OOTP 19 Franchise Progress

[WaitTilNextYear]

Quote: Originally Posted by N51_rob

Whats's your budget/cash left on hand? Plan to chase any marquee FA in the off-season?

No cash on hand.

You'd think after a pretty frugal expansion draft that saw me spend just $54.7MM (my highest paid player is Brett Gardner and his 1 year $11MM deal) I'd have tons of cash. However, my owner has given me an inaugural budget of $80MM. So factoring in scouting, development, draft (will have #1 or #2 pick), and coaching expenses I have no money for free agents or extensions at this time. I think my total costs are projected to be $106MM altogether.

I am projected to post revenue of $130MM which would make this season profitable by $24MM. Maybe then my tolerant, generous, interfering, balanced owner will show me the money. But, I doubt I'll be any kind of factor in the Bryce/Manny sweepstakes with this kind of budget. However, if I decline Brett Gardner's team option for next year, deal Moreland, Betances, and McHugh I could conceivably be down to a $30MM major league payroll. We'll see what happens. Most likely this is gonna be a slow burn done largely through the draft.

[KBLover]

Marlins Season Over
Team Stumbles to 54-108 Mark

Maybe this is what was to be expected, but it still has to sting a little to have such a struggle of a season. Hopefully, this helps lay the groundwork for some positive progress.


It's hard to pinpoint one issue, but the pitching staff seemed to start this going in the wrong direction. Sadly, not much can be expected to change in that department. Young pitching talent is few and far between, with the best probably coming out of this year's draft, so some years away in all likelihood.


The offense didn't help, but there is at least some bright spots to consider. Isan Diaz handled the jump from AA to the majors pretty well, considering he was probably not even ready. He struggled, of course, posting a .221/.304/.354 line, but it didn't hinder his progress according to team scouts.


"He [Diaz] handled it as well as you can expect. Never really complained and just kept his focus on trying to be a better hitter. Maybe if we can get the clubhouse right, he'll get to really shine, " manager Don Mattingly commented.


Monte Harrison also got a chance and he really looked overmatched. When he could slow the game down, he showed some flashes. His first major league hit was a triple, one of two he hit in his September call up. He managed just 12 hits, four of which were for extra bases. He went 3-of-4 in steal attempts. He made a couple errors but also showed good range in center field.


On the pitching side, Sandy Alcantara did indeed get a September chance...and was torched. The home runs weren't the problem...it was the walks that really hurt him. He will probably get many more chances, including a spring look, and, honestly, it's hard to picture him not making the roster. Hopefully, this poor showing won't be a mental setback.



And of course, there's Royce Lewis. He didn't get a September chance, but .283/.344/.433 line in about 130 PA for AAA-New Orleans will likely earn him a spring invite.

Cubs Sweep Indians in World Series

The Cubs picked up another World Series win in 2018 after just manhandling the Indians in a clean sweep. The Cubs were rather dominating in the playoffs, winning the NLDS over the Nats 3-1 and beating the Dodgers 4-2 before sweeping the World Series for an 11-3 postseason record.


The Indians might have been worn down by the ALCS. After sweeping the Red Sox in the ALDS, they had to endure a full seven game series against the Astros...with five of the games going to extra innings! Of course, it's hard to know the real extent that grueling series had on the outcome of the World Series, but it's hard to imagine that it had no effect at all.

Marlins Sold
New Ownership Group Lead by Mike Webb Buys Team

"I expect to win in anything I get involved in. I don't see why sports should be any different, " Webb spoke at a press conference.


One has to wonder why anyone who "expects to win" would buy a team that's about as far away as winning as you can get in the Marlins. But here we are and Webb has already met with the GM and other personnel.


One might think Webb would have some unrealistic expectations, but sources indicate that he's not as much of a hard person as his public persona might lead folks to believe. No details are known, of course, but it seems most in the front office are at least cautiously optimistic.

[KBLover]

2018-2019 Offseason
November-December

The Marlins don't figure to be active, but they might not be completely dormant either. After all, now might be a time to completely clean house and start installing more young and/or unknown players and giving them a chance to show what they can do.


The team will likely lean on young players for sure and more journeyman (to say it mildly) players among those who have some experience at the major league level. Of course, after last season, could it get worse?

Arbitration Period
Realmuto, Bour Offered

The Marlins confirmed that they have submitted arbitration offer sheets on 1B Justin Bour and C J.T. Realmuto. This isn't unexpected and fans might be happy to know the Bour will return.

Others getting offers submitted are P Nick Wittgren, OF Derek Dietrich, C/3B Bryan Holaday, and P Jose Urena.

Another issue needing to be dealt with is that of qualifying offers. Perhaps not surprisingly, OF Cameron Maybin and P Juinichi Tazawa won't be getting tender qualifying offers.

Notable Free Agents:

OF Bryce Harper
P Andrew Miller
3B Josh Donaldson
CF Charlie Blackmon
3B Adrian Beltre
C Yasmani Grandal
P Jeurys Familia
P Dallas Keuchel
2B Brian Dozier



Some of the notable signings this free agency

• Dodgers: P Clayton Kershaw, $222 million/6 yrs (extension)
• Dodgers: C Yasmani Grandal, $82.8 million/4 yrs
• Braves: 3B Manny Machado, $169 million/6 yrs
• Blue Jays: LF Wladimir Balentien, $48.5 million/4 yrs (from NPB)
• Braves: P Dallas Keuchel, $92 million/5 yrs
• Nationals: RF Bryce Harper, $169 million/8 yrs
• Astros: P Jeurys Familia, $37.1 million/3 yrs
• Nationals: 2B Brian Dozier, $63.2 million/4 yrs

Marlins signings:

• P Ryan Feierabend, $4.8 million/3 yrs (from KBO)
• P Chisou Saotome, $24 million/4 yrs (from NPB)

Notable Trades:

• Cleveland traded LF Tyler Naquin to the White Sox for P Nate Jones and a minor league pitcher.
• Oakland traded C Dustin Garneau to the Red Sox for 2B Ivan DeJesus, Jr.
• Cubs traded IF Javier Baez and P Bryan Hudson to the Mets for P Steven Matz
• Nationals traded 3B Carlos Asuaje to Padres for P Joe Ross
• Dodgers traded prospect C Will Smith to Royals for P Trevor Oaks

Marlins Trades:

• Marlins trade P Adam Conley and 3B Taylor Braylen to Phillies for P Zach Eflin

Marlins Rule 5 selections:
IF Thairo Estrada (NYY)
IF Luis Caprio (NYM)
OF Jose Siri (CIN)


Marlins Rule 5 losses:
None

[notsobabybombers]

I've reached the first year draft in my Pirates save and this team has certainly surprised me. We have been hit hard by injuries. Marte and Cervelli have missed time but they're back. Here's my current injury report:

RP Neverauskas: out 2 more months (went down 4/22)
RP Feliz: out 7 more months (went down 4/16)
2B Josh Harrison- uncertain return date (went down 4/6)
OF Polanco- out for 4 months (went down 5/13)

Despite all that, trading away Cutch and Cole before the season IRL and 2018 being an expected down year, we are 34-25, 1st in the division by 2.5 games over Chicago. We're only 7th in RS (10th BA) and 9th in RA (9th starters, 7th BP.) Our defense doesn't explain our success either, as we're only ranked 12th there.

We claimed Mike Montgomery off waivers from the Cubs and he has stepped up big time-9 games, 3.38 ERA, 3 games started since coming out of the BP.

Overall, maybe it's a successful "next-man-up" attitude that has made this team successful so far. Waiver claim Dilson Herrera is hitting .343 off the bench, youngster Jordan Luplow is hitting .333 off the bench since being called up when Polanco went down.

I doubt the success will last the duration of the season but the fans are responding well- fan interest has increased from 54 before the season to 64 right now. Our attendance is up, which is unexpected for the reasons listed earlier. I'm just going to enjoy the ride and see where it goes.

[TannerYoho]

As a Bucco fan this made me smile^

[notsobabybombers]

Quote: Originally Posted by TannerYoho

As a Bucco fan this made me smile^

Sorry to burst your bubble, but...

The Pirates were 49-48 at ASB, 2nd in the division behind the Cubs (55-41) We were 1 GB of of the wildcard and 7-3 in last 10 games.
Aaaand then we dropped five straight.
Come July 30, we had gone 2-8 after the ASG, dropping us to 4.5 games out of the WC.

So I decided to sell. We didn’t have many viable pieces but I was happy with the two trades I completed.
I traded RP George Kontos (2.93 ERA) to Houston for a prospect package headlined by 2B Ryne Birk. Kontos had a 2.22 ERA in 16 games with Houston.

I also traded OF Corey Dickerson, who had 17 homers with us, to Seattle, who was in the thick of the WC race. Dickerson slumped with them, as he hit .221 with 7 HR with them. We got a promising RP prospect, Jamal Wade, in the trade though.

The rest of the season was about evaluating our talent for next year. We finished 72-90, last in the division. We were 14th in RS, which was the case most of the year. WE had the worst collective average in the NL and the 14th OBP. Our pitching didn’t fare much better (12th RA, 11th in both starters’ and BP ERA.) Our defense was the worst in the NL, which will be a point of emphasis this offseason.

After a brief climb, our fan interest dropped back to 58 but we still enjoyed overall increases in attendance and revenue per game.

After the season, Josh Harrison and Ivan Nova told me that they officially want out.

Batting Titles: Jose Ramirez (Cle) and Bryce Harper (Wash.)


ALE
Yankees 106-56
Boston 93-69 WC1
Blue Jays 80-82
Rays 74-88
Orioles 64-98
—ALC
Indians 104-58 3-7 in l10
Twins 90-72 WC2
White Sox 74-88
Tigers 61-101
Royals 59-103

Asrost 100-62 8-2 in l10 w3
Rangers and Mariners 83-79
Oakland 76-86
Angels 68-94——Ohtani hit .198 with 7 HR and pitched to a 4.46 ERA with a record of 11-11.

NLE
Nationals 89-73
Mets 88-74
Braves 78-84
Marlins 74-88
Phillies 70-92
—NLC
Cubs 93-69
Cardianls 78-84
Reds 77-85
Brewers 73-69
Pirates 72-90
—NLW
Dodgers 112-50
Arizona 89-73 WC1
Giants 82-80
Rockies 75-87
Padres 65-97

WC: Twins v Boston-
Yanks v that winner-
ALDS: Houston vs Cleveland

WC Mets v Arizona—
Dodgers vs that winner
Cubs v Nationals—

Mets over Zona 6-2. Conforto hit 2 homers
Boston over Twinss 2-0-Sale threw 5 shutout innings, JD Martinez homered with 1 on to provide the only runes in the game. Price threw 2 shutout innings out of the pen.

CHC sweeps Nationals-MVP Rizzo. CHC outscored Nats 19-5 including a 6-0 win
Dodgers over Mets in 5-MVP Bellinger
Boston over Yankees in 5 MVP Martinez
Cleveland over Astros in 5

CS Dodgers over Cubs in 7 MVP Seager. LA loses F orsythe rest of PO and they were already without Turner for the entire postseason. The Dodgers nearly choked away a 3-0 series lead as the Cubs won 3 straight to force game 7.

Boston over Indians in 6. MVP Martinez again. Cleveland won the first 2 but dropped the next 4 including 2 shutout losses. Cleveland was without Kluber and LIndor all postseason and lost Cody Allen in the ALDS. .

WS: Dodgers v Boston
Dodgers win g1 4-0
LA win g 2 3-2 with a Joc Peterson walk off homer in 14.
Boston win g3 7-2, but they lost Price (DTD sore arm, he never pitched again in the series.) Devers hit a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh. Boston won G4 6-2 to tie the series.
Dodgers won g5 4-3 and g6 3-1 to win the series. WSMVP: Yasiel Puig.

[KBLover]

Offseason Concludes

Late Period signings:

• Rockies extend 2B D.J. LeMahieu for $64 million/6 yrs.
• Nationals sign C Wilson Ramos for $44.5 million/4 yrs.
• Mets sign C Jonathon Lucroy for $65.6 million/4 yrs.
• Twins sign P Sergio Lara for $53.7 million/4 yrs. (International)
• Yankees sign 3B Adrian Beltre for $30.4 million/2 yrs.
• Brewers sign 2B Daniel Murphy for $99.8 million (duration not disclosed).
• Tigers sign 3B Josh Donaldson for $20 million/1 yr.
  

Rivera First-Ball Hall of Famer
Closer Lone Member of 2019 HoF Class

A fitting reward for one of the most dominant relievers in the history of the game, Mariano Rivera will officially take his place in Cooperstown as part of baseball immortality.



The career-long Yankee racked up 652 saves with a 2.21 ERA. His career spanned 1,115 relief appearances that covered 1,283 innings of work and 1,173 strikeouts. His career ERA+ checks in at 218 with a peak of a staggering 311. He accumulated 29.3 WAR in his career.


"Rivera was simply an amazing pitcher. He broke the 'pure gas effectively wild' type stereotype around power relievers. He used the movement on his fastball with precision and constantly fooled hitters and inducing horrible contact. He didn't need strikeouts, he got broken bats and little league hits instead, " a local analyst commented, "Pitchers do not have literal control over the ball once they release it, but Rivera showed they can have a heavy influence on how well it gets hit. He made his career on it."


Rivera collected votes on 93% of ballots (including mine). Needless to say, he will wear a Yankees cap as he enters the Hall.





Late Offseason Trades:

• Tigers trade OF Mallex Smith to A's for P Kendall Graveman and cash considerations.
• Giants trade C Miguel Gomez and RF Sandro Fabian to Phillies for RF Nick Williams.

[KBLover]

Spring Training Begins
Royce Lewis Given Invite

A new season is right around the corner as Spring Training has arrived. The Marlins now take stock of the talent accumulated during the offseason, and there figures to be some new faces, quite a few of them, on the Opening Day roster.


Position Battles

Where are the position battles? More like where aren't there position battles.

Starting Rotation:
Contenders: Saotome, Park, Eflin, Guzman, O'Grady, Neidert, Feierabend, Lopez, Alcantara, Graves
Projected Rotation: Urena, Saotome, O'Grady, Eflin, Park

Remember when Sandy Alcantara was pretty much a given to be in the rotation? That's no longer the case. Between the acquisitions (Saotome, Feierabend, Eflin, Park) and some development over the offseason (Pablo Lopez, Jorge Guzman), the rotation now has around ten candidates for five spots. In fact, Mattingly isn't even given Alcantara the first crack at making an impression with the newer acquisitions and quiet performers like Urena, getting the first six spots.

Bullpen:
Contenders: Too many to list!
Projected Bullpen: Not even gonna try

The bullpen is even more of a fierce competition with too many names to list that could take up residence. None of the spots are settled at all. Jorge Guzman, not getting a starting spot as Spring Training opens, will take his fireballs to the closer spot to get a look there.

Catcher:
Favorite: J.T. Realmuto
Contenders: Telis, Morales
Projected Starter: Realmuto

Assuming he's not traded, it's likely J.T. Realmuto will resume as starting catcher. Tomas Telis is a capable backup, a role he's happy to fill, and will likely be the second catcher on the roster. Morales is coming along, but we think the young man will need more seasoning and a better opportunity.

First Base:
Favorite: Justin Bour
Contenders: Garrett Cooper
Projected Starter: Bour

If there's one spot on the diamond that's solidified, it's first base. Justin Bour has been brought back, and reports are that trade offers involving him have been rejected, showing the Marlins desire to have him man the spot. His power could be sorely needed as the team perhaps transitions to an offense oriented around aggression and small ball.

Second Base:
Favorite: Thairo Estrada
Contenders: Luis Caprio, Jose Pastrano
Projected Starter: Estrada

Chances are that the team's first overall selection in the Rule 5 draft will be given first crack at starting at the position. This is especially true after the Yankees called to try to get him back via trade. If there was any doubt about his potential to start, a call from Cashman might have erased it. Caprio, another Rule 5 selection, could get some playing time here, too, perhaps as a back up if he doesn't land at SS.

Shortstop:

Favorite: Royce Lewis
Contenders: JT Riddle, Miguel Rojas, Luis Carpio
Projected Starter: Royce Lewis

Of course, Royce Lewis was given a non-roster invite, which could turn into a roster spot on the Opening Day roster...or near enough. There's some debate about his rapid rise and if it's real or being rushed. Still, Lewis will get the chance to settle some of those questions in Spring Training.

In the end, we here at BNN think Royce Lewis will win the job outright and right out of Spring Training. The pick up of Luis Carpio in the Rule 5 draft presents a possible complication, however. Not to mention that Estrada is at 2B because the Marlins will try Isan Diaz at the talent void known as 3B. If that doesn't work, Diaz heads back to 2B and Estrada is the likely SS.

In addition, since Lewis is just 19, the team might feel like they want to keep letting him mature in AAA-New Orleans. Still, BNN will place its bet on things working out in favor of the phenom Lewis.


Third Base:
Favorite: Isan Diaz
Contenders: Anderson, Nomura
Projected Starter: Diaz

This position is a mess right now, which is why Diaz is getting the chance to take his arm over there to try to get the hang of the hot corner this spring. Diaz would seem to profile better at 3B. Range is less of a concern there (Diaz's shortcoming) while has arm won't be wasted on the short throws from 2B.

That said, learning a new position is never a given and always takes time. What if it takes more time than Spring Training? Will the Marlins let him learn on the fly during the season? Will they temporarily send him to AAA? If so, who plays 3B? Likely Nomura and Prado will split the position. Of course, Diaz could simply go back to 2B, which will clutter the shortstop situation for sure.


Outfield:
Favorites (from left to right): Dietrich, Harrison, Brinson
Contenders: Jose Siri, Magneuris Sierra, Braxton Lee
Projected Starters: Dietrich, Siri, Brinson

The outfield battle could be heated and very interesting. Jose Siri, the final Marlins Rule 5 pick, was a surprise selection to most. He will directly challenge Monte Harrison for the center field job. Siri shows good pop and plenty of speed and range, so it's not just a "show some competition" in hopes of sparking growth in Harrison. It's an outright "you might not make it, kid".

Sierra is also more interesting than he might appear. He posted a 150 OPS+ in AA, was on his way to nearly 100 OPS+ in AAA before getting called up in the roster expansion. He proceeded to post a .312/.346/.429 line in 77 AB. He might impress this spring...and if he does, choices might get hard for the Marlins.

BNN analysts, perhaps tentatively, think Brinson will be in right field. However, he seemed like a very mixed bag that ended up being league average overall. BNN thinks he'll win out due to familiarity in a roster that will have more than a few unknowns on it.