2024 Game Thread

[fish16]

Yep. I'm telling you - 4 bats. And 3 of them really good ones.


This roster is under $65m just to mention where I think this is going for Bendix:

C Ramirez, Fortes/Banfield
1B Burger, DLS (other primary DH)
2B Edwards, Otto
SS ___
3B ___, ___
LF Marotrella
CF ___, Mesa Jr./Marsee/Sasaski
RF Sanchez

SP Sandy, Luzardo, Garrett, Cabrera, Weathers, Max
RHP Bender, Brazoban, Faucher, Hoeing, Munoz/Maldonado
LHP Nardi, _____

+ Eury midseason

+Scott trade returns
+Rogers trade returns
+Cronin trade returns
+DLC trade returns



Bradfield and Max Wagner on Baltimore make A LOT of sense and both are probably up for CF and 3B by midseason for Scott. High floor defender and Max is a paltoon guy for lefties. They can get by until then. Find another 3B infielder for Rogers for right now which seems doable and turn DLC into a lefty reliever which is very reasonable to me.


Do that and you are under $70 million needing 1 and only 1 player for 2025 with absolutely no payroll on the books longterm except Sandy for 2-3 seasons - a stud every day shortstop.

Could trade Luzardo for one and sign a SP to replace him. Or, do the move and make us proud again - Adames.

A lot of options, but the names are starting to show up on the depth chart for sure.

again, just being able to type names into a spot on a depth chart means nothing to me. We've done that for years here. We're not necessarily arguing different things, i'm just saying they currently have a need for a proven long term piece for every position other than the ones filled by burger, edwards, and sanchez (who is merely a platoon bat). It's great that they have more options now and more talent, but that means nothing until they prove they can play. Typing their name in and acting like they no longer have a long term need at that position is pointless.

Just look at the names you have in the OF and what they are doing in the minors this year. Martorella has a sub .500 OPS in AA. Marsee is batting under .200 and has a sub .650 OPS since the trade. Sasaki is 24 in AA with a .728 OPS and 0 hr's this year. VMJR is still young for AAA but he's not exactly lighting it up in AAA.

They need to find long term contributors, and not just names you put on paper and think it looks good, at every position other than the ones taken by Edwards, burger, and sanchez when righties pitch. That's what i mean.

Just look back at the last rebuild- you could have easily said the same thing with Brinson, Harrison, Sierra, Diaz, and Alfaro.

[Nick]

He's pretty bad - https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savan...-r-hitting-mlb

Big picture with what things look like right now, best of Burger of DLS gets 1B and the other DH. Martorella is going to have to go to LF for these guys.


Burger is kind of a problem with the roster TBH though, as Martorella should be the 1B and DLS slides in versus lefties. DLS can DH the rest of the time with Ramirez who might not be a 110+ game catcher. Burger seems like a potential offseason trade to me assuming Martorella and DLS look like 2025 options which they should. Martorella has been not great but he should click eventually. You get a better LF/RF for Burger and it works out better positionally, etc.

We'll see. I am cautiously optimistic for a real banger for Scott here beyond what I have been expecting for months.

-1 OAA at 1b, -5 at 3B. That's all I'm taking from that link you sent. That seems not terrible at 1st base and in a small sample size seems like nothing to panic over. Yes, I think it's clear he's not playable at 3B, but I'd say jury is still out on 1B.

Also, Martorella has not been great? He's got a .476 OPS at Pensacola and is the same age as Jacob Berry. Why is Berry done, and this guy is an option for 2025?

[lou]

again, just being able to type names into a spot on a depth chart means nothing to me. We've done that for years here. We're not necessarily arguing different things, i'm just saying they currently have a need for a proven long term piece for every position other than the ones filled by burger, edwards, and sanchez (who is merely a platoon bat). It's great that they have more options now and more talent, but that means nothing until they prove they can play. Typing their name in and acting like they no longer have a long term need at that position is pointless.

Just look at the names you have in the OF and what they are doing in the minors this year. Martorella has a sub .500 OPS in AA. Marsee is batting under .200 and has a sub .650 OPS since the trade. Sasaki is 24 in AA with a .728 OPS and 0 hr's this year. VMJR is still young for AAA but he's not exactly lighting it up in AAA.

They need to find long term contributors, and not just names you put on paper and think it looks good, at every position other than the ones taken by Edwards, burger, and sanchez when righties pitch. That's what i mean.

Just look back at the last rebuild- you could have easily said the same thing with Brinson, Harrison, Sierra, Diaz, and Alfaro.

I understand what you mean, these guys do need to prove themselves, but it's a 40 man consideration ultimately.

C Ramirez, Fortes, Banfield
1B Burger, DLS
2B Edwards, Otto, Serna
SS ____, ____
3B ____, ____
LF DLC, _____
CF Mesa Jr., Sasaki, Sanoja
RF Sanchez, Dane
=14

*Martorella and Marsee don't have to he put on. I had the wrong year in my head which is actually a great thing

I also do think Fortes (they like the defense, he can't be this bad a hitter forever can he?), Banfield (good defense/lefty split), Sasaki (a Bendix guy), and Sanoja (big rise in intrigue IMO) are locks for those last few spots here even if they may be churnable. Maybe Burger, DLC, and Sanchez go and bigger changes happen.

Check out Sanoja BTW - https://www.fangraphs.com/players/ja...position=2B/OF. Look at that BB/K. Nick mentioned this a week or two back, but this is a WOW what is happening kind of performance. That's really interesting at 2B/CF and can dabble at SS.


They got some maybes here too with a big two months here on out:

C Sanchez, Pereda
1B Johnston
2B Brujan
3B Bride, Rivera, Hensley (new guy)
OF Gordon, Wall

I doubt anyone above will make it, but maybe they do keep Hensley who has an option and they just claimed.


Basically, they probably have 4, maybe 5 bat spots here absent some larger moves, and these are the bats for April next year. I am not suggesting all these guys are going to make it - I am just saying they are going to get their shots and they are filling holes on their own roster. Some of them (C-Ramirez, 1B-Martorella, 2B-Serna, DH-DLS) with some real genuine hope.

[lou]

-1 OAA at 1b, -5 at 3B. That's all I'm taking from that link you sent. That seems not terrible at 1st base and in a small sample size seems like nothing to panic over. Yes, I think it's clear he's not playable at 3B, but I'd say jury is still out on 1B.

Also, Martorella has not been great? He's got a .476 OPS at Pensacola and is the same age as Jacob Berry. Why is Berry done, and this guy is an option for 2025?

I mean I think I am beating the drum most that Berry has been very good for 2 months now in AA and some new story may be being written right here? I want to see another month though.

Martorella is probably a better fielder and can play LF they say, versus Berry who may be stuck at 1B/DH (with Burger, DLS in front). Also, likely the best split (vs RHP) of the two of them is Marotrella hitting RHP. Martorella has a .192 BABIP right now so I mean, there is that too. He's going to start hitting shortly with that low of an average of in play hits. Whoever wants the job go and get it. I do think fish16 had the right comp here - Martorella is that "classic" rays left handed first baseman that hits righties. I'm expecting that to show up by next summer or so. And I do really really hope Martorella can play a "better than DLC" LF. This is potential log jam of DLS, Martorella, and Berry if they all make it so one of them showing a position (DLS or Berry at 3B? or LF themselves?) would frankly be amazing. I'm not discounting Berry here - he's not 40 man eligible. I was thinking Martorella had to be put on sooner this offseason and that was my oversight.

Free Troy Johnston. Give him the 2 months.

[fish16]

it's going to take me a while to see DLS and not think people are referring to DLC

[fish16]

is there a reason the deadline is on the 30th this year and not the 31st. i know there have been previous years where it was moved because it fell on a weekend, but obviously that doesnt apply this year.

[lou]

To expound on above Nick, I do think this is coming quickly for the bats after S2 deadline next year:

C Ramirez, Banfield/Mack
1B DLS/Burger, Berry/Burger
2B Serna, Edwards
SS _____, Sanoja
3B _____
LF Martorella/DLC
CF _____, Mesa Jr./Sasaki
RF Sanchez

And before anyone freaks out, Edwards is going to find 500+ PA here between covering some OF for Martorella (vs LHP, rougly 60 starts), Serna is right handed so they can split the right handers at 2B (50+ starts) and Serna gets the lefties, and pitches in as a sometimes backup SS (10+ starts). He's just going to be all over getting 120+ starts. Sanoja is a pure backup at SS/CF/late game switches. Serna still gets 100+ starts here. Ease them all in with no over exposure.

They keep Burger and DLC around if those they are with fail and that's it.


So when we're looking at what is coming, it is screaming SS, 3B, and CF and I really like to think Scott gets one, Luzardo/Rogers/SP move gets two, and they sign a third as payroll is gonna be in the mid $60s so my god at least spend $90 Bruce.

[Todd]

I hope they move Alcantra and Luzardo in the offseason for massive hauls.

[Namaste]

Jazz just hit a HR off of Wheeler. The 3rd HR Wheeler has given up in 1.2 innings.

Per the broadcaster, Jazz would have 6 more HRs this year if he played on the Yankees all year. Hence what most of us knew: he commanded a Top 100 prospect

[Nick]

Pencilling Martorella, Berry, Serna and Sasaki into anything is insane.

I do agree, SS/3B/CF need to be the priority in the next couple of trades.

[fish16]

Jazz just hit a HR off of Wheeler. The 3rd HR Wheeler has given up in 1.2 innings.

Per the broadcaster, Jazz would have 6 more HRs this year if he played on the Yankees all year. Hence what most of us knew: he commanded a Top 100 prospect

Except….. they didn’t get one according to ba

[Namaste]

Except….. they didn’t get one according to ba

Except, according to Fangraphs they got the #72 prospect (and a 2nd player who may crack the Top 100 by 2025). Cry and whine harder.

[Todd]

The Nationals got 3 FV40 prospects for Lane Thomas(RHP Alex Clemmey, IF Rafael Ramirez, IF Jose Tena).

If they can get a package that good for Sanchez I'll be over the moon.

[fish16]

Except, according to Fangraphs they got the #72 prospect (and a 2nd player who may crack the Top 100 by 2025). Cry and whine harder.

Who is crying or whining. They are the only site who has him in the top 100. Hopefully he turns out well but he appears to me to be a catcher who is a solid hitter but can’t catch. I was the first guy to bring him up like 3 weeks ago as a target. I like him but his bat needs to turn out really well to provide enough value as a catcher who only plays 110-120 games a year

[fish16]

The Nationals got 3 FV40 prospects for Lane Thomas(RHP Alex Clemmey, IF Rafael Ramirez, IF Jose Tena).

If they can get a package that good for Sanchez I'll be over the moon.

Lane Thomas is better than Sanchez, and Sanchez has more value to us than 3 mediocre prospects would. Not everyone has to be traded just because