2024 Game Thread

[lou]

Bender is much better

Super elite Sweeper, but...
His sinker is garbage.

He's got a shot to be a good 7th inning guy longterm with a really good out pitch similar to Cronin's and Roddery's sliders, but he needs a 2nd better pitch. In 2022, the sinker was *much* better (and wasn't throwing the sweep so that is new), so this is an effort of maybe there was some rust here and the sinker plays up.

Bender is a viable middle reliever to me with some upside similar to Cronin and Roddery

[lou]

Hoeing needs to be a slider RP too

Slider is great
No 2nd pitch
Sinker gets bombed (slightly better than 2023 though)
They scrapped his 4 seamer it looks like
Might be working on a split finger FB


Same exact profile as Roddery. Needs sinker control and becomes a viable good reliever quickly

Cronin, Roddery, and Hoeing are very similar and could cut it for a bit in the bigs if they get a 2nd good pitch

[lou]

Nardi's got a solid FB and slider. If he can throw the slider like 2023 a little bit more (small dip this year in production), he's a very legitimate 2 pitch guy and a perfect 2nd pen lefty.

Interestingly, Cronin, Roddery, Hoeing, and Bender all have a better singular pitch (slider, and the sweeper for Bender), but Nardi having that 2nd good offering really puts him to the top of the heap here.

He's a floor second lefty in the pen for awhile if he never gets better. Probably won't ever be peak Scott or Puk

[lou]

Puk's numbers all over because of the SP stint, but absolutely dominating with fastballs. Which is a good omen as he has flashed multiple good secondaries before. I think his struggles were mental as hes been lights out for 2+ months now.

You gotta try him as a SP again in the spring, or, maybe they just tick him up to a 1 time through guy. I'll take as many innings as I can get from him, and would gladly buy him out for 4 years right now. A 90-100 IP multi inning RP I think is the goal here over 50 appearances versus 65. He is awesome.

[lou]

Brazoban is also borderline "awesome" with an elite changeup and above average cutter, with a solid third offering with a four seamer. Good repertoire usage. Scrap the sinker entirely.

This is a very sneaky trade asset with huge control years even though he is old. He is pitching very well and while he doesn't qualify in RP innings, he's pitching like a top 30-50 RP in baseball right now. He is a perfect add-on to Jazz or Scott. Every team can use this in their pen.

[lou]

Chargois is a solid whatever slider/sinker guy who walks too many people. He is a 4th or 5th bullpen righty at best, but likely won't embarrass you. Someone probably takes him with Marlins paying salary above minimum and see if he gets hot down the stretch. Extremely limited value if any.

[lou]

Finally our journey ends with Kyle Tyler.

This is a replacement AAA arm that might have an OK curveball, but nothing else major to play off it. His cutter is being annihilated and looks like they are trying to introduce a 4 seamer. This is a AAA project.

[lou]

So they probably have this next year for the pen. I am assuming Bender and Brazoban are traded (although would note maybe move Cronin as a sell high here, keep Bender as a different repertoire right hander versus slider onslaughts from Hoeing and Roddery), and Chargois is outright released if he isn't traded and he can try and latch with a contender. That's doing him a solid.


______, Cronin/Bender, Hoeing, Roddery, Faucher (Maldonado needs more sample size and can stay in AAA)
Puk, Nardi, _____


This might be pretty solid but really needs a stud right hander. They will have Sandy, Max, Cabrera, Weathers, Rogers, and Garret next year so there is 1 person trickle down here (or maybe 2 if Luzardo is kept and then they may be set!), but this is a big missing piece of an elite right handed bullpen arm to match with Puk. Basically, they need a righty Scott real bad longterm. Maybe that is a Max/Cabrera conversion. Given that Bendix found 3 of these guys for effectively nothing, not to worried about the pen besides a real top end guy but we'll see how they shake out.

I hope there was an ounce of enjoyment in this dumb fringe RP analysis. They are fine here. All systems go for getting many many bats.

[fish16]

xavier edwards is a stud. great future leadoff guy. they have 1 position locked down, whether it be SS or 2b, just 8 more to go.

[lou]

Actually not done, Maldonado is a slider/sinker guy too. So they have effectively 4 of those guys for the bullpen, and only two other guys with different looks (Bender, Faucher).

I'd look to move Brazoban (old, doing well) and Chargois (obviously), and then Cronin, Bender (because of money), or Puk if you get an immense can't pass up offer but otherwise keep. Shoot for:



Sandy, Garrett, Cabrera, Weathers, Max, Rogers (6 man but never skip Sandy. Keep them all fresh. Or double up Cabrera and Rogers into 1 SP which is more ideal to me)

______, Bender, Cronin, Roddery/Hoeing/Maldonado (other 2 in AAA, everyone has options), and Faucher for a different look

Puk, Nardi


This is a really really nasty stuff when you realize that blank line is Eury's roster spot and shuffle it as you want.

If they can pull another top RHP out of thin air, the Rodder/Hoeing/Maldonado slider group is a really good AAA situation for call ups as arm 14-15-16 as that's who you'd replace to keep having different shit thrown at you by every reliever.


This would be smart ignoring how the hell do they get bats if Jazz is traded for 19 year olds.

[lou]

xavier edwards is a stud. great future leadoff guy. they have 1 position locked down, whether it be SS or 2b, just 8 more to go.

A *bit* too early to say stud, but we can pen him onto the team next year. I want to see that BABIP normalize and what's the BB rate and slugging doing. Let's see some doubles and triples regularly.

[Todd]

If Roddery Munoz didn't give up a home run every other AB, he might be something.

Eh, he is Elisier Hernandez v2. He has one solid pitch, a slider that isn't even that great, and a fastball that is flat as can be with zero movement. He just throws a bit harder than Hernandez.

[sports24/7]

Mason Miller to the IL with a broken hand. Tanner Scott will now almost certainly be the best (probably by a good margin) RP traded at the deadline. If Bendix plays this right, they should be able to get a nice return for him, even as a rental.

[lou]

Mason Miller to the IL with a broken hand. Tanner Scott will now almost certainly be the best (probably by a good margin) RP traded at the deadline. If Bendix plays this right, they should be able to get a nice return for him, even as a rental.

Might add here, the 2nd best RP who might be available is Puk. He is dealing and has the 2 years remaining. I'd keep him and you know, try to win. But, you know.

[lou]

Eh, he is Elisier Hernandez v2. He has one solid pitch, a slider that isn't even that great, and a fastball that is flat as can be with zero movement. He just throws a bit harder than Hernandez.

Definitely needs a substantial FB/Sinker improvement to turn into a real asset. I think you're under selling the slider a little, but it definitely isn't elite