Post by Commissioner Erick on Jun 9, 2018 0:17:29 GMT -5
1) Chicago Cubs
2018: 87-75, NL Central Champion. Defeated New York Mets 4-2 in NLDS. Defeated Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 in NLCS. Lost to Chicago White Sox 4-3 in World Series.
Who They Were: It was a wild year for the Cubs who went from barely making the playoffs to falling just short of a championship. The fact that they barely made the playoffs was outrageous as the team was 12 games short of its Pythagorean Record, and 16 wins short (!) of what BaseRuns expected of them. A 100-win true talent team with the worst luck, the Cubs couldn't call themselves a playoff team until late. Even then, they started their playoff run with tough postseason losses to a Mets team that broke their heart with comeback win after comeback win the year prior. It took three ninth inning rallies for victories and a 19 inning postseason classic to leave the Mets behind before rolling to a 3-2 World Series lead in the Windy Series. Chris Sale was blown up in Game Six, Jeimer Candelario flew out with the bases loaded and two down in the bottom of the ninth, and the Cubs have been agonizing ever since.
Offseason Review: Instead of standing pat, the Cubs geared up with several massive trades. Chicago sent out its talented young shortstop duo of Addison Russell and Javier Baez to bring in two of the best shortstops in baseball in Xander Bogaerts and Francisco Lindor. Freddie Freeman should add more juice to the lineup, and Hisashi Iwakuma should be a serviceable add to the back of the rotation. The Cubs gutted their system, their bullpen and their depth in the process, so health is now a major concern, but there are potential all stars all over the roster. The Cubs may be the team to beat.
On the Farm: While not a minor leaguer, Bonkers Carrizales joins professional baseball as a 25 year old with a upper-90s heater ad a disgusting slider. Aside from him, there are some veteran depth pieces in the upper minors but no impact players. It's one of the worst systems in baseball after it was cashed out for superstars.
Best Case Scenario: Bold moves are what championships are made of
Worst Case Scenario: Having a late lead against the Mets in October.
Key Questions: You didn't just add pieces, you added superstars at the expense of virtually all your spare assets. Why choose to go all in and give yourself no flexibility for the future?
Ben Zobrist is a fine player to have as a backup for nearly any position. Aside from him, who do you have if a player goes down with a serious injury?
2) Pittsburgh Pirates
2018: 84-78, 2nd Place NL Central
Who They Were: The Pirates suffered awful injury luck to their rotation last season. Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow were lost for the season, Clay Holmes worked six innings before going down for the count, and despite overcoming a 20-game losing streak and finding themselves in the middle of a playoff race, Gerrit Cole went down in August missing the stretch run. Despite that, the Pirates had the fifth best ERA in the NL with the second best bullpen. They didn't have many pitchers with star numbers, though the starters were generally in the fours and the relievers in the threes for ERA. Austin Meadows had a great rookie year and Gregory Polanco took a step forward, but with Josh Harrison regressing the offense was light on impact bats. The Pirates were second in average, but second to last in home runs.
Offseason Review: The Pirates upgraded their pitching depth after the terrible injury luck of the past two years. Jake Odorizzi and Kyle Gibson should stabilize the rotation until the aces return. A lot of good relievers were brought in which should lead to a deep stable of arms at the end of games. The offense is an experiment ripe with young hit tool-forward bats, but little power.
On the Farm: The Pirates have a host of good young infielders in their upper minors who could challenge for playing time this year. Cole Tucker, Ke'Bryan Hayes, and Kevin Kramer all have plus hit tools, all field their position well, and all are young. Adam Frazier is in his prime and Kevin Newman is 25, so shortstop is blocked for Tucker, but if Harrison struggles, Kramer could be an option. With Jung-ho Kang gone, third base is Hayes' for the taking. Outside of those names though, it's a barren system.
Best Case Scenario: Cole and Taillon heal up and a bunch of singles lead the Pirates to 89 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: More pitching injuries and the offense sputters to 78-84
Key Questions: You definitely have a type with all the high hit-tool players. Is that simply who is available or is that how you want to shape the team?
3) St. Louis Cardinals
2018: 78-84, 4th Place NL Central
Who They Were: The Cardinals were a solid team, but a lack of high end talent and a late tailspin limited them to upper-70s in wins. Only two players clubbed over 20 home runs, and while there were some strong strikeout arms, a defense that was subpar at every position conspired to limit their ultimate effectiveness.
Offseason Review: The Cardinals didn't make any major additions in the offseason, though they only lost high-priced closer Trevor Rosenthal and Aledmys Diaz coming off a lost year where he broke his elbow and didn't play stateside. The team is solid everywhere, though they have very few stars to win games single handedly. Stephen Piscotty had 17 home runs in half a season last year and a full year of good health would juice the offense.
On the Farm: The Cardinals system should be able to provide depth pieces is short order. Sandy Alcantara spent much of 2018 with the parent club, and flamethrower Zach Burdi got a cup of coffee with the White Sox in 2017. There are ample places to turn should the pitching on the major league level falter.
Best Case Scenario: A low ceiling keeps the Cardinals at 85 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: A high floor keeps the Cardinals with at least 75 wins.
Key Questions: You had a quiet offseason despite some money to spend. What about the free agents kept you from going out and acquiring players?
Yonder Alonso has hit just 23 home runs the past two years. Do you feel like he has the power needed in a first baseman to make your lineup scary?
4) Milwaukee Brewers
2018: 80-82, 3rd Place NL Central
Who They Were: After a turbulent feud-filled 2017, the Brewers were much closer to a functional baseball team last year winning 80 games and staying in the playoff hunt until late. Milwaukee's offense was fueled by a league leading 170 stolen bases, 51 more than second place, as six players stole double figures. Eleven pitchers made starts for the team and many had high ERAs. Zach Davies and Danny Salazar had the best years due to WAR, but each had ERAs approaching five. Several relievers had good seasons, including Corey Knebel, who racked up 31 saves and 2.4 WAR. The defense by some metrics graded out as the worst in the league.
Offseason Review: The Brewers added a few intriguing position players while letting go of Danny Salazar. While Salazar disappointed last season, Milwaukee will trot out a staff without a ton of impact arms. Their bullpen looks terrific which will help. David Peralta gives the team a solid hitter who can hit for power and not strike out, something the team sorely lacked. Jorge Polanco will give the Brewers an option if Jonathan Villar slumps like he did in 2017, and more defense than Nick Franklin. There are a lot of nice pieces on the team, but unfortunately, no real present day star.
On the Farm: In terms of future stars, Keston Hiura will begin the season in the upper minors and isn't far away. He profiles as someone who can hit 25 home runs, steal 15 bases, and lead the league in on-base percentage. Bo Bichette suffered an injury-marred campaign last season but showed good batting skills if not power. The system also has a ton of shortstops in the lower minors giving the organization a world of middle infield options, though their other positions are more lacking.
Best Case Scenario: Better depth, defense, and contact allows the team to max itself out and win 86 games.
Worst Case Scenario: The pitching regresses and the team loses 92.
Key Questions: You acquired four different types of players in your two trades with the White Sox. What do you like about each of the players you acquired?
Your team lacks high-impact pitching in your rotation right now. How do you plan on addressing that this season?
5) Cincinnati Reds
2018: 73-89, Last in NL Central
Who They Were: Despite a few major acquisitions last offseason, the Reds underperformed horribly before a late surge brought them into respectability. Evan Longoria was a major get and he had an on-base percentage of .272. Only two hitters had over 2.0 WAR as the team finished with the second fewest runs scored with the worst on-base percentage.
Offseason Review: The Reds for the second straight year made a lot of moves to get closer to respectability. Jose Bautista has been brought in to help booster the offense, and if Aaron Sanchez can recover from a torn a flexor tendon, he could be an ace. The team however gave up a lot of young major league talent.
On the Farm: It's a fairly deep system. Isan Diaz and Trent Clark are players with huge upside who may see the majors this year. A lot of pitching depth exists in the upper minors.
Best Case Scenario: The young talent takes a step forward and the Reds get to .500.
Worst Case Scenario: There isn't a lot of high end talent on the roster, and the Reds have underperformed twice in a row. That could spell 100 losses.
Key Questions: You made two major trades with Milwaukee this offseason. What was the thought process behind the two trades brining in Clark and Diaz?
You're counting on Sanchez having a big year. Are you worried trading for a guy coming off such a major injury?
2018: 87-75, NL Central Champion. Defeated New York Mets 4-2 in NLDS. Defeated Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 in NLCS. Lost to Chicago White Sox 4-3 in World Series.
Who They Were: It was a wild year for the Cubs who went from barely making the playoffs to falling just short of a championship. The fact that they barely made the playoffs was outrageous as the team was 12 games short of its Pythagorean Record, and 16 wins short (!) of what BaseRuns expected of them. A 100-win true talent team with the worst luck, the Cubs couldn't call themselves a playoff team until late. Even then, they started their playoff run with tough postseason losses to a Mets team that broke their heart with comeback win after comeback win the year prior. It took three ninth inning rallies for victories and a 19 inning postseason classic to leave the Mets behind before rolling to a 3-2 World Series lead in the Windy Series. Chris Sale was blown up in Game Six, Jeimer Candelario flew out with the bases loaded and two down in the bottom of the ninth, and the Cubs have been agonizing ever since.
Offseason Review: Instead of standing pat, the Cubs geared up with several massive trades. Chicago sent out its talented young shortstop duo of Addison Russell and Javier Baez to bring in two of the best shortstops in baseball in Xander Bogaerts and Francisco Lindor. Freddie Freeman should add more juice to the lineup, and Hisashi Iwakuma should be a serviceable add to the back of the rotation. The Cubs gutted their system, their bullpen and their depth in the process, so health is now a major concern, but there are potential all stars all over the roster. The Cubs may be the team to beat.
On the Farm: While not a minor leaguer, Bonkers Carrizales joins professional baseball as a 25 year old with a upper-90s heater ad a disgusting slider. Aside from him, there are some veteran depth pieces in the upper minors but no impact players. It's one of the worst systems in baseball after it was cashed out for superstars.
Best Case Scenario: Bold moves are what championships are made of
Worst Case Scenario: Having a late lead against the Mets in October.
Key Questions: You didn't just add pieces, you added superstars at the expense of virtually all your spare assets. Why choose to go all in and give yourself no flexibility for the future?
Ben Zobrist is a fine player to have as a backup for nearly any position. Aside from him, who do you have if a player goes down with a serious injury?
2) Pittsburgh Pirates
2018: 84-78, 2nd Place NL Central
Who They Were: The Pirates suffered awful injury luck to their rotation last season. Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow were lost for the season, Clay Holmes worked six innings before going down for the count, and despite overcoming a 20-game losing streak and finding themselves in the middle of a playoff race, Gerrit Cole went down in August missing the stretch run. Despite that, the Pirates had the fifth best ERA in the NL with the second best bullpen. They didn't have many pitchers with star numbers, though the starters were generally in the fours and the relievers in the threes for ERA. Austin Meadows had a great rookie year and Gregory Polanco took a step forward, but with Josh Harrison regressing the offense was light on impact bats. The Pirates were second in average, but second to last in home runs.
Offseason Review: The Pirates upgraded their pitching depth after the terrible injury luck of the past two years. Jake Odorizzi and Kyle Gibson should stabilize the rotation until the aces return. A lot of good relievers were brought in which should lead to a deep stable of arms at the end of games. The offense is an experiment ripe with young hit tool-forward bats, but little power.
On the Farm: The Pirates have a host of good young infielders in their upper minors who could challenge for playing time this year. Cole Tucker, Ke'Bryan Hayes, and Kevin Kramer all have plus hit tools, all field their position well, and all are young. Adam Frazier is in his prime and Kevin Newman is 25, so shortstop is blocked for Tucker, but if Harrison struggles, Kramer could be an option. With Jung-ho Kang gone, third base is Hayes' for the taking. Outside of those names though, it's a barren system.
Best Case Scenario: Cole and Taillon heal up and a bunch of singles lead the Pirates to 89 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: More pitching injuries and the offense sputters to 78-84
Key Questions: You definitely have a type with all the high hit-tool players. Is that simply who is available or is that how you want to shape the team?
3) St. Louis Cardinals
2018: 78-84, 4th Place NL Central
Who They Were: The Cardinals were a solid team, but a lack of high end talent and a late tailspin limited them to upper-70s in wins. Only two players clubbed over 20 home runs, and while there were some strong strikeout arms, a defense that was subpar at every position conspired to limit their ultimate effectiveness.
Offseason Review: The Cardinals didn't make any major additions in the offseason, though they only lost high-priced closer Trevor Rosenthal and Aledmys Diaz coming off a lost year where he broke his elbow and didn't play stateside. The team is solid everywhere, though they have very few stars to win games single handedly. Stephen Piscotty had 17 home runs in half a season last year and a full year of good health would juice the offense.
On the Farm: The Cardinals system should be able to provide depth pieces is short order. Sandy Alcantara spent much of 2018 with the parent club, and flamethrower Zach Burdi got a cup of coffee with the White Sox in 2017. There are ample places to turn should the pitching on the major league level falter.
Best Case Scenario: A low ceiling keeps the Cardinals at 85 wins.
Worst Case Scenario: A high floor keeps the Cardinals with at least 75 wins.
Key Questions: You had a quiet offseason despite some money to spend. What about the free agents kept you from going out and acquiring players?
Yonder Alonso has hit just 23 home runs the past two years. Do you feel like he has the power needed in a first baseman to make your lineup scary?
4) Milwaukee Brewers
2018: 80-82, 3rd Place NL Central
Who They Were: After a turbulent feud-filled 2017, the Brewers were much closer to a functional baseball team last year winning 80 games and staying in the playoff hunt until late. Milwaukee's offense was fueled by a league leading 170 stolen bases, 51 more than second place, as six players stole double figures. Eleven pitchers made starts for the team and many had high ERAs. Zach Davies and Danny Salazar had the best years due to WAR, but each had ERAs approaching five. Several relievers had good seasons, including Corey Knebel, who racked up 31 saves and 2.4 WAR. The defense by some metrics graded out as the worst in the league.
Offseason Review: The Brewers added a few intriguing position players while letting go of Danny Salazar. While Salazar disappointed last season, Milwaukee will trot out a staff without a ton of impact arms. Their bullpen looks terrific which will help. David Peralta gives the team a solid hitter who can hit for power and not strike out, something the team sorely lacked. Jorge Polanco will give the Brewers an option if Jonathan Villar slumps like he did in 2017, and more defense than Nick Franklin. There are a lot of nice pieces on the team, but unfortunately, no real present day star.
On the Farm: In terms of future stars, Keston Hiura will begin the season in the upper minors and isn't far away. He profiles as someone who can hit 25 home runs, steal 15 bases, and lead the league in on-base percentage. Bo Bichette suffered an injury-marred campaign last season but showed good batting skills if not power. The system also has a ton of shortstops in the lower minors giving the organization a world of middle infield options, though their other positions are more lacking.
Best Case Scenario: Better depth, defense, and contact allows the team to max itself out and win 86 games.
Worst Case Scenario: The pitching regresses and the team loses 92.
Key Questions: You acquired four different types of players in your two trades with the White Sox. What do you like about each of the players you acquired?
Your team lacks high-impact pitching in your rotation right now. How do you plan on addressing that this season?
5) Cincinnati Reds
2018: 73-89, Last in NL Central
Who They Were: Despite a few major acquisitions last offseason, the Reds underperformed horribly before a late surge brought them into respectability. Evan Longoria was a major get and he had an on-base percentage of .272. Only two hitters had over 2.0 WAR as the team finished with the second fewest runs scored with the worst on-base percentage.
Offseason Review: The Reds for the second straight year made a lot of moves to get closer to respectability. Jose Bautista has been brought in to help booster the offense, and if Aaron Sanchez can recover from a torn a flexor tendon, he could be an ace. The team however gave up a lot of young major league talent.
On the Farm: It's a fairly deep system. Isan Diaz and Trent Clark are players with huge upside who may see the majors this year. A lot of pitching depth exists in the upper minors.
Best Case Scenario: The young talent takes a step forward and the Reds get to .500.
Worst Case Scenario: There isn't a lot of high end talent on the roster, and the Reds have underperformed twice in a row. That could spell 100 losses.
Key Questions: You made two major trades with Milwaukee this offseason. What was the thought process behind the two trades brining in Clark and Diaz?
You're counting on Sanchez having a big year. Are you worried trading for a guy coming off such a major injury?
