2024 Game Thread

[fish16]

i see you guys are doing it with DLC again during a hot streak. He will end up where he always ends up, between .700-.750 OPS, negative defensive and baserunning value. It's who he has been every single year of his career including the minors. When a guy tells you who he is consistently, believe him.

[Nick]

i see you guys are doing it with DLC again during a hot streak. He will end up where he always ends up, between .700-.750 OPS, negative defensive and baserunning value. It's who he has been every single year of his career including the minors. When a guy tells you who he is consistently, believe him.

If he has any sort of trade value deal him, (I don't think he does) but if we're moving forward trying to piece together a lineup with young pieces to pair with our (what should be) awesome rotation, we could do worse with DLC in the DH spot.

[lou]

I don't want to get too excited about Mesa Jr., but if he's still OPS'ing .900+ come June, I could definitely get behind dealing Jazz and letting VMjr. have the reins in CF.

Post-Deadline Lineup:

C - Fortes/Banfield
1B - Burger/Johnton
2B - X. Edwards
3B - Bride/Burger
SS - Brujan/O. Lopez
OF - Sanchez, VM Jr., Dane Myers, Conine
DH - DLC

Maybe you get 4 starters, 4 Bench players from that group?

I'll prognosticate:

Starters - Burger, DLC, Edwards, VM Jr.
Bench - Banfield, Brujan, Lopez, Myers

Then you have to fill 5 starting spots, 2 of which being Catcher and Shortstop, which will be almost impossible. Gotta find a way to get a future starting catcher and future shortstop in these Luzardo, Jazz and Scott trades.

I generally agree with your post deadline lineup with present personnel, but would quib let Pereda see if he belongs before Banfield (which they can also do now and option Fortes down for 6 weeks because he needs to work on his bat for sure and if he sucks, give Banfield Aug/Sep) and Edwards is missing a lot of time so might as well roll with Rivera on the MLB roster so he can get back up to snuff. Rivera's hit profile isn't totally shitty even if he is likely a bench dude. If you option Edwards down for July and August once healthy, get a year of service time and he can be the September roster add for there too. We already know Edwards will be kept on the 40 man so that kind of works against him here you know if there are some try outs going on? I'm fine giving up on Gordon, but maybe he flashes and that's an easy swap for Dane/Conine if need be.

I think you can keep Jazz and VMJR for the long haul too (Jazz 5 year extension shouldn't be off the table even with his warts). Someone can play RF here if VMJR works out and they can look for a longterm RHP OF to work with them (best case scenario Dane, Sasaki, or Garcia of course with present personnel). Sasaki is another one he should get some time as he is 40 man eligible.

I'd project the best possible internal situation here would be something like this:

C ____, Fortes, Banfield, Pereda
1B Burger, ______
2B Edwards, Bride
SS ______, Brujan, Otto
3B ______ (Rivera maybe)
LF_____, DLC (Garcia if he rebounds sigh)
CF Jazz, VMJR, Sasaki
RF Sanchez/Gordon, Dane

=19/40 of 40 man, and Martorella and Marsee not eligible but are 2025 players and coming during the season more than likely

Still needs those 5 bats (if not more as Brujan, Otto, and Bride are OOO here and do all 3 work out even with some good current vibes? Is Sanchez or Gordon an actual keep here?). I have no idea how you get a catcher (and the Rays never value this so I don't think this is coming via a trade), but maybe they will be able to turn Luzardo and Scott into some 3B/OF/SP/RP pieces (and getting more arms means they can trade more arms for the bats needed), and the team payroll will be under $65m in a worst case scenario if Luzardo is moved IMO. That's a pretty low payroll if you only need 4-5 players on your 26 man roster (even if important ones!). They spent low $90m this year for perspective so there is room here if Bruce only greenlights that and not 2023 and beyond money.


Basically, I think trading Jazz is an indication 2026 is being circled. They can make this work in 2025 with a healthy staff and building this around Jazz/Burger/collection of likely positive bench parts and platoon options, but they really can't afford to lose Jazz in particular as the 1 dude who may be an above average starting position player of the lot.

[lou]

If he has any sort of trade value deal him, (I don't think he does) but if we're moving forward trying to piece together a lineup with young pieces to pair with our (what should be) awesome rotation, we could do worse with DLC in the DH spot.

He keeps up that statcast profile another month and he will have solid trade value with 4 years of cheap control. Some team out there will be a believer in a LA increase and the hard hit rates and you only need 1 to tango here. It's a swing for the fence move, which is a perfect way to describe DLC.

That being said, this is like getting two FV45 types so I think the bold is the move absent someone falling in love and giving up a borderline top 100 guy (like D. Head) for him. Or maybe he gets attached to Luzardo and Scott and someone gives up a mega 6 player package for those 3. Like.... Teel, Mayer, Yorke, Meidroth, and 2 throw ins? That solves your C + SS situation, with two 2B/LF types to float around.

[Nick]

Xavier Edwards has nothing left to prove in AAA. Playing service time games is something you do with a sure fire prospect not a guy who desperately needs to prove he’s a major leaguer right now.

[Nick]

I generally agree with your post deadline lineup with present personnel, but would quib let Pereda see if he belongs before Banfield (which they can also do now and option Fortes down for 6 weeks because he needs to work on his bat for sure and if he sucks, give Banfield Aug/Sep) and Edwards is missing a lot of time so might as well roll with Rivera on the MLB roster so he can get back up to snuff. Rivera's hit profile isn't totally shitty even if he is likely a bench dude. If you option Edwards down for July and August once healthy, get a year of service time and he can be the September roster add for there too. We already know Edwards will be kept on the 40 man so that kind of works against him here you know if there are some try outs going on? I'm fine giving up on Gordon, but maybe he flashes and that's an easy swap for Dane/Conine if need be.

I think you can keep Jazz and VMJR for the long haul too (Jazz 5 year extension shouldn't be off the table even with his warts). Someone can play RF here if VMJR works out and they can look for a longterm RHP OF to work with them (best case scenario Dane, Sasaki, or Garcia of course with present personnel). Sasaki is another one he should get some time as he is 40 man eligible.

I'd project the best possible internal situation here would be something like this:

C ____, Fortes, Banfield, Pereda
1B Burger, ______
2B Edwards, Bride
SS ______, Brujan, Otto
3B ______ (Rivera maybe)
LF_____, DLC (Garcia if he rebounds sigh)
CF Jazz, VMJR, Sasaki
RF Sanchez/Gordon, Dane

=19/40 of 40 man, and Martorella and Marsee not eligible but are 2025 players and coming during the season more than likely

Still needs those 5 bats (if not more as Brujan, Otto, and Bride are OOO here and do all 3 work out even with some good current vibes? Is Sanchez or Gordon an actual keep here?). I have no idea how you get a catcher (and the Rays never value this so I don't think this is coming via a trade), but maybe they will be able to turn Luzardo and Scott into some 3B/OF/SP/RP pieces (and getting more arms means they can trade more arms for the bats needed), and the team payroll will be under $65m in a worst case scenario if Luzardo is moved IMO. That's a pretty low payroll if you only need 4-5 players on your 26 man roster (even if important ones!). They spent low $90m this year for perspective so there is room here if Bruce only greenlights that and not 2023 and beyond money.


Basically, I think trading Jazz is an indication 2026 is being circled. They can make this work in 2025 with a healthy staff and building this around Jazz/Burger/collection of likely positive bench parts and platoon options, but they really can't afford to lose Jazz in particular as the 1 dude who may be an above average starting position player of the lot.

I forgot about Gordon honestly, but I'm not seeing it so far from him. The power has been a nice surprise, but he's been terrible defensively and not hitting for average/OBP. He's going to get plenty of playing time leading up to the deadline I'm sure, but he's got to take a tremendous leap in that time for me to think he's a viable piece going forward.

[Nick]

And I'm just kind of over Jazz. I don't see him improving, he's not a good enough player to overlook his attitude/arrogance.

[Todd]

There is no year being circled, Lou.

[lou]

Xavier Edwards has nothing left to prove in AAA. Playing service time games is something you do with a sure fire prospect not a guy who desperately needs to prove he’s a major leaguer right now.

He's going to have not played baseball for months. Pretty difficult assignment to just throw him on the MLB roster all of a sudden. Regardless of any service time, he's going to need to get back into real game shape here. Who knows

[lou]

And I'm just kind of over Jazz. I don't see him improving, he's not a good enough player to overlook his attitude/arrogance.

He's a really good player. Would need a very big return to move him IMO. He's better, cheaper, and has more control than Arraez. He is easily $40-60m in surplus value depending on healthy he is. Basically impossible to move him absent a really really good FV50/55 type.

It's too bad the Royals don't have a singular better prospect because he's perfect for them. They just have some FV45s and 40+. They have their 1st rounder (8th overall) last year Blake Mitchell. High school catcher a few years away. He is probably considered a borderline top 100 guy soon but I still have Skipwroth PTSD for high school catchers. They have what looks like a solid FV45 type with Cayden Wallace (3B, likely moves to LF/RF but he is right handed!) and a half dozen FV45/40+ arms including some former 1st rounders (Mozzicato). Just hypothetically with KC, they'd need four of those guys including the best two (Wallace, Mitchell) and then make it a dump and they eat a chunk of Garcia. And then it doesn't make sense unless they reinvest the money (yes I know, I know I know). Maybe Mitchell though is a real prize. Who knows. But that's a 2027 player like Head.

Lux and Outman are also really struggling, maybe the Dodgers are a spot as they have catchers to burn (Rushing, Cartaya) and could frankly move Lux and an arm (get say Kyle Hurt back who they traded in Vesia deal, who is a top 100 prospect in his own right now). Lux, Cartaya, Hurt, and a fringe RHP RP in a year throw-in for say Jazz, Scott, and throw them a further away prospect who is half decent back is really interesting both ways. Jazz can play 2B/LF/CF for them. Win now moves. He'd be so awesome there even if that is asking them a lot to trade. If this happened Luzardo can solve 3B from someone in the league (Brooks Lee? Coby Mayo?), free agency (Adames!) solves SS, and since you got Hurt, you can move one of Cabrera/Garrett/Rogers/Max for another bat. Maybe figuring out getting a threesome for Jazz from the Dodgers is one of the better moves here as it would open some things up. Anyways.

[lou]

There is no year being circled, Lou.

Not yet but we'll know soon when we see who is traded and how far away the returns are. Frankly, this was always the plan they just traded Arraez 2 months earlier than expected.

[Nick]

He's going to have not played baseball for months. Pretty difficult assignment to just throw him on the MLB roster all of a sudden. Regardless of any service time, he's going to need to get back into real game shape here. Who knows

That’s called a rehab assignment.

[Namaste]

There is no year being circled, Lou.

Keep telling yourself that, Todd.

They may want to suck for the rest of this year (so they can get boned in the lottery like we all know they will) but they don't want to suck for eternity. They're well aware that this bandwagon town will come out for a winner.

[Nick]

Nobody wants to suck. Some teams will do what it takes to win. Some won’t.

[Namaste]

Nobody wants to suck. Some teams will do what it takes to win. Some won’t.

It's not like the Marlins have never done what it takes to win. They did it in 1997, 2003 and 2023. I won't count 2004 and 2020 because my memory is hazy but I believe they put some pieces in play to try to win.

They had a terrible off season this year because the owner is a broke dick fuk (in pro ownership speak).

But they absolutely have a year circled. It sure as shit isn't this year after their off season and Eury/Brax's injury.

But 2025, 2026 (most likely) or 2027 is circled and we are going up, up and away (I couldn't resist) after this disaster of a season that hopefully by some miracle produces a #1 or #2 draft pick.