Post by Commissioner Erick on Dec 22, 2017 18:06:40 GMT -5
1) Chicago Cubs
2017: 98-64, NL Central Champions. Lost to New York Mets 4-1 in NLDS.
What They Were: The Chicago Cubs were an excellent team in 2017, finishing second in runs scored, first in zone rating, and fourth in virtually every single pitching category. The offense was deep and versatile, backed by superstar Kris Bryant. Bryant only had a .259 average, but his 109 RBIs-100 walks campaign was everything the Cubs were about: getting guys on base with patience, and driving them in. Bryant also had a stellar defensive year. The pitching staff doesn't have the horses of the Mets, Giants, or Dodgers, but were in a class by themselves just below those three.
Offseason Review: The Cubs mostly made moves on the margins. Brett Anderson and Jon Lackey were largely ineffective fifth starters last year, and Jeremy Hellickson will likely be a poor option as a fifth option this year. Stephen Vogt replaces Miguel Montero at backup catcher, and Jose Reyes comes on board as a decent infield bat, as Ben Zobrist moves to the outfield. The team hopes it has enough depth to replace Jon Jay, who had a .352 OBP and nine home runs while playing a decent center field. If Albert Almora hits as well in the majors as he did in Triple-A last year, that won't be a problem. The team is loaded with young talent throughout their position players. If the back of the rotation steps up, the Cubs will challenge for 100 wins.
On the Farm: There are some big prospects, but most of them aren't due for a few seasons. Jeimer "Candy" Candelario will likely start at third base. He mashed in Triple A, mashed in the majors, and picked up the award for best defensive third baseman in the Pacific Coast League. He's a potential decade-plus starter if it clicks. The other parts available in the high minors are depth rotation pieces who likely won't be enough if the major league options falter.
Best Case Scenario: The staff remains fourth in the league and the youngsters mash and catch their way to triple digit victories.
Worst Case Scenario: The staff can't quite match the position players.
Key Questions: Most of the rotation is settled, but who will get the nod for the fourth and fifth spots and why?
Jeimer Candelario's ascent makes for some interesting questions. With such a deep offense, who of Ben Zobrist, Nelson Cruz, Kyle Schwarber, Jose Reyes, Javier Baez, and Ian Happ will start, who will come off the bench, and how do you deal with some disappointment in the clubhouse?
2) Pittsburgh Pirates
2017: 91-71, NL Wild Card. Beat Los Angeles Dodgers in Wild Card Game, lost to San Francisco 4-1 in NLDS.
Who They Were: The Pirates were a strange team. They had little power, but were excellent in average. They had few left-handed threats, but were strong from the right side. They had several good pitchers, but a bad defense. They were led by Josh Harrison's .331 average, Andrew McCutchen's strong second half, and the emergence of Josh Bell, who had a .394 OBP as a rookie.
Offseason Review: The Pirates big move was dealing from a position of strength, their outfield, to shore up a position of weakness, their pitching staff. However, they achieved that by trading away the beloved McCutchen for Gio Gonzalez. The Pirates also said good bye to John Jaso, leaving them without a ton of offensive depth. Youngsters Austin Meadows and Andrew Stevenson may be able to shoulder some of the load, but it's a big ask. The Pirates also lost a lot of competent relief pitching and will have to hope internal options prove to be good ones.
On the Farm: Austin Meadows is a star prospect and will likely take over McCutchen's spot in center field. He should be fine. Andrew Stevenson is getting a lot of looks from scouts as well and has good bat-to-ball skills, speed, and center field defense. Those are the best guys. After that, there's a good amount of role-playing infielders in the mid and upper minors, but all the arms are in High-A.
Best Case Scenario: Better health from their top guys can see their high-end talent carrying them to 90 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: The bullpen sucks and there's little depth, resulting in 87 losses.
Key Questions: After Rivero and Santana, do you honestly trust your bullpen to get the job done?
Outside of Bell and maybe Kang, there's no power on your team. You made it work last year, but you also got the best case scenario from Josh Harrison and you had Andrew McCutchen. Are you worried your bats won't have the juice this year?
3) St. Louis Cardinals
2017: 76-86, 3rd Place NL Central
Who They Were: Absentee management crippled the Cardinals to a depressing season, 15 games out of the postseason. The team was middle of the pack in most offensive categories, and last in stolen bases. The offense reaching even mid-pack status was surprising, considering only Matt Carpenter contributed more than 2.5 WAR among position players. Their rotation was strong, sixth in a deep league for pitching, but their defense was among the worst in baseball.
Offseason Review: The Cardinals tried to get younger in their pitching staff and took a big swing. Lance Lynn, Carlos Martinez, and Adam Wainwright are gone, but the very promising Lucas Giolito and Carson Fulmer are in. That means three starters will be 24 or younger. The Cardinals haven't done too much to improve upon a wretched defense and disappointing offense. There's a stable of decent talent, but very little impact talent on the positional side.
On The Farm: With Giolito and Reyes in the majors, plus Marco Gonzalez and Jack Flaherty in the upper minors, there's a mix of high end talent and safe depth. Harrison Bader and Magneuris Sierra should arrive to infuse the outfield sooner rather than later, while Edmund Sosa and Jose Adolis Garcia are also impact talents in Triple A. There's a lot of young talent ready to burst on the scene.
Best Case Scenario: The young arms are electric, the veteran bats are solid, and some of the young talent punches the Cardinals to the high 80s in wins.
Worst Case Scenario: There aren't a lot of impact position players in the majors. If Fulmer and Giolito don't pop, the Cardinals could be moribund.
Key Questions: Your defense was pretty bad in 2017. Will you take steps to fix it this season despite a similar roster?
With the amount of exciting youngsters bursting onto St. Louis, will you take steps to make the postseason this year or will you aim to have an exceptional team in 2020 or 2021?
4) Milwaukee Brewers
2017: 72-90, 4th Place NL Central
Who They Were: A bickering, broken squad, the Brewers had some talented players but a toxic clubhouse left everyone playing for themselves. The team was first in home runs and first in steals, but only eighth in runs. Everyone was selling out for the long ball and trying to pad their stats. The starters were bad, with three players posting ERAs over 5.00. While the bullpen was surprisingly good, a lack of joy throughout the clubhouse left everyone disappointed.
Offseason Review: The most important thing with Milwaukee is that the whole coaching staff was overhauled with Finlay Bennie taking over. The hope is that an overhaul helps quash the discord in the clubhouse. Promising youngsters Lewis Brinson, the rookie of the year after a fantastic campaign, and Luke Weaver were shipped out for Danny Salazar. Bennie stated top line pitching is his top priority and he paid a steep price to get it. Salazar is a stud though, and ascends to the head of Milwaukee's rotation. The Brewers have explosive young talent most everywhere throughout their offense. If Salazar can stabilize the pitching staff, there's some upside in Milwaukee.
On The Farm: Milwaukee's system has some explosion to it. Most of the best players are years away, but there are speed-based outfielders in Triple-A that are close to being able to contribute in the majors. Josh Hader and Luis Ortiz give Milwaukee some potential reinforcements to their staff, but Hader struggled in his first taste of the pros last year, and Ortiz hasn't been to Triple-A yet. It's unlikely the Brewers will get major contributions from their farm this year.
Best Case Scenario: The coaching staff gives direction to the talent and they win 86 games. Some years, that's a wild card appearance.
Worst Case Scenario: Somebody gets stabbed.
Key Questions: The clubhouse was a disaster last year. What will you do to make sure it's more harmonious this time?
Your lineup has speed, power, but no discipline. Are you just going to swing for the fences and hope for the best?
5) Cincinnati Reds:
2017: 59-103, Last in NL Central
Who They Were: A rebuilding team, the Reds traded away talented players like Joey Votto to look towards the future. They were last in ERA and second to last in runs scored. The only offensive player who accumulated more than 1.8 WAR for the Reds was Billy Hamilton and he was traded midseason. The only pitcher to accomplish that was Christian Friedrich, and he's Christian Friedrich. If anything, the first four guys in the Reds rotation were competent enough, but the fifth guy was always a struggle, punctuated by Rob Wooten's 6.66 ERA in 30 starts.
Offseason Review: Despite rebuilding the year prior, Cincinnati made moves to bring in expensive veterans. Evan Longoria, Felix Hernandez, Matt Andreise are in, with talented prospects Nick Senzel, Robert Stephenson, and Dilson Herrera going out. That will help the pitching staff field a stable five, though it's doubtful they'll be better than average. The offense has some danger to it that it lacked last season when everybody was a rookie. This year the team is more experienced, but most of their youngsters aren't world-beaters yet. The fact that so many prospects were sent out for what may not result in a winning season appears questionable. Without much upper minors prospects, the team Cincinnati presently has will be their team going forward for awhile.
On the Farm: Despite not being a good team, the Reds don't have much in the way of elite prospects, as the majority of their top guys graduated out of the system or were shipped out for major league talent. The talent that does remain is all in A-ball.
Best Case Scenario: The pitching is competent and Winker and Peraza become All Stars on a 79-win team.
Worst Case Scenario: 100 Losses and with fewer prospects.
Key Questions: Among the youngsters on your team, which player is it most important that he meets his potential.
You traded away a lot of youth for some of the veterans you brought in. What made you go out and get those big name players?
2017: 98-64, NL Central Champions. Lost to New York Mets 4-1 in NLDS.
What They Were: The Chicago Cubs were an excellent team in 2017, finishing second in runs scored, first in zone rating, and fourth in virtually every single pitching category. The offense was deep and versatile, backed by superstar Kris Bryant. Bryant only had a .259 average, but his 109 RBIs-100 walks campaign was everything the Cubs were about: getting guys on base with patience, and driving them in. Bryant also had a stellar defensive year. The pitching staff doesn't have the horses of the Mets, Giants, or Dodgers, but were in a class by themselves just below those three.
Offseason Review: The Cubs mostly made moves on the margins. Brett Anderson and Jon Lackey were largely ineffective fifth starters last year, and Jeremy Hellickson will likely be a poor option as a fifth option this year. Stephen Vogt replaces Miguel Montero at backup catcher, and Jose Reyes comes on board as a decent infield bat, as Ben Zobrist moves to the outfield. The team hopes it has enough depth to replace Jon Jay, who had a .352 OBP and nine home runs while playing a decent center field. If Albert Almora hits as well in the majors as he did in Triple-A last year, that won't be a problem. The team is loaded with young talent throughout their position players. If the back of the rotation steps up, the Cubs will challenge for 100 wins.
On the Farm: There are some big prospects, but most of them aren't due for a few seasons. Jeimer "Candy" Candelario will likely start at third base. He mashed in Triple A, mashed in the majors, and picked up the award for best defensive third baseman in the Pacific Coast League. He's a potential decade-plus starter if it clicks. The other parts available in the high minors are depth rotation pieces who likely won't be enough if the major league options falter.
Best Case Scenario: The staff remains fourth in the league and the youngsters mash and catch their way to triple digit victories.
Worst Case Scenario: The staff can't quite match the position players.
Key Questions: Most of the rotation is settled, but who will get the nod for the fourth and fifth spots and why?
Jeimer Candelario's ascent makes for some interesting questions. With such a deep offense, who of Ben Zobrist, Nelson Cruz, Kyle Schwarber, Jose Reyes, Javier Baez, and Ian Happ will start, who will come off the bench, and how do you deal with some disappointment in the clubhouse?
2) Pittsburgh Pirates
2017: 91-71, NL Wild Card. Beat Los Angeles Dodgers in Wild Card Game, lost to San Francisco 4-1 in NLDS.
Who They Were: The Pirates were a strange team. They had little power, but were excellent in average. They had few left-handed threats, but were strong from the right side. They had several good pitchers, but a bad defense. They were led by Josh Harrison's .331 average, Andrew McCutchen's strong second half, and the emergence of Josh Bell, who had a .394 OBP as a rookie.
Offseason Review: The Pirates big move was dealing from a position of strength, their outfield, to shore up a position of weakness, their pitching staff. However, they achieved that by trading away the beloved McCutchen for Gio Gonzalez. The Pirates also said good bye to John Jaso, leaving them without a ton of offensive depth. Youngsters Austin Meadows and Andrew Stevenson may be able to shoulder some of the load, but it's a big ask. The Pirates also lost a lot of competent relief pitching and will have to hope internal options prove to be good ones.
On the Farm: Austin Meadows is a star prospect and will likely take over McCutchen's spot in center field. He should be fine. Andrew Stevenson is getting a lot of looks from scouts as well and has good bat-to-ball skills, speed, and center field defense. Those are the best guys. After that, there's a good amount of role-playing infielders in the mid and upper minors, but all the arms are in High-A.
Best Case Scenario: Better health from their top guys can see their high-end talent carrying them to 90 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: The bullpen sucks and there's little depth, resulting in 87 losses.
Key Questions: After Rivero and Santana, do you honestly trust your bullpen to get the job done?
Outside of Bell and maybe Kang, there's no power on your team. You made it work last year, but you also got the best case scenario from Josh Harrison and you had Andrew McCutchen. Are you worried your bats won't have the juice this year?
3) St. Louis Cardinals
2017: 76-86, 3rd Place NL Central
Who They Were: Absentee management crippled the Cardinals to a depressing season, 15 games out of the postseason. The team was middle of the pack in most offensive categories, and last in stolen bases. The offense reaching even mid-pack status was surprising, considering only Matt Carpenter contributed more than 2.5 WAR among position players. Their rotation was strong, sixth in a deep league for pitching, but their defense was among the worst in baseball.
Offseason Review: The Cardinals tried to get younger in their pitching staff and took a big swing. Lance Lynn, Carlos Martinez, and Adam Wainwright are gone, but the very promising Lucas Giolito and Carson Fulmer are in. That means three starters will be 24 or younger. The Cardinals haven't done too much to improve upon a wretched defense and disappointing offense. There's a stable of decent talent, but very little impact talent on the positional side.
On The Farm: With Giolito and Reyes in the majors, plus Marco Gonzalez and Jack Flaherty in the upper minors, there's a mix of high end talent and safe depth. Harrison Bader and Magneuris Sierra should arrive to infuse the outfield sooner rather than later, while Edmund Sosa and Jose Adolis Garcia are also impact talents in Triple A. There's a lot of young talent ready to burst on the scene.
Best Case Scenario: The young arms are electric, the veteran bats are solid, and some of the young talent punches the Cardinals to the high 80s in wins.
Worst Case Scenario: There aren't a lot of impact position players in the majors. If Fulmer and Giolito don't pop, the Cardinals could be moribund.
Key Questions: Your defense was pretty bad in 2017. Will you take steps to fix it this season despite a similar roster?
With the amount of exciting youngsters bursting onto St. Louis, will you take steps to make the postseason this year or will you aim to have an exceptional team in 2020 or 2021?
4) Milwaukee Brewers
2017: 72-90, 4th Place NL Central
Who They Were: A bickering, broken squad, the Brewers had some talented players but a toxic clubhouse left everyone playing for themselves. The team was first in home runs and first in steals, but only eighth in runs. Everyone was selling out for the long ball and trying to pad their stats. The starters were bad, with three players posting ERAs over 5.00. While the bullpen was surprisingly good, a lack of joy throughout the clubhouse left everyone disappointed.
Offseason Review: The most important thing with Milwaukee is that the whole coaching staff was overhauled with Finlay Bennie taking over. The hope is that an overhaul helps quash the discord in the clubhouse. Promising youngsters Lewis Brinson, the rookie of the year after a fantastic campaign, and Luke Weaver were shipped out for Danny Salazar. Bennie stated top line pitching is his top priority and he paid a steep price to get it. Salazar is a stud though, and ascends to the head of Milwaukee's rotation. The Brewers have explosive young talent most everywhere throughout their offense. If Salazar can stabilize the pitching staff, there's some upside in Milwaukee.
On The Farm: Milwaukee's system has some explosion to it. Most of the best players are years away, but there are speed-based outfielders in Triple-A that are close to being able to contribute in the majors. Josh Hader and Luis Ortiz give Milwaukee some potential reinforcements to their staff, but Hader struggled in his first taste of the pros last year, and Ortiz hasn't been to Triple-A yet. It's unlikely the Brewers will get major contributions from their farm this year.
Best Case Scenario: The coaching staff gives direction to the talent and they win 86 games. Some years, that's a wild card appearance.
Worst Case Scenario: Somebody gets stabbed.
Key Questions: The clubhouse was a disaster last year. What will you do to make sure it's more harmonious this time?
Your lineup has speed, power, but no discipline. Are you just going to swing for the fences and hope for the best?
5) Cincinnati Reds:
2017: 59-103, Last in NL Central
Who They Were: A rebuilding team, the Reds traded away talented players like Joey Votto to look towards the future. They were last in ERA and second to last in runs scored. The only offensive player who accumulated more than 1.8 WAR for the Reds was Billy Hamilton and he was traded midseason. The only pitcher to accomplish that was Christian Friedrich, and he's Christian Friedrich. If anything, the first four guys in the Reds rotation were competent enough, but the fifth guy was always a struggle, punctuated by Rob Wooten's 6.66 ERA in 30 starts.
Offseason Review: Despite rebuilding the year prior, Cincinnati made moves to bring in expensive veterans. Evan Longoria, Felix Hernandez, Matt Andreise are in, with talented prospects Nick Senzel, Robert Stephenson, and Dilson Herrera going out. That will help the pitching staff field a stable five, though it's doubtful they'll be better than average. The offense has some danger to it that it lacked last season when everybody was a rookie. This year the team is more experienced, but most of their youngsters aren't world-beaters yet. The fact that so many prospects were sent out for what may not result in a winning season appears questionable. Without much upper minors prospects, the team Cincinnati presently has will be their team going forward for awhile.
On the Farm: Despite not being a good team, the Reds don't have much in the way of elite prospects, as the majority of their top guys graduated out of the system or were shipped out for major league talent. The talent that does remain is all in A-ball.
Best Case Scenario: The pitching is competent and Winker and Peraza become All Stars on a 79-win team.
Worst Case Scenario: 100 Losses and with fewer prospects.
Key Questions: Among the youngsters on your team, which player is it most important that he meets his potential.
You traded away a lot of youth for some of the veterans you brought in. What made you go out and get those big name players?
