for the next season.

2022 Roster:

Spoiler

RF Ronald Acuna
SS Francisco Lindor
1B Freddie Freeman
3B Yoan Moncada
2B Ozzie Albies
C Carson Kelly
LF Drew Waters
CF Christian Pache

Rotation
Mike Soroka
Shane Bieber
Madison Bumgarner
Ian Anderson
Kyle Muller

Story:
Record 118-44, 1st NL East, lost in 7 to Houston in the WS

This team was on fire, at one point winning 17 straight games and having a second double digit win streak in the same season. It boasted a top 7 offense and an unbelievable pitching staff which posted a combined ERA under 3.

Acuna's power returned (35 HR), Moncada was only a hair less than what Rendon gave, and Ozzie Albies posted a 7.6 WAR. The offense would have been much better had the reigning MVP not had the worst season of his career, Unfortunately, there wasn't any growth from Pache offensively and Waters took a step back (even getting benched for part of the year).

The pitching was dominant. Mike Soroka led the way at 21-2 with a 1.70 ERA. Madison Bumgarner had his best season in years with a 2.47 ERA, Ian Anderson was once again under 3, and even Kyle Muller in the 5th spot was able to stay below a 4 ERA. Then, the bullpen was lights out. Brad Hand saved 54 games with a microscopic 1.04 ERA. His setup man Brad Roney also managed a sub 2 ERA.

This was clearly the best team in baseball for 99.99% of the year. They just couldn't finish off Houston in October.

Roster Moves:

Spoiler

A few minor moves to bolster the bullpen which wasn't very strong beyond the two late inning guys.

Notes:
Mike Soroka claims his 2nd Cy Young posting league bests in Wins, ERA, IP, WHIP, HR/9 and WAR.

2022 Offseason:
Once again Atlanta had to make a tough call on a popular player. Francisco Lindor was entering his final year of team control and the budget wasn't ready to sign him to a $30m extension. He was sent to Tampa Bay in a package deal which returned rookie SS Wander Franco (one of the top prospects in the game). Atlanta had to eat all of Lindor's 2023 salary and send to Tampa; former first round pick Shea Langeliers as well as a 19 year old pitching prospect who some scouts see as a future ace.

Kyle Muller was also moved this offseason. He had provided respectable support during the last two seasons as a #5, but an opportunity was presented to get Hunter Greene from the San Antonio Buccaneers (former Cincinnati Reds) who had a much higher ceiling.

2023 Roster:

Spoiler

2B Ozzie Albies
RF Ronald Acuna
1B Freddie Freeman
3B Yoan Moncada
SS Wander Franco
C Carson Kelly
LF Drew Waters
CF Christian Pache

Rotation
Mike Soroka
Shane Bieber
Madison Bumgarner
Ian Anderson
Hunter Greene

Story:
Record: 105-57, 1st NL East, lost in 7 to Houston.

In an all too familiar scenario, Atlanta once again had the best record in baseball, and once again lost to Houston in 7 games.

Both pitching and offense took slight steps back in 2023. Ronald Acuna Jr posted a career best .986 OPS, and last year's 3B replacement Moncada also cleared the .900 OPS mark. Christian Pache finally showed some improvement bringing his average up to .266 and managing a .690 OPS.

Hunter Greene did not provide the improvement to the rotation that Atlanta was hoping for, but it was great in the other 4 spots. Madbum took a step back falling to a 3.48 ERA, but Bieber, Soroka and Anderson all finished under 3. The bullpen was also on fire with 5 guys posting sub 3 ERAs.

Notes:
Former Braves legend and first year manager Chipper Jones takes hom the Manager of the year award.
Mike Soroka takes home his 3rd (2nd consecutive Cy Young Award). He faced stiff competition from Fellow teammates Ian Anderson (2nd in voting) and Shane Bieber (4th in voting). Anderson especially was tough with his league leading 2.37 ERA.

2023 Offseason:
TBD

This is an offseason where Atlanta is going to have to figure out what it wants to be over the next few years as it faces many tough decisions.

Madison Bumgarner voided the last year of his 5 year deal, exercising his player option. He has been an important part of the Braves incredible success over the last 4 years, and the fans love him. Reports are that he is looking for a 6 year deal around $130m. Atlanta should have a good amount of money in the bank, but it remains to be seen if they will want to commit those kind of resources to the 34 year old.

After coming up just short the last 2 years Atlanta may look for a spark on offense. Youngsters Pache and Waters were highly regarded prospects, and scouts can see the talent. The production has not been there though. It is unclear if Atlanta will give the two youngsters another year to develop or if they will look to replace one or even both with some more established talent.

The team is also going to have to decide what it wants to do with Shane Bieber and Carson Kelly who are both entering their final year of arbitration. Bieber has been an important cog in the rotation over the last 4 years, and he's coming off his best season yet. Carson Kelly hasn't provided the same kind of production that he did in Arizona since being traded to Atlanta 3 years ago, but he has still been one of the better offensive catchers in the game posting an average WAR of just under 4 during that stretch.

Bieber is likely the cheaper option of the two if the Braves choose to keep either or both, but Kelly plays a more premium position without an apparent replacement on the horizon (though Bieber's position could be made more important if Madbum is allowed to walk since the team's top pitching prospects are at least 2 years away still).

**MLB has announced two new expansion teams with an expansion draft to be held. Deciding who to protect could also impact Atlanta's offseason strategy.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

Foxes Playoff Run

NL Wild Card Game
Foxes 3, Phillies 2

Castelles gave the team a strong effort, holding the vaunted Phillies attack to 3 hits, but with those three hits, the Phillies scored two runs, both in the first. For the next eight innings, the Foxes combo of Castelles and Lavache would throw no-hit baseball.

Still, the Foxes needed a run or else it would go for naught. It took until the 9th inning for the Foxes to connect hits together.

The Foxes had to make something happen from the bottom of the order. Bernal started with a lead-off single to right and the Aillaud reached base on an error to put men on first and second.

The Phillies had a chance to turn a double play, but Bonilla hustled down the line to beat the return throw. This allowed Bernal to reach third as the tying run with just one out.

Romero came through. After fouling back three straight pitches, he lifted a deep fly to left field that scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly.

Kadota came up and legged out an infield single to move Bonilla to second, where he was lifted for Malfavon as a pinch runner. Koba delivered a single and Malfavon was sent home to score the winning run. He reached home safely to move the Foxes to the NLDS.

Lavache earned the win with 3 1/3 innings of perfect relief. "Our not-so-secret weapon came through again, " manager Jerad Head commented, he makes my life easy, I could focus on praying that we tied the game somehow."

The Foxes faced the Giants in the NLDS.


NL Divisional Series

Foxes win series 3-2.

The Foxes fell into a quick 2-0 hole on the road. The first game was a rare failure from Lavache, giving up the tying run on base and then the go-ahead run later in the outing.

In game two, the Foxes were just overmatched. The Giants came out swinging, the Foxes bats remained silent. The result was a lopsided 6-1 defeat to push the Foxes to the edge.

Heading home, the Foxes showed their usual dominance at The Fox's Den. Game three was another solid outing from Castelles, another three hits in five innings affair. The bullpen again supported him, this time with four innings of one-hit baseball, for a 3-2 win.

Game four was another nail-biter. The Foxes rode Brad Peterson to a "good enough" 4 runs in 7 innings outing to take a 6-4 lead late in the game. It was the first game this postseason where the bats really showed up, led by Juan Rivera's two-run home run. The bullpen held on for a 6-5 win.

Heading back to the road, the Foxes needed to find a win to move on. Yasutoki Shibuya, who got bombed in his previous start, give up just two runs in six innings of work. That was plenty as Koba provided the needed pop at the plate with two home runs and four RBI. The effort moved the Foxes on the NLCS where they will play the rival Braves for the right to advance to the World Series.

Koba was named MVP of the series. He drove in six runs and led the team with seven RBI to this point of the postseason.

However, an injury hit the Foxes. Kadota, the team's third baseman, will miss 2-3 weeks. Luis Partida was added to the playoff roster to fill the vacancy.


NL Championship Series

Foxes win series 4-1.

The pitching was the main story in this one was the Foxes took on their heated rivals, the Braves.

The Foxes set the tone early, winning a 1-0 duel in game one on the road. Castelles again was brilliant, giving up no runs and just four hits in six innings of work.

The Braves fought back to tie the series when they got a three-run home run off Lavache. That's unlikely enough, but the player that hit it, Luis Balderas, has just four home runs in 287 major league plate appearances split across four seasons.

"That's baseball for you, " Lavache spoke after the game.

The Foxes, once again, dominate at home. This time, it was enough to win the series. The team won all three games at home in games three through five, mixing in another shutout in the process in game four. Castelles had to leave the game early, but the bullpen continued to support him. This time, Lavache was his usual self, throwing three shutout innings to earn the win.

The Foxes prepared to face the Mariners for the Commissioner's Trophy. The Mariners won the AL West with 92 wins on the season.


World Series

Mariners win series 4-1.

This time, the Foxes were on the receiving end of a masterful effort on the mound. The Mariners shut down the bats the whole series, with the only Foxes win coming on a 15-inning affair in game three of a game that ended with a 4-3 score.

That game was the only game the Foxes scored more than three runs. In fact, in game one, Josh Wiesenberg threw a one-hitter in seven innings. Wiesenberg led the AL in innings and BABIP allowed, and both of those strengths showed up in that game.

The Foxes will have to turn their attention to the offseason and try to take their minds of what can only be described as a poor showing in the Fall Classic.

"We have some work to do, and not all of it will be pleasant, " G.M. Ander Lyle commented.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

Lavache Wins Cy Young

The Foxes had a poor end to the postseason, but at least Eric Lavache got recognition for his insane season. He ran away with the Cy Young award, picking up 35 of the 36 first place votes.

"I'm honored and am very fortunate be with an organization that values me and let's me shine on the mound. I just do what I can and they keep giving me the ball. For a reliever, that's all you can ask for...opportunities to help the team win, " Lavache commented.

Lavache is a reliever, but not the typical one. He threw 127 innings of work, posting a 1.46 ERA in the process. His season was worth 6.3 WAR, leading all pitchers in the NL in pitching WAR. The WAR total and his ERA+, registering at 309, are both personal bests along with the ERA.

"He's not a reliever. He's their stealth sixth starter, " one voter commented, "An ace in disguise lurking in the back of their bullpen to finish off four innings of a game. He's like a follower, honestly."

So far in his career, Lavache is 73-45 with 82 saves in 1,082 innings of work. He has 1,451 strikeouts and an ERA+ of 203.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

Lerma, Matano Out
Lavache, Koba Extended

"When I said we had work to do and not all will be pleasant, I was trying to prep the fans for the first half of these transactions, "G.M. Lyle commented, "We know those two players are some of our fans' favorites and they have been with us a while, but reality is, we're still a small market organization so decisions had to be made."

The Foxes took trades that many considered to be unfavorable to clear their salary off the books. The fans waited in nervous anticipation about what was to come from the newfound financial headroom.

November passed. December passed. No signs of moves in the free agency market. No trade for someone else's salary-dump-but-otherwise-solid player. Nothing.

But then, the Foxes announced an extension for Lavache on yet another amazingly team-friendly deal. Lavache simply asked to maintain his $12 million per year salary, terms that the Foxes could readily accommodate.

Fans weren't all that enthused, though surely they recognized Lavache's worth. In fact, he is also one of the fans' favorite players.

But that's not all Lyle was working on. Behind closed doors, and a few heated arguments, he and Koba were trying to hash out a long-term deal.

"Koba is a very outspoken person and sometimes I think things got heated on both sides as a result, " a team official spoke.

The back and forth behind the scenes continued for weeks until news broke that the slugger agreed to the latest offer sheet from the organization.

"It's not completely what I had hoped for, but I also like what's going on here, like the competitiveness, so I decided to eat some of my own pride and met the Foxes halfway, " Koba spoke at the press conference.

The Koba news got the fans in a complete frenzy. It was the biggest sports story in Montreal, and the extension got everyone talking baseball and the Foxes.

The terms were an 8-year deal at $31.4 million per year. Perhaps a concern is that Koba will be 33 years old at the end of that contract. There were reports that Koba wanted 10 years, but the Foxes just would not commit to that length, even for Koba.

The Foxes might look a bit different this year, but it seems they at least intend to continue their competitive ways in the fierce NL East.

[KBLover]

Re: OOTP 20 Franchise Progress Thread

2038 Foxes

.




The NL East being tightly contested has been the rule the last decade or so, but this year might be the most competitive it's been yet. The Foxes, Nationals, and Phillies are expected to finish just one game apart with the Foxes taking the division at 92 wins.

That win total is a manifestation of the worries over the Foxes offense and staff that will be significantly different, partly due to spring injuries and partly due to the departure of Lerma and Matano.

The offense in particular is expected to be among the worst in the NL. Koba is projected to do his thing, but he'll have to carry a large burden if the offense is to do much of anything consistently. Juan Romero and Kenishi Kadota are still here, but DeBouse and Kennedy are departed via free agency.

Jorge Rivera is one that will need to step up his game now that he's no longer hanging out in the bottom third of the lineup. Hitting fourth, he'll be expected to make a noteworthy contribution. Arturo Medina, a Rule 5 selection, hopes to shine now that he has the opportunity one a competitive ball club.

The pitching is also expected to carry the lion's share, and by "pitching", that basically means "Castelles and Lavanche". Those two, and only those two, are expected to be among the NL's top pitching performers. Yet, the Foxes are supposed to be the best in the NL in ERA once again.

Behind Castelles will be a slew of unknown quantities. Castro is probably putting up another solid-but-not-stellar season, the kind that was fine as a #3 or #4...but probably not as a #2. Shibuya, at #3, pretty much the same, but then there's Menifield, Hamaski, Ilgenfritz, Landaverde, and an aging and rebounding from injury Brad Peterson.

The bullpen is more stable with the only new face being Tim Blockman, taken in the Rule 5 draft.

Getting chances out of camp are several young players:

-2B Bartolomeo Flores, 19, rapidly progressed his bat control in the minors and is an extreme pesky hitter. He will put the ball in play a lot, likely for singles, but the sheer number of them could make him difficult to deal with.

-SP Quadir Menefield, 24, an interesting sort - he's a power pitcher that pitches more to contact than for the strikeout. He'd rather jam the hitter or get late swings for poor contact than have to go for the strikeout constantly.

-RP Tim Blockmon, 23, Selected in the Rule 5 draft, Blockmon will try to carve a niche in long relief to stick in a crowded fight for spots in the bullpen due to roster situations and other call ups. Blackmon is a classic power arm out of the bullpen and seems suited for lefty specialization.

-CF Nate McClain, 22, promoted because his bat might be decent enough to play in the majors, allowing his tremendous range in the outfield to play everyday. McClain will make his worth with his glove in all likelihood. If he produces average at the plate, that would be more than welcome.

-1B Luis Luna, 23, will get another shot working from the bench to begin the 2038 campaign. Depending on how things go at the position, Luna could take over first base as the starter. He'll have to do much better than his cup of coffee action last September, however.


Overall, the Foxes are expected to fall back to the pack this season with success riding on a few key figures. While the team is by no means expected to struggle, it is likely to have a big league fight for their postseason lives from the start.