Welcome back to year twelve of the Alabama Slammers Franchise Report! Here are the links to the previous versions if you want to catch up (
2021,
2022,
2023,
2024,
2025,
2026,
2027,
2028,
2029,
2030,
2031). Go ahead and grab some popcorn, this is a long one.
We had
another great season last year, followed by another disappointing
playoff exit. I like where the franchise is at though. We have
great fan interest/loyalty, talent at every level of the organization, and no bad contracts. We’re probably going to have to part with a few key contributors this offseason, but that’s bound to happen when you have as much talent as we do. With a few smart moves, we should push closer to a title this year.
As with the previous versions, I’ll list the moves I made, the rationale behind those moves, the season results, and the future outlook.
Here are the
salaries heading into the offseason.
\Unless stated otherwise, all players were re-signed to their one-year arbitration estimate*
Departures (non-trades): Edwin Aguirre Aguirre spent some time in the majors last year when Romo was injured but wasn’t needed this season. He’s entering minor league free agency, and I don’t think he’s worth keeping on the 40-man, so he probably won’t be back.
Josh Berkner Berkner got three shots in the majors and didn’t do much with his opportunities, so I decided to give someone else a chance. He spent the year in AAA.
Tim Mehler Mehler is great defensively but just can’t cut it at the plate. He was out of options, so I let him leave as a free agent. He signed a minor league deal with the Rockies.
Move #1: Signed
Ali Sanchez to a
2/$3m extension. The second year is a team option with a $500k buyout.
This move isn’t very exciting, but don’t worry, things will heat up below.
Move #2: Slammers Receive:
Luis Godoy, $6.4m Cash
Brewers Receive:
Robby Teeter,
Sean Whiteman This move kills three birds with one stone. I cashed out on Teeter while his value was still high, cleared some of the starting pitcher logjam, and added an elite power hitter. Also, the departure of Teeter allows us the ability to build a more versatile roster, which is something I’ve wanted to do for a while.
The Brewers are winning this trade from a straight value perspective, but I’m no longer in the business of trying to win trades. I’m trying to win championships. You can collect all the assets and value contracts in the world, but at the end of the day, you need top end talent to win at the highest level – and Godoy provides that. He has questionable character, but I should have enough leadership to counter his selfish ways.
Move #3: Slammers Receive:
Edgar Sanchez,
Bryn Hill,
Caleb Gunther,
Omar Taborda,
Tim Brackman Athletics Receive:
Chris West West might have more potential than any pitcher in the league, but I felt the opportunity to acquire Sanchez was too great to pass up. He’s an elite defender, above average offensively, has durable injury proneness, and has great character. He could anchor the middle of my infield for the next ten years. West might win the next five Cy Youngs, but I’m betting against that considering his low work ethic and the general injury proneness of pitchers.
Then to make the deal even better, the Athletics threw in an assortment of high character minor leaguers. There might not be a single player in the bunch that makes the majors, but they’ll at least help provide a better environment for other guys.
Move #4: Slammers Receive:
Bob Banks, $3m Cash
Angels Receive:
Fernando Tatis Jr. Why am I getting rid of Tatis for a low-level minor leaguer with a 5% chance of making the majors? You’ll find out when you get to move number six.
The Angels signed Tatis to a 5/$237.5m extension about a week after the trade. I don’t see any way that deal ends well for them.
Move #5: Slammers Receive:
Alan McCarter Rays Receive:
Josh Epps, $1.1m Cash
At surface level, this trade doesn’t make much sense either, but I needed to clear Epps $10m arbitration estimate for next season. I think Epps is what he is at this point and I’m really not that worried about losing him. MacCarter is a good reliever and replaces Epps as the team prankster.
Move #6: Signed free agent
Willie Vega to a
7/$190m deal. The last year is a team option with a $2m buyout.
This is the driving force behind moves five and six. I fully intended to move on from Vega at the start of the offseason, but after looking at my roster at the start of free agency, I decided he was irreplaceable. He provides gold glove defense, above average offense, and hits from the left side of the plate, which makes balancing lineups much easier. I could’ve had him for much cheaper if I decided to commit last year but this is the price of my indecision.
His deal is heavily front loaded and should be movable if things don’t go well later in the contract.
Move #7 (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3): Slammers Receive: $13.7m Cash
Slammers Lose:
Joe Stadler,
Randy Macke,
Nesty Luna Nothing much to see here, just your annual “prospects for cash” trades. Macke is a solid player but was rule 5 eligible and I didn’t want to waste a 40-man roster spot on him.
Move #8: Slammers Receive: $1m Cash
Dodgers Receive:
Cooper Benson,
Sam Lauderdale,
Kade Grundy This is just a salary dump. I have enough depth now there’s really no point in keeping Benson and Lauderdale around. I threw in Grundy to get some extra cash.
Final Financial Situation: We have about $27m in budget room to start the year, so should be able to finish the season in the green, but I’ll probably trade a few more prospects to get closer to completing the
owner goal of finishing with a balance of $20m. I’m also boosting ticket prices from $35 to $40, so that should help as well.
Here are the
salaries heading into the season.
Season Outlook: I’m very interested to see how this season turns out. We’ve been cruising along the past 2-3 years with the same core roster but really shook things up this offseason. I think these moves put us in a better position to win now and in the future, but there’s always the concern I’m just making moves out of boredom. Here are the five things I’m most curious about heading into the season:
1.) Can Vega provide close to what he’s provided the past few years? I didn’t give him that contract in anticipation of him becoming the next Barry Bonds, I just want him to keep doing what he’s doing. If he can do that for another three years, I’ll be happy.
2.) Is
MacDonald really a top of the line starting pitcher? He was the best reliever in the league last year and his trade value is sky high. Every team I traded with this offseason valued him as my second-best asset after Chris West. His overall rating is really good, but I’m concerned about his lack of stuff and questionable stamina/hold runners combo.
3.) How does the offense perform after losing our 3-4 hitters from last season? I know I replaced one of them with Godoy, but players tend to struggle when first joining a new team, and we don’t have a second premier middle of the order bat. We’ll mostly be doing an offense by committee approach.
4.) Can
Hines handle a full-time starting role? With the departure of Tatis, I’m moving Bernal to third base and starting Hines at first. He’s not a traditional first baseman but he played well last year and has an efficient ratings profile. I’ll be happy if he provides league average offense.
5.) How will the
Hopper/
Muntner DH platoon fare? Hopper should be an elite leadoff man
vs. RHP and Muntner should be solid
vs. LHP. I’m hoping Hopper can play a full season if he doesn’t have to play in the field.
If things go well, we should win another 100+ games and make a strong push at a title.
Batters: Primary Lineup vs. RHP and vs. LHP when Healthy (\DH enabled in both leagues, lineup vs. RHP listed below)*
DH –
Jeff Hopper Other than a day-to-day injury to end the year, Hopper stayed healthy the entire season and played really well. He had an OBP of .370 and provided exactly what I wanted from the leadoff spot. He should be back in the same role next year.
3B –
Ernesto Bernal I forgot to mention above, but Bernal signed a 5/$110m in the offseason. He’s an all-star, has high character, durable injury proneness, and is in the prime of his career, so it made a lot of sense to bring him back at this price. He’s been with the organization for ten years and it would be really cool to have him around for ten more.
He moved from first to third base this season and made his third all-star team.
RF –
Luis Godoy Godoy didn’t have the type of year I expected but was still really good. He was an all-star starter and put up 5.1 WAR in just 128 games. I expect him to be much better next season after having a full year to adjust to his new team.
He missed the last month of the year with a sprained thumb, but he should be fine going forward.
LF –
Marcus Flakes Flakes isn’t the second middle of the order bat I dreamed about as a kid, but he did well in the role, hitting 41 home runs and driving in 101 runs. He still has one more year on a minimum scale deal, so he’ll definitely return.
SS –
Willie Vega Willie Vega: The Fifty Million Dollar Man – That doesn’t really sound appropriate for a guy with 4.6 WAR, but I’m actually very happy with what he did. Him and Sanchez formed an unreal middle infield defensive combo, which resulted in
this (major spoilers for the pitcher section).
We’re not out of the woods yet with his contract but I think we’ll be good if he performs well again next year. At the end of next season, he’ll only have 4/$87m guaranteed remaining, which should be moveable if need be.
2B –
Edgar Sanchez I didn’t realize how much Epps was holding us back defensively until Sanchez came to town. He won his third gold glove and was a huge part of the reason we had a team ERA under 3. His offense was average, but I could see that getting much better the next few seasons.
1B –
Jonathan Hines I was hoping Hines would be a league average hitter, and he fell just short of that. I’ll upgrade in the offseason if the right player is available but I’m not going to break the bank. Not every player has to be an all-star.
CF –
Joey Hudson Hudson had a great year and is really starting to establish himself as one of the better center fielders in the league. He probably deserves to bat higher in the order next season, but I might wait for his baserunning to improve just a bit more.
C –
Drew Romo It’s been a long time coming, but Romo finally won his first gold glove. He’s been the best defensive catcher in the game for a while, but I don’t play my guys enough to easily rack up awards. I’d rather have them available for the playoffs.
He’s an upcoming free agent and his offense is falling off a cliff, but I’m probably going to bring him back. If things go poorly, I’ll replace him midseason.
Bench C –
Ali Sanchez I don’t expect much from my backup catcher, and Sanchez doesn’t provide much, so I guess everyone was happy with the way his season turned out. I think I’m going to decline his team option and go with the guy that replaced him while he was injured.
IF –
Manny Monzon Monzon keeps the middle infield defense elite while the starters rest but doesn’t do much on offense. I might give someone else a shot next year.
OF –
Josh Muntner Muntner served as the primary DH vs. LHP and backed up left and right field against RHPs. He started in 99 games and really didn’t do much with his opportunity, so I guess I was one for two with my DH platoon experiment.
Replacements C –
Danny Wells Wells filled in for six weeks when Sanchez was injured and didn’t do much worse than the vet. I’m probably going to let him have the backup catcher role next season.
OF –
Mike Startzel Startzel played well last year but I decided to replace him with a right-handed bat. He was called up when Godoy was injured and started the last month of the year in right field.
Pitchers: Pitching Staff when Healthy SP –
Pat Dibartolo Dibartolo had another great year, making his third all-star team and finishing fourth in the Cy Young voting. I would love to keep him around until he retires but his ratings have started to slip slightly, and I don’t think he’ll last too long into his thirties. I’ll bring him back for his last arbitration season, then let him walk as a free agent.
SP –
Gilles Palacios Palacios has come a long way since I traded for him in
2028. He was the all-star game starter and won his first Cy Young. I’ll look to sign him long-term in the offseason.
SP –
Corey MacDonald I wasn’t sure if MacDonald was good enough to be a top-of-the-line starter, but there’s no doubt about it now – he’s one of the top pitchers in baseball. He made his second all-star game, threw two complete game shutouts, won the pitcher of the month award in June, won the gold glove award, and finished third in the Cy Young voting. With his high character and durability, he should be a good player for a long time.
SP –
Josh Sheppard Sheppard was the fourth member of our golden pitcher quartet. He made the all-star game and finished second in the Cy Young voting.
SP –
Jonathan Kelsey Kelsey was decent but I had to demote him in June to make room for my number one prospect. He was called back up when rosters expanded and we went to a six-man rotation.
RP –
Chris Ryan I mentioned a few years ago that pitchers with Ryan’s profile never seem to reach their potential and it seems like Ryan has followed suit. He’s a solid player but nowhere near as good as his 70 potential suggested a few years back.
RP –
Steve Bacon Bacon really didn’t pitch enough to properly evaluate. We’ll probably go to an eight-man bullpen next season, and if Bacon is a member of it, we can properly evaluate him then.
RP –
Alan McCarter McCarter was really good and looks like he has the potential to be even better. Hopefully, his control rounds out next season.
RP –
Danny Ibarra Ibarra finally gave up his dream of being a starter and accepted his role in the bullpen. He posted almost identical stats as last year and I hope he does the same next season.
RP –
Justus Evans I wasn’t a big fan of Evans ratings profile but decided to give him a shot since he dominated in AAA last year. He was pretty underwhelming in limited appearances, and probably deserves another look, but he’ll be changing positions next season. Somehow, I didn’t notice he has great
batting ratings, especially against lefties, so he’ll be the other half of the DH platoon I’ve been looking for. It’s too bad I disabled two-way players because it’d be nice to have him available as a pitcher in emergencies.
RP –
Mike Ruhs Ruhs is nothing special but he’s cheap and healthy, so he’ll be back next year.
RP –
Joe McKinney McKinney is my favorite kind of reliever. He has all the ratings of an elite starting pitcher, minus the stamina. He dominated for the second straight season and will be back again next year.
RP –
Tommy Noonan Noonan had an FIP of 1.98 and made his first all-star team, but somehow received zero reliever of the year votes. I really don’t see how this is possible since he’s probably the most feared pitcher in all of baseball. He strikes out half the batters he faces, and 60% of those that put the ball in play are hitting it on the ground to the Vega/Sanchez death wall. The voters need to show him some more respect next year.
RP –
Glen Alcorn I took a flier on Alcorn despite his history of back injuries and he’s paid off in a big way. He had an FIP of 1.86 and won the reliever of the year award. He wants to be a starter but there’s no way he’d survive a full season with his health issues.
Replacements SP –
Andy Schaffer Schaffer was whitewashing AA early in the year, so I had no choice but to call him up. He pitched great in his 21 starts in the majors and might’ve given me a clean top five in the Cy Young voting if he pitched a full season.
Season Results: We continued to put a stranglehold on the division, building a 20-game lead by the halfway point, then cruising the rest of the way. We locked up
first place with 22 games remaining, making that our seventh division crown in nine years.
This year wasn’t about the regular season though. We’ve had multiple disappointing early round playoff exits the last few years and I’m hoping to break through and win our second title. We doubled down on pitching and defense and made sure to keep everyone as fresh as possible during the regular season.
Our injury prevention plan went great for the most part. We had zero pitchers and only two batters spend time on the IL, and one of those batters was a 34-year-old. Unfortunately, one of the batters to miss extended time was the one guy I could least afford to lose. Luis Godoy sprained his thumb in early September and was out through the first round of the playoffs. What luck.
Startzel started at RF in place of Godoy to start the playoffs, and Hudson moved up to the number three spot in the lineup. I’m not crazy about either of these options, but it’s the best we’ve got. We went with a playoff rotation of MacDonald, Palacios, Dibartolo, and Schaffer, and moved Sheppard and Kelsey to the bullpen. Justus and Bacon were left off the playoff roster.
Our first-round matchup was against the 90-72
Rockies. Their only real player of note was
Steve Delaney, but he looks like the kind of guy that can swing a series. Then their offense was balanced and deep, with most players having 55+ home run power. We have more talent, but anything can happen at Coors..
Divisional Series Game 1, Slammers Win 4-2 – We started off strong in game one, getting a combined 15 Ks over nine innings from MacDonald, Noonan, and Alcorn. Then Flakes led the way on offense with 3 RBIs. The game was tied most of the way until his go ahead single in the bottom of the eighth.
Divisional Series Game 2, Slammers Win 9-2 – The pitching staff put together another great outing in game two, with Palacios, Alcorn, and Sheppard combining for 15 Ks over nine innings. Flakes led the way on offense with another 3 RBIs.
Divisional Series Game 3, Slammers Win 5-2 – I was worried their offense would come to life at Coors but we were able to keep them at bay and win our third straight game. This time it was Dibartolo, Noonan, and McKinney combining for a dominant pitching performance, with 13 Ks over nine innings. Everyone chipped in on offense to produce five runs.
Divisional Series Game 4, Rockies Win 8-7 (12) – I knew it was bound to happen at some point and it finally did – the Rockies offense came to life. Alcorn and McKinney both blew save opportunities and Ibarra gave up a walk-off homer in the bottom of the twelfth. Flakes continued his hot series with another 4 RBIs.
Divisional Series Game 5, Rockies Win 5-1 – The Rockies continued their offensive surge, taking MacDonald deep three times in four innings. Then Delaney gave them six innings of one run ball. The Rockies have momentum but we’re heading back home with the Cy Young winner scheduled to start game six. I think we’ll be fine.
Divisional Series Game 6, Slammers Win 8-2 – Palacios gave up a two-run shot in the first, then him, Ryan, and Kelsey combined for 13 Ks and 0 ER the rest of the way. Flakes was hot again, launching two three-run homers.
I was worried our offense would stall out without Godoy, but Flakes put the team on his back, winning series MVP behind his 5 home runs and 17 RBIs. We held serve at home and stole one on the road, with our pitching dominating in each of the wins. Godoy is set to return for game one of the NLCS, so I like our odds the rest of the way.
Our next opponent is the 100-62
Nationals. They have the second-best record in baseball and a very talented team. Their offense is led by MVP
Doug Bridges and future hall of famer
Juan Soto, and the pitching staff features stud starters
Clay McAuley and
Fabricio Tertlio. This looks like the de facto title series.
NLCS Game 1, Slammers Win 7-3 – Godoy made up for lost time in game one, going 3-5 with two homers and 4 RBIs. Then the pitching was solid with great performances from the usual suspects. Dibartolo, Noonan, and Alcorn combined for 11 Ks and 3 ERs over nine innings.
NLCS Game 2, Slammers Win 3-1 – Schaffer pitched a gem, giving us seven innings and only allowing one run. Then McKinney came in and closed it down with a two inning save. Godoy hit another homer, while Romo and Hines both had run scoring singles.
NLCS Game 3, Slammers Win 3-2 (14) – Whew, what a game. MacDonald and McAuley both went 6.1 innings and gave up two runs, with the last of those coming in the bottom of the seventh. Then no one scored again until the top of the fourteenth when Sanchez hit a go-ahead solo homer. Noonan, Alcorn, McKinney, and Ibarra combined for 7.2 scoreless innings in relief and Godoy hit another two-run homer.
NLCS Game 4, Slammers Win 7-2 – This one was over early. We knocked out their starter in the first and cruised the rest of the way. Palacios and Sheppard combined for 9 innings and 2 ERs, and everyone chipped in on offense.
We made a huge statement with this series. The Nationals thought they were on the same level as us, but we eviscerated them. Godoy won series MVP with his four home runs and eight RBIs.
Up next is the 93-69
Red Sox, led by veteran starting pitcher
Nate Pearson. They have a deep and balanced team, but nothing that should give us too many issues. We made a key trade with them last year that netted us Alcorn and Ibarra, while sending out
Chang-Hyeok Kim. I bet they wish they could undo that one.
World Series Game 1, Slammers Win 3-2 – Game one was a pitching duel between Pearson and Dibartolo, with Dibartolo coming out on top. Dibartolo, Noonan, and Alcorn combined for 14 Ks and 2 ERs over nine innings. Hopper hit a two-run home run and Godoy continued his hot streak with another solo shot.
World Series Game 2, Slammers Win 6-2 – The pitching came through again with Schaffer, McKinney, and Ruhs combing for 10 Ks and 2 ERs in nine innings. Things are looking good after two games.
World Series Game 3, Red Sox Win 10-8 – Some people say a series doesn’t start until the road team wins a game, so maybe we’re still waiting for this one to kick off. The Red Sox roughed up our pitchers and we lost a shootout late.
World Series Game 4, Slammers Win 7-2 – The pitching got back on track in game four with Palacios and Ryan teaming up to allow 2 ERs over nine innings. Flakes had four hits and Bernal drove in three runs.
World Series Game 5, Red Sox Win 7-5 – Godoy had a huge game, going 3-3 with 2 home runs, a triple, 2 walks, 4 RBIs, and 2 runs scored, but it wasn’t enough for the victory. The Red Sox got to Dibartolo early and we could never climb back. We’re heading back home and looking to close out the series in game six.
World Series Game 6, Slammers Win 11-4 – We scored early and often and took game six in convincing fashion. Godoy provided another 3 RBIs and Schaffer did enough to win. Noonan and Kelsey closed out the last three innings.
After five long years we’re World Series champs once again! Godoy had another huge series and won World Series MVP, capping off an
amazing postseason run (seriously, check this out).
This wasn’t as action packed as our 2027 title run, but I enjoyed it just as much. It was very satisfying watching our pitching and defense squeeze the life out of teams. We had a team ERA of 3.32 over 16 games, which is pretty impressive considering we were playing the best teams in the league. The starters were all excellent and the bullpen was lights out. I bet other teams got tired of seeing “Slammers SP – 6.2 IP, 2 ER; Slammers RP 1 – 1.1 IP, 0 ER, Slammers RP 2 – 1 IP 0 ER.” It was like clockwork.
Noonan, Alcorn, and McKinney were particularly impressive.
Noonan had an FIP of 0.62 in seven appearances and struck out 23 of the 43 batters he faced.
McKinney had an FIP of 0.95 in 9.2 innings and only allowed 6 baserunners. Then
Alcorn allowed zero runs in five of his seven appearances. I don’t think I would swap these guys for any other relievers in the league.
From everything I’ve written above, it’s pretty obvious that we won this championship with pitching and defense, so I think it’s worth mentioning Vega’s contract again. $50m for 4.6 WAR is terrible value but it’s not always about that. It’s about getting the right players for your team, regardless of how valuable their contracts are. It’s really easy to get caught up in trying to win the $/WAR game, but they don’t give out championships for that – they only give out World Series titles.
Here are the rest of the
playoff results and
MLB standings.
Also, I usually don’t mention
minor league records since I don’t think they’re overly important, but we had all of our minor league teams finish with a winning record this season. Good job everyone!
Top Prospects: We’ve turned in to a starting pitching factory. I can’t get guys to free agency quick enough to make room for the new guys coming up. This is a good problem to have, but I wish I could do as well with developing batters. It just seems so much harder to identify top position players outside of the top ten in the draft, and I can’t develop them as well either. Either way though, the farm is in great shape and should continue to be for years to come.
1.)
Eddie Copping Copping might not have the highest upside on the list but he’s the safest bet to make the majors. He had a great year in AA, winning pitcher of the year, and his ratings are pretty much major league ready. He’ll probably start next year at AAA since I have a logjam of starting pitchers.
2.)
Chris Dearborn Dearborn has great character, durability, and ratings across the board. He had a good year in A- and will contend for Cy Young awards one day if he reaches his full potential.
3.)
Alex Rivera Rivera’s offensive potential has regressed since
last year, but his defensive ratings improved. He struggled in A, so will repeat the level next year. Hopefully, I didn’t cause any permanent damage to his development by promoting him too early.
4.)
Jose Gutierrez Gutierrez had a monster year in rookie ball and saw his ratings progress nicely since
last season. If his catcher ability can make it to 65-70, he’ll be my starting catcher one day.
5.)
Chris Brown Brown was my first-round selection in this year’s draft. He has below average stamina and hold runners, but all of his other potential ratings are elite. He performed well in rookie ball, but I might give him another year there to improve his control.
6.)
Chris Larkin Larkin continued his steady ascent through the system, posting a good year in A+ and seeing his ratings improve since
last season. He’ll start next year in AA and should be ready for the majors sooner than later.
7.)
Edwin Mireles Mireles had a solid year in A+ but missed a lot of time to injury. He’ll start next season in AA, but I won’t hesitate to trade him if the right deal comes along.
Here are his ratings from
last season.
8.)
Bobby Butler I still don’t trust Butler and his normal injury proneness, but his talent is undeniable. His ratings have improved across the board since
last season and he looks ready for promotion to AA. Like Mireles, I’ll trade him if the right deal comes along.
9.)
Luis Arguello If you’ve been paying close attention, you might’ve noticed Arguello is the fourth starting pitcher in the top nine from the 2030 draft. He doesn’t have the same upside as the other guys but he’s a pretty safe bet to be a back of the rotation starter, and if his movement improves, he could be elite. He’ll start next season at A+.
10.)
Josh McBride McBride’s skills have rounded out since
last year and he looks ready for the majors. I doubt he’ll ever be a star, but there’s definitely value in a guy that can competently play eight positions.
Honorable mentions: Joe Poffenberger Poffenberger looks like the real deal but I’m always skeptical of guys with normal injury proneness and no positive character attributes. He’ll start next season at A, and we’ll find out more about him there.
Omar Taborda I would’ve been foaming at the mouth to get Taborda in the starting lineup a few years ago but Vega and Sanchez have the middle infield on lock for the next several seasons. He might replace Monzon as the utility infielder next year, but it probably makes more sense to trade him while his value is highest.
Steve Flores Flores made the list
two years ago due to a lack of better options, but I think he’s a legitimate prospect now. He might not ever bat his weight, but he could be one of the greatest defensive shortstops of all time. I’m hoping his high character allows his offensive skills to improve the next few years.
Ray Zaragoza I had every intention of trading Zaragoza after his season ending injury
last year but there really wasn’t much interest in him. Unfortunately, he suffered another season ending injury in his first game back this year, so I doubt there will be any more interest in him now. I think I’m going to force start him as a reliever so he has a chance to make the majors in some capacity.
Promoted to MLB: Andy Schaffer Dropped from list: Josh Boston So, a low character guy is fizzling out, guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. Here are his ratings from
last year.
Future Outlook: We’re in amazing position going forward. We just won the World Series, have the top four Cy Young award vote getters, have the ability to bring back everyone, and could probably even bring in another MVP caliber player. Then for good measure, we also have a great farm system. The rest of division is looking up in awe.
So, where do we go from here? It’s really fun racking up championships but it can get kind of boring after a while. I know I don’t have enough titles to be complaining about boredom yet, but we look like we’re trending in that direction. I’m thinking about making some league wide adjustments to shake things up. Here are the changes I’m considering this offseason:
1.) Re-align the Divisions
I loved the rivalry with the Braves when I first started the franchise, but we’ve kind of got our foot on their necks at the moment, and I don’t see them getting back up anytime soon. We’ve established such a strong position in the division it’s almost impossible for them to make the playoffs, and with every passing year their fan interest/loyalty gets worse and the gap between us and them only grows larger. The Cardinals are in a similar situation, and the Marlins might as well be a minor league team.
I’m thinking about re-aligning the divisions based on winning percentages from the last twelve years, putting the top four teams in one division, the next four teams in another, and so on. This would give teams like the Marlins a chance to make the playoffs and make it where teams like ours can’t put a long-term strangle hold on a division. I could re-align every ten years or so to make sure no one gets too strong of a position.
2.) Expand the Playoffs
This is the simplest change I could make but the one I like least. We currently have 32 teams in the league and eight of them make the playoffs, so it really feels like an accomplishment to make it and the playoff bracket sets up perfectly. If we added two wildcards to each division, we’d need to give two teams in each conference a bye, which isn’t somethings I’m crazy about doing. Then if we added four wildcards, or let the top two from each division qualify, it would really diminish the regular season. I seriously doubt I go this route.
3.) Eliminate Divisions
This is an appealing option, but I’ve had issues with it in the past. Basically, it becomes too easy to make the playoffs because you don’t have to worry about a juggernaut appearing in your division. If there’s a 110-win team in the league, who cares, you’ll still make the playoffs with 100 wins, so you can really let off the gas during the regular season. I might give it another try though.
4.) Expand the League
This is mostly a temporary solution, but it could make things more difficult in the short term. I have way too many players to protect in an expansion draft, so would definitely lose some depth. I might do this along with re-alignment, but it’s not a permanent balancing solution.
5.) Add Promotion and Relegation
I think this is the best route to giving everyone a chance at winning but it would require some pretty radical changes to the league. Here are some of the things I would have to figure out: Who starts out in the lower league? Do I introduce expansion teams at the same time? How many teams make the playoffs? How many teams are promoted/relegated each year? How do I do the financials? Then there are probably another thirty things I haven’t thought of yet. This is probably what I should do, but I don’t know if I’m ready to make that leap yet.
Here is the
budget and
salaries heading into the offseason.
submitted by Welcome back to year eleven of the Alabama Slammers Franchise Report! Here are the links to the previous versions if you want to catch up (
2021,
2022,
2023,
2024,
2025,
2026,
2027,
2028,
2029,
2030).
The Slammers just wrapped up their
first decade of existence and are starting to establish themselves as a top franchise. We had our
best regular season in franchise history last year and should bring back most of the team this season, so I anticipate another strong run.
As with the previous versions, I’ll list the moves I made, the rationale behind those moves, the season results, and the future outlook.
Here are the
salaries heading into the offseason.
\Unless stated otherwise, all players were re-signed to their one-year arbitration estimate*
Departures (non-trades): Taylor Guilbeau It looks like I was right to decline Guilbeau’s team option. He spent the year in AA and retired at the end.
Ludwin Jimenez Jimenez was a pretty disappointing free agent signing. He bounced back and forth between the majors and minors and never really did anything of note. He was still arbitration eligible, but I withdrew his offer.
Connor Jones I declined Jones team option and he signed a minor league deal with Pittsburgh. He retired after the season.
Jeisson Rosario Rosario had been with the franchise since day one, but I decided to let him leave in free agency. He played well this year but was never given an opportunity to be a full-time starter.
Oscar Trevino Trevino is still with the organization but spent the year in the minors. He probably won’t get another shot unless we have a lot of injuries.
Move #1: Hired a
new scout.
I upgrade my scout anytime I can, even if it’s an incremental upgrade. Fortunately, my assistant GM’s contract was expiring, so I was able to move my
old scout there.
Move #2: Slammers Receive:
Danny Ibarra,
Glen Alcorn, $1.9m Cash
Red Sox Receive:
Chang-hyeok Kim,
Ramon Gallardo This is pretty much two separate trades: Ibarra for Kim, and Alcorn for Gallardo. Kim is better than Ibarra at the moment, but I don’t think that will be the case in two years. Factor in the contract, and this is an easy decision. Then the Alcorn and Gallardo part is a challenge trade of fragile pitchers. Alcorn’s
history of back injuries is frightening but I’m more willing to take a risk on a fragile reliever than a starter, and Gallardo probably wouldn’t even cut it in the majors if healthy.
Move #3 (
Part 1,
Part 2,
Part 3):
Slammers Receive: $23m Cash
Slammers Lose:
Mike Marrone,
Jose Vela,
Bobby Batres Money is getting tight, and the owner expects to have an ending balance of $20m at the end of the year, so I decided to sell off some prospects. I don’t think any of these guys have an MLB future.
Move #4: Slammers Receive:
Jonathan Kelsey, $700k Cash
Nationals Receive:
Hunter Mink,
Rawley Hector,
Sam Bianco I really don’t like this deal, but I had to clear some salary, and we have a logjam of starting pitchers. Kelsey has the potential to be really good but probably needs another year of seasoning at AAA. He’ll be available as an injury replacement and could get called up when rosters expand.
Move #5: Slammers Receive:
Jeff Hopper,
Marcus Flakes Yankees Receive:
Josh Langdon,
Dan Brown,
Adrian Arreola,
Joan Baez I think this is going to go down as the best trade I ever make. Hopper looks like an elite leadoff man and Flakes is a switch-hitting smasher with great character and durability. I could see them combing for 8 WAR this season. They’re both rookies, so I’ll have them for many years.
As for what I’m giving up, I don’t think any of these players have an MLB future. Langdon and Arreola’s trade values were sky high around the league, so maybe the AI GMs know something I don’t, but I’m not too concerned about giving up fragile and low character players.
Move #6: Slammers Receive:
Steve Bacon, $2m Cash
Rockies Receive:
Sean Neuendorf The Rockies are getting the better player in the deal, but I wanted to move Neuendorf before his arm fell off. Bacon should be a solid reliever in a year or two.
Move #7: Signed free agent
Drew Romo to a
2/$10m deal. The second year is a team option with a $1m buyout.
Romo is the best defender in the game, so I gave him what he wanted in free agency. I probably could have gotten him cheaper but he’s the most irreplaceable player on the roster.
Final Financial Situation: We have about $40m in budget room to start the year, so can do pretty much anything we want, but I’m going to try to keep enough space to complete the owner goal of having a final balance of $20m+.
Here are the
salaries heading into the season.
Season Outlook: I think this is the best team I’ve built yet. The pitching and defense should be excellent as usual, and I think the offense will really take off. We have two high OBP guys at the top, an all-world hitter in the three hole, two big boppers in the four and five spots, then solid guys to round out the rest of the lineup. We should have one of the better offenses in the league.
We’re also changing from a nine to an eight-man bullpen. The rotation is really good, so they should soak up more innings than previous seasons, and the bullpen is mostly full of durable players.
If things go right, I think we can have another 100+ win season and make a strong run at a title.
Move #8: Slammers Receive:
Alex Rivera Indians Receive:
Andrew McGee I love this trade. McGee’s health scares me, so he was getting traded no matter what, but I didn’t expect to get a player this good in return. Rivera is the total package: good defense, good offense, great character, great baserunning, durable injury proneness, and a switch-hitter. If Rivera’s potential is real, and he stay’s healthy, he’ll be a 6 WAR player one day.
Batters: Primary Lineup vs. RHP when Healthy (\DH enabled in both leagues)*
LF –
Jeff Hopper I might’ve gotten a bit too excited when I said Hopper and Flakes could combine for 8 WAR this year, but I’m not ruling it out in the future. Hopper spent a lot of time injured but was good when healthy. Hopefully, he can remain on the field next year.
1B –
Ernesto Bernal Bernal is entering his last arbitration year and playing the best baseball of his career. He made his second all-star team and was 2 points away from winning the batting average crown. I have the means to bring him back, so will look to sign him long term this offseason.
3B –
Fernando Tatis Jr. I should probably go ahead and trade Tatis. He missed another six weeks to injury, his ratings have started to slip slightly, and I won’t get a compensation pick when he leaves in free agency. But even with all that, I’m probably going to keep him. I don’t have a clear path to replacing his production and I have an excess of assets. I’d rather improve my title chances by 2% next year than have another 50-potential AA player.
DH –
Robby Teeter Teeter is also starting to struggle with injuries, so I will move him if the right deal comes along. Unlike Tatis, I think I can replace Teeter’s production. There are a lot of guys that can hit and don’t play defense.
RF –
Marcus Flakes Flakes was solid and will be back next year. I expect him to be better in his second season.
SS –
Willie Vega Vega had his best offensive season yet, winning the platinum stick award at short stop, and continues to play elite defense. He had a great six years with us but I’m going to let him walk as a free agent. He wants 10/$200m to re-sign, has no positive character attributes, and is getting close to the age when players start regressing.
I acquired him from the Braves in 2026 and I think both teams fared well in the deal.
Pat Leveille has been a really good player for them.
2B –
Josh Epps I shifted around the depth charts to minimize Epps appearances against right handers and it seems to have really helped. I’ll probably do the same next year
C –
Drew Romo Romo has missed a lot of time to injury in two of the last three years. I usually move players like that, but his defense is irreplaceable. I’ll pick up his team option for next season.
CF –
Joey Hudson Hudson had a good second season and continues to solidify himself as the greatest center fielder in Slammers history. Obviously, the bar isn’t very high for that distinction, but it sounds nice. His ratings have improved since
last year and if he continues to get better, he might make a great leadoff man one day.
Bench C –
Ali Sanchez There’s not much to say about Sanchez. He provides great defense and minimal offense, which is exactly what I want from this position. He’ll be back next year.
IF –
Manny Monzon Monzon really struggled at the beginning of the year but figured things out by the end of the season. With the departure of Vega, he’ll probably be my starting short stop next season.
OF –
Mike Startzel I love what Startzel provides. He’s a solid fourth outfielder that plays good defense and hits above average. Unfortunately, he thinks he’s a starter now. We’ll see how that affects his performance next year.
OF –
Tim Mehler Mehler was bad at the plate but did exactly what I wanted. He provided excellent backup defense at all three outfield positions and started against lefties, allowing my left-handed outfielders to feast on righties and boost their confidence.
Replacements IF –
Josh Berkner Berkner started at third base for eight weeks when Tatis was injured and another six weeks when Teeter went down and Tatis slid to DH. Somehow, he won a gold glove even though he only played in 86 games.
IF –
Jonathan Hines The fact that I have guys like Hines buried in the minors shows how far we’ve come as a franchise. He would’ve been my number three hitter ten years ago.
C –
Edwin Aguirre Aguirre filled in while Romo was injured and pretty much only played defense. There were some games I should’ve used my DH on him instead of the pitcher.
Pitchers: Pitching Staff when Healthy SP –
Pat Dibartolo Dibartolo had another great year and will probably be back for his last two arbitration seasons. It’s too bad he doesn’t have high work ethic or intelligence to keep him going into his mid-thirties. I’d love to keep him around for a while since he’s a fan favorite.
SP –
Gilles Palacios It was a great decision to trade for Palacios four years ago. He’s a captain, has iron man durability, and has the perfect ratings profile for my system. He’s had three excellent seasons and I have him for two more arbitration years. I’ll try to lock him up long term next season.
SP –
Chris West West started off the year dominant. He was on pace for nine WAR and the early Cy Young favorite but cooled off later in the season. He was my best pitcher and will return next year.
SP –
Josh Sheppard Sheppard had a really good season, winning sixteen games and the pitcher of the month award for August. He’s pretty old for a second-year player but that actually works out well for me. I’ll have team control for his entire prime.
SP –
Sean Whiteman Whiteman had a good year, but he’s had too many injuries for my tastes. We have a starting pitcher logjam and he’ll probably be the first one out.
RP –
Sam Lauderdale Lauderdale had another solid year but it’s probably time to move on. He’s on the wrong side of 30 and has no positive character attributes.
RP –
Danny Ibarra This might be the most ridiculous instance I’ve ever seen of a guy wanting to start that has no business doing so. Ibarra is an excellent reliever, but I have no clue how he’d survive as a starter. Hopefully, he changes his expectation next season.
RP –
Chris Ryan Ryan had another solid year and made his first all-star team. With his durability and character, I imagine he’ll be around for a long time.
RP –
Tommy Noonan Noonan cooled off a bit from last year, but that was bound to happen since he didn’t give up a run last season. Hopefully, his control rounds out. He’ll be the best reliever in the game if it does.
RP –
Mike Ruhs Ruhs didn’t have a great year but his ratings suggest he’ll be fine going forward. He’ll be back next season.
RP –
Joe McKinney In his second season McKinney has established himself as one of the best relievers in the game. He had an FIP of 2.11 and finished third in the reliever of the year voting.
RP –
Cooper Benson I’ve kept Benson around for starting pitching depth, but we’ve developed so many other guys I can probably part ways with him this offseason.
RP –
Corey MacDonald I was hesitant to put MacDonald in the starting rotation due to his lack of a third 50+ rated pitch but he’s developed that now and it’s time for him to start. He’ll be in the rotation next season.
He was the top all-star vote getter at reliever and won reliever of the year.
Replacements SP –
Jonathan Kelsey Kelsey filled in as an injury replacement multiple times and joined the rotation full-time when we went to a six-man rotation after rosters expanded. I love his character, durability, and ratings profile, so he’ll probably be a member of the rotation on opening day next year.
RP –
Glen Alcorn Alcorn has unreal potential, but his injuries are frightening. He’s racked up about two years of back injuries in four seasons. At the time of writing this he’s been upgraded to the number 26 prospect in baseball and is a fan favorite, so it’ll be interesting to see what kind of value he has around the league. If no one wants him, I’ll keep him around to boost fan interest.
RP –
Steve Bacon Bacon was called up when Alcorn suffered his most recent injury and will probably have a full-time bullpen role next year.
Season Results: We’re starting to put a stranglehold on the division. We were 40-20 our first 60 games and bludgeoning everyone in our path. A few injuries slowed us down during the middle of the season, but the closest the Braves could get was five games back. When we started to get healthy, we steamrolled again and
clinched the division with 15 games remaining.
Our pitching has always been good, but we took it to another level this year. We had a team ERA of 3.32 and led the league in almost every pitching and defensive category. We have so many good pitchers I don’t even know what to do with all of them.
Then on offense, we’ve moved past the “staying alive” phase. We had the fourth best offense in the NL. My only complaint is our lack of home runs. If we can improve that we’ll have the best offense in baseball.
Considering our record and depth of talent we were the clear favorites heading into the playoffs. Everyone was healthy to start the postseason and I went with a rotation of Sheppard, West, Dibartolo, and Palacios.
Our first-round opponent was the 85-78
Reds. Their pitching was lacking, but they more than made up for it with their potent offense. Their lineup featured MVP
Ben Bovain and MVP runner-up
Melvin Munoz.
We kept every game close, and only lost the series 4-2, but this was one of the most demoralizing defeats I’ve ever suffered. We lost games three and four on walk off homers in the bottom of the ninth, and games one and six on go-ahead homers in the top of the eighth. MacDonald blew two saves, Mckinney blew one, and Ibarra blew another. Those were the first, third, and fifth place finishers, respectively, in the reliever of the year voting. So much for having a dominant bullpen.
Here are the rest of the
playoff results and
MLB standings.
Top Prospects: The farm system took a bit of a hit last year due to seven guys being promoted but we’ve restocked the cupboards and have a loaded farm once again.
1.)
Andy Schaffer Schaffer has improved across the board since
last year and remains at the number one spot. His sinker went from non-existent in 2029, to his best pitch now, which is nice for a groundball pitcher. He had a good year in A+ and will begin next season in AA but might force his way into the majors sooner than later.
2.)
Eddie Copping Copping has improved a lot since
last season and had a great year in A. He looks like a lock for the majors in a few years.
3.)
Chris Dearborn It’s looking like the decision to take Dearborn in the fifth-round
last year and give him a $10m signing bonus was a good one. He’s the 67th rated prospect in baseball and looks like a safe bet to make the majors. I’ve never had a starter with three pitches and no fastball make it, but I don’t see why it can’t be done. He’ll begin next season at A-.
4.)
Alex Rivera I picked up Rivera in the Andrew McGee trade and he’s the same player now as he was
then, which is a good thing. He’ll start next year at A-.
5.)
Edwin Mireles Mireles has lost some of his power potential since
last season, but the rest of his skills have come along nicely. He’ll begin next season at A+.
6.)
Bobby Butler Butler has all the skills needed to be a top-of-the-line starter but I’m not getting too excited about a pitcher without durable injury proneness. He’ll start next season at A+.
Here are his ratings from
last year.
7.)
Josh McBride McBride picked up experience at a lot of
different positions this year and performed well at the plate. I think he’s ready for the majors, but I’ll give him a year at AAA to round out his skills.
8.)
Jose Gutierrez I’m really excited about Gutierrez. He has high character, durable injury proneness, and the potential to be above average offensively and defensively. He looks ready for a promotion but I‘ll give him another year in rookie ball since he’s so young.
9.)
Josh Boston Boston’s offensive potential has slipped since last year, but he still looks like he’ll be a useful player. A catcher with his defense that can hit is a rare find. He’ll begin next year at A.
10.)
Chris Larkin I’m not completely sold on Larkin, but he was the best talent on the board when I picked in the first round this year. He had a good year in rookie ball and will begin next season at A+.
Honorable mentions: Josh Snellgrove Snellgrove is pretty much the exact same player as
last year. I’m not out on him but I don’t think he’ll be anything more than a backup.
Ray Zaragoza Zaragoza was my international amateur free agent signing this year. He has a lot of potential but will be traded as soon as he’s healthy. I’m not taking a risk on a normal injury proneness pitcher that’s already suffered a long injury.
Dropped from list: Steve Flores Flores only made the list
last year due to a lack of better options. He might make the majors as an injury replacement, but I doubt he ever hits well enough to be a full-time starter.
Dave Codes Here’s the return of the international amateur free agent that loses all of his talent in two years.
Here are his ratings from
last season.
Future Outlook: It’s easy to get frustrated about multiple early round playoff exits, especially since I’ve averaged 105 wins the last five seasons, but it’s not time to press the panic button. We’ve made the playoffs six times and won the World series once. If you assume everyone that makes the playoffs has an equal shot of winning it all, we’re still ahead of schedule.
I do think there are some things we can do to improve our playoff success going forward. We have a deep and talented team, but we’re lacking top-end talent. We need that pitcher that guarantees you two wins every series, or a guy like
Bovain that can’t be stopped at the plate. I’m not sure how we’re going to acquire those players, but that will be my future focus.
One potential avenue to acquiring one of those guys could be to consolidate some of my starting pitchers. We used a six-man rotation after rosters expanded and all six of those guys are solid starters. Then we also have MacDonald who probably needs to move out of the bullpen and Schaffer who’s going to be ready for the majors sooner than later. It’ll be tough to decide who to keep but this is a
good problem to have.
Our fan interest and budget both increased at the start of the offseason, which is very exciting news. We’ve shown that we can compete with the big boys with a fraction of their resources. If they let us get a $300m budget, it’s game over.
Here is the
budget and
salaries heading into the offseason.
submitted by In order to use the live chat functionality you need to opt into live chat cookies. To do this click on the cookie settings button below. Alternatively, please email [email protected] - note that live chat is recommended for the quickest response on a matchday. Midfielder Callum Camps has been nominated for the Sky Bet League One October Goal of the Month award. Camps opened the scoring in Fleetwood’s 2-0 win over Oxford United at Highbury as he perfectly executed a volley from the edge of the box, finding the top corner in the process. Vote for Ben Whiteman’s brilliant goal against Lincoln City as Sky Bet League One October goal of the month. The captain’s dipping volley from just outside the penalty area secured Darren Moore’s side a crucial 1-0 victory at the Keepmoat Stadium. Rotherham United striker Kyle Vassell is the Sky Bet League One Goal of the Month winner for December, receiving 51% of the public vote. All overhead kicks are acrobatic, but Vassell’s almost defied the laws of physics, so quickly did he spin his body upside down to time a perfect volley following lovely chest control. Alfie Kilgour's stunning strike against Blackpool has been awarded the Sky Bet League One Goal of the Month award. The defender's long-range effort in front of the Thatchers' Terrace won a public vote on the Sky Sports website - with Rovers fans voting in their numbers to help Alfie claim the prize. League One - Goal of the Month. Here are the nominees for the Sky Bet League One Goal of the Month award for October. Watch Next. Charlton 0-1 MK Dons Watch Now. ... Sky Bet League One Manager of the Month nominees: December 2020. 6 January 2021. League One Sky Bet League One Player of the Month nominees: December 2020. 6 January 2021. League One Blackpool making sure no-one is lonely this Christmas . 30 December 2020. View more. Upcoming Fixtures & Results. Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two Goal of the Month vote for December skysports.com. Watch the December entries for the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two Goal of the Month and vote for your favourite here... Neil Critchley has been nominated for the Sky Bet League One Manager of the Month award for December. The Seasiders' Head Coach is on a four-man shortlist for the accolade, having guided the team to victories over Portsmouth, Fleetwood Town and Hull City, as well as picking up points against Oxford United and Accrington Stanley. Rochdale Football Club is delighted to announce that Matt Lund has been shortlisted for the Sky Bet League One Player of the Month award for January. His impressive form during the month saw him score four goal and grab three assists, meaning he was involved in more goals during January than another player in the top four leagues of English football.