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Post by Commish_Ron on Mar 29, 2024 9:50:29 GMT -5
1. In a word describe last season. Why that word?
2. What was the off season plan? How did it go?
3. What would your team's most cynical and optimistic fans say about the upcoming season?
4. What are your odds for winning your division? If you don't, what team is most likely to?
5. How are your finances looking? What's the plan?
6. Which player in your organization has the best chance of eventually being voted into the Hall of Fame?
7. What is your 2071 World Series prediction?
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Post by sansterre - Milwaukee Brewers on Mar 29, 2024 10:36:25 GMT -5
1. In a word describe last season. Why that word?
A failure. Not that we failed to win - that was intentional. But we only ended up with the 6th worst record in the league, which is something of a disappointment.
2. What was the off season plan? How did it go?
To invest in free agents to round out the ML roster and see what happened. Honestly, it went fine, but I don't think there's any chance I'll compete. I'll probably end up selling my signings off.
3. What would your team's most cynical and optimistic fans say about the upcoming season?
Cynical: Milwaukee has sucked for years. No reason to think it'll change. Optimistic: I don't know if you've noticed, but our AAA is loaded. I'm not kidding, we might have one of the better lineups in the NL. That plus luck may have us challenging for a wild card spot!
4. What are your odds for winning your division? If you don't, what team is most likely to?
0%. For me to win the division I'd need to overperform by 10-15 wins, which is possible. But the Cards would need to underperform by 5-10 wins, and the Reds would need to underperform by more like 20 wins. The odds of all three of those happening is really, really, really low. The Reds are the clear favorite.
5. How are your finances looking? What's the plan?
Finances are fine - it's easy to have good finances when you aren't paying any of your players. Ask me again when my guys in the majors have played several years and are actually good.
6. Which player in your organization has the best chance of eventually being voted into the Hall of Fame?
Eh, I'll say Cliff McClure. Realistically, he very well might not develop, but if he does he'll be really, really good.
7. What is your 2071 World Series prediction?
Washington vs Texas, with Texas winning.
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Post by Tim_GiantsGM on Mar 29, 2024 18:54:30 GMT -5
1. In a word describe last season. Why that word?Awful. In fact, in terms of falling short of expectations it was the worst during my tenure in the PBL. Despite numerous moves to shake up the team, nothing worked. Given the talent on the roster, struggling to break even on the year was inexcusable. We did finish #1 in the PBL in season ticket revenue. Also, despite missing the playoffs and distributing $12.7 million to other clubs via gate and revenue sharing we turned a profit. The silver lining, I suppose. 2. What was the off season plan? How did it go?Since going 53-28 during the first half of 2069, we have been very inconsistent and mediocre. Can we recapture the early 2069 magic? We need to find out. Especially since we have several high-dollar contracts with players who have underperformed, but who still could produce. Given that... Our plan was to retain the core of the team, let some veteran players walk, and add a few role players. So, we elected not to do much. We were very successful at doing not much at all. 3. What would your team's most cynical and optimistic fans say about the upcoming season?Optimistic: Once again, the roster is deep with talent and well balanced. This year the players will find a way to translate the talent into wins on the field, make the playoffs, and advance beyond the first round. Cynical: Once again, the roster looks solid and strong ... on paper. But for nearly two years they have played like crap. If they are to convince me that this group of players has what it takes to consistently win, they will have to show me. 4. What are your odds for winning your division? If you don't, what team is most likely to?The odds are 25%. If we don't capture the division title, the D'backs, Dodgers, or Padres likely will. 5. How are your finances looking? What's the plan?Overall, we believe we do a fine job of managing our finances. Revenue: We nearly always manage to generate enough revenue to cover expenses and generate a profit. Securing playoff berths and generating profits are two of the many factors that enable teams to maintain and increase budgets. We constantly focus on revenue and profitability. Ticket Price - the prime driver of revenue: During the season, we periodically test the ticket price to determine whether we should increase or decrease the price to maximize projected revenue. In addition to aiding current season revenue, the testing provides a basis for establishing the ticket price going forward into the next season. Given that a GM may experiment during the season when one may change the ticket price but may not during the off-season, this testing is a valuable exercise. Expenses: We focus on total expenses regardless of our budget. A budget is a guide governing expenses, but if we spend to the budget and then do not generate enough revenue to exceed a budget amount we will lose money and bad things will happen. So, we constantly monitor projected revenue vs. projected expenses via two screen options we display on our front office display. Projected revenue must be greater than projected expenses. Payroll - the prime driver of total expenses: We overcommitted financial resources in an attempt to complete a rebuild and win now. We extended long-term contracts to several players who have: a) not performed up to performance expectations; and b) suffered drops in some skill characteristics. As a result, our ability to be flexible is limited in the short-term. The high payroll is limiting our ability to fund draft and scouting budgets as much as we would like, but soon our expense composition will again be as healthy and flexible as we would like. 6. Which player in your organization has the best chance of eventually being voted into the Hall of Fame?We are very fortunate that our favorite PBL player of all time, SP Enrique Vazquez, was recently indicted into the HOF. Three years earlier, CL Jason Frye was enshrined in the hall. We don't expect to see another inducted in the foreseeable future. One player whose career is off to an excellent start is RF Denis Gustafson. At 27 years old, he already has one NL MVP award to his credit. And he seems to be improving each year. Also - knock on wood - he has been relatively injury free to date. 7. What is your 2071 World Series prediction?Washington over Texas
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jay
New Member
Posts: 5
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Post by jay on Mar 30, 2024 7:35:17 GMT -5
1. In a word describe last season. Why that word?
Ass. Complete and utter ass. The worst record in the league, a bottom-3 minor league system, and not much in terms of useful assets moving forward. 2. What was the offseason plan? How did it go?
I joined a bit late so missed most of the fun stuff, but coming in when I did, the goal was basically just to take as many one-year fliers as possible to see what shakes out. We also focused on getting finances in order, and at least starting to see if we could get some more assets into the minor league system. I think it went relatively well. 3. What would your team's most cynical and optimistic fans say about the upcoming season?
- Cynical: Complete and utter ass. Nearly everyone who will be on the opening day roster is a castoff from another team. We were the worst team last year and don't look markedly better anywhere.
- Optimistic: Booty. Not quite complete and utter ass, but still straight stank. Maybe one or two of the fliers works out or maybe the team gels well and can finish in something other than last place in the NL South?
4. What are your odds for winning your division? If you don't, what team is most likely to?
0%. I don't know the league yet, but a quick glance at the rosters has me thinking Washington and Florida duke it out for the crown. I'll go Washington, slightly. 5. How are your finances looking? What's the plan?
The one place where we're actually looking good. We've got just one "bad" salary carrying over to next year. The books are in order, and the plan is to continue to reduce long-term salary exposure while we rebuild and pick up value where we can without committing big money to anyone at the moment. 6. Which player in your organization has the best chance of eventually being voted into the Hall of Fame?
Can I choose nobody? I guess it has to be a young player since there's nobody with significant experience even close. David Miller has upside. It'd have to be him, I guess? 7. What is your 2071 World Series prediction?Reds over Rangers
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Cleveland GM
Junior Member
The luckiest SOB in PBL
Posts: 65
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Post by Cleveland GM on Mar 30, 2024 8:20:35 GMT -5
1. In a word describe last season. Why that word?Going, as in "Going! Going! Gone!" Cleveland was 10th in HRs, which was quite an improvement over previous years. Also Cleveland was #1 in HRs surrendered. In fairness Cleveland should be 8th in HRs. Detroit and Minnesota are outliers since they got to bat against Cleveland pitching and Cleveland batters did not. The season went pretty much the same way. There was a stretch Cleveland played well. Then it was going, going, gone in a truly epic collapse. 2. What was the off season plan? How did it go?
We wanted to see our minor league talent improve enough to join the big leagues. Our offense is with the program. Pitching teases but has yet to arrive, so we continued to pick up arms we think will help us. 3. What would your team's most cynical and optimistic fans say about the upcoming season?
Optimist: Cleveland looks good! They might even finish third!
Cynical: Cleveland looks good! They'll finish third like they usually do.
4. What are your odds for winning your division? If you don't, what team is most likely to?
Winning the AL Central? Zero. Detroit and Minnesota will make it a two team race like they have for years. If Cleveland is really lucky we might manage to get three playoff teams out of the ALC, but eleven other AL teams say that's not going to happen. 5. How are your finances looking? What's the plan?
Cleveland is young and all the big money is in short term contracts, so we're good. We'd be doing even better if PBL hadn't billed us for all the baseballs we lost last year. Eventually we'll have to pay some of our young guys but that's so far down the road there is no plan for it. 6. Which player in your organization has the best chance of eventually being voted into the Hall of Fame?
Tony Locke won't turn 24 until the All Star break. He'll be a Locke whether he stays healthy or not, but it takes longevity to get a great player into the PBL HOF. He'll be in my HOF regardless.
7. What is your 2071 World Series prediction?
Repeat of last year, Washington over Detroit. I'll go out on a limb and predict it will be a closer contest this time.
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Post by David_ExposGM on Mar 31, 2024 20:08:55 GMT -5
1. In a word describe last season. Why that word? Responsible. Did my very best to stay within my budget and make sure I made some money at the end of the season. I like to think that has set me up for an even better 2071.
2. What was the off season plan? How did it go? Dipped into my credits and paid for some Fan Interest and also some spending money. And then I set out to find some character players to fill some holes, while leaving plenty of room for youngsters to take a bigger role. Aside from missing out on one Free Agent target, I managed to add another and may still add one more. I am happy with what we did. Whether we WIN more? We'll see.
3. What would your team's most cynical and optimistic fans say about the upcoming season? "We all watched Money Ball. You sir... are no Billy Beane!"
4. What are your odds for winning your division? If you don't, what team is most likely to? I would be thrilled with a second finish in the division, more importantly a wild card berth. Still think PIT is the class of the NL East.
5. How are your finances looking? What's the plan? Better. As mentioned, poured some money into the team. And acquired some "owner" knowledge this off-season that helped. And also helped to plan for the coming season, to know how far we could push the envelope IF we find ourselves in the hunt for anything come mid-August.
6. Which player in your organization has the best chance of eventually being voted into the Hall of Fame? Far too early for that in Montreal. When we can play with the elite teams and attract or retain some elite talent, I'll get back to you!
7. What is your 2071 World Series prediction? Cincinnati beats Detroit in 7 games
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Post by Sean_RedsGM on Mar 31, 2024 22:22:30 GMT -5
1. In a word describe last season. Why that word?
Disappointing. Our team choked in the playoffs last season against the Pirates. Sometimes you need that bitter taste left in your mouth though to take a step back and really look at where things went wrong.
2. What was the off season plan? How did it go?
We're still dealing with hitting the "bottom" in terms of the revenue changes with the game, so our finances were extremely tight. RP Ernesto Zavala gladly accepted a qualifying offer to stay for one more season. 2B Zack Davis is shifting over to the hot corner this season, giving some younger players a look at 2B in Sancho Madrigal and Bob Calfee. We think this will improve our overall infield defense while keeping Davis bat in the lineup. Gus Brown will slot in as Davis' backup at 3B. Traditionally, we've been spoiled with the power at 3B and 2B, but by going with a different infield this season it made us also take a look at the OF. Initially, we were going to get OF Miguel Ballerini some additional at bats giving corner OF's a break and batting against lefties but decided against it. Ballerini is a player we've been waiting to unleash for awhile, and he's going to have every opportunity to do that this season as our everyday RF. Tse will be in LF against RHP, while Ramon Garcia will be getting starts against LHP. Which leads to the last change, which is Greg McIntosh sliding over to CF against RHP. Carlos Flores will be the 4th OF and defensive replacement, which some media members speculate he's not happy about.
When asked for a comment, GM Sean Bain stated "We're here to win championships. You can print that."
3. What would your team's most cynical and optimistic fans say about the upcoming season?
Cynical: Choking in the playoffs, to the Pirates nonetheless? This dynasty is done.
Optimistic: 4 championships in 9 seasons. It's time to make it 5 in 10!
4. What are your odds for winning your division? If you don't, what team is most likely to?
It's the Reds division to lose. The Cardinals would be the team to have the best chance this season if not the Reds, and they've made some solid additions to their team this offseason. My worry for the Cardinals is that their window is closing, and could be rather quickly.
5. How are your finances looking? What's the plan?
Finances are starting to balance out, which helps us determine what the new normal really is for the Reds. The benefit with dealing with the revenue reduction has been the focus on adding depth to the organization and getting productivity out of our own prospects. Our focus right now is signing SP Roy Bailey to a longterm contract extension and hope that with our projected revenue per game up 15% that we'll be able to get that done sometime this season. If Zack Davis can be a productive 3B like we think he can, it just might end up making his career as a Reds player a few seasons longer.
6. Which player in your organization has the best chance of eventually being voted into the Hall of Fame?
There are a few current players that have a shot, but I think the one that is a for sure lock at this point is Zack Davis. He's one of the top hitting 2B in PBL history, and could very well reach the 600 HR mark before he retires.
7. What is your 2071 World Series prediction?
Reds over Detroit in 6 games.
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Post by dodgerschuck on Apr 1, 2024 15:49:04 GMT -5
1. In a word describe last season. Why that word?
Roller Coaster. It felt like we had more 5+ win/loss sims last year than we had in the ten seasons prior. I had a feeling we would either go on an unexpected dominant run in the playoffs or get swept in the wild card round, unfortunately it was the latter.
2. What was the off season plan? How did it go?
I wanted to add an outfielder, some relief pitching and maybe a utility infielder. I’m happy the first two were achieved (OF Emilio Mendez, RP Jorge Rodriguez) and I’m okay that with not signing a utility infielder and giving prospect Sam Jackson a shot at that role. We’ll see how they perform but I think we got what we needed without going too crazy on contracts so I’d call it a success overall.
3. What would your team's most cynical and optimistic fans say about the upcoming season?
Cynical: There’s barley any change in a team that won more games than they should’ve based on almost any metric. The team needed to substantially improve to really contend and they did not.
Optimistic: The team won 92 games last year and didn’t lose any important pieces. They signed a couple interesting free agents in areas of need and we have a couple exciting prospects who will be making the opening day roster for the first time.
4. What are your odds for winning your division? If you don't, what team is most likely to?
I agree with Tim’s assessment, in the NL West you really have about a 25% chance of winning it every year. It’s always competitive and always comes down to the last sim of the year.
5. How are your finances looking? What's the plan?
I think the finances are looking fine, we have a large budget so I just try to spend that every year while trying to maintain some flexibility in the future. The way I use my budget generally has me overpaying some players but usually those are on shorter term contracts that I can get out of. The only real concern I have long term is the Bill McMillan contract, he’s underperformed since coming to LA and if he gets any worse it’s going to be a real problem for the next 6 years.
6. Which player in your organization has the best chance of eventually being voted into the Hall of Fame?
We have Oakland great Andres Ortiz on the team, I’m pretty sure he’ll make the hall of fame. I also want to point out a home-grown player in this category as well. SS Christian Gibbons has been one of if not the best player for ten years on a team that has not suffered a losing season. He’s been the rock for us as we’ve had a fun decade including a PBL championship. He’s not great offensively but his defense has carried him to 5 all-star appearances and 8 gold gloves. I hope that he is able to stay healthy and productive since I think he’ll need to accumulate more awards and stats to be enshrined. Either way he has embodied what LA Dodger baseball has been about for his entire career.
7. What is your 2071 World Series prediction?
Detroit over Cincinnati in 7 games.
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Post by Commish_Ron on Apr 1, 2024 18:59:15 GMT -5
1. In a word describe last season. Why that word?
Expected. Cardinals have been hitting their target of a wild card spot the last few seasons and the WC round is a gamble. You win some and you lose some.
2. What was the off season plan? How did it go?
Focus was all on pitching. We had some departed bullpen arms that needed to be backfilled and were hoping for an upgrade in the rotation. Bullpen backfill went great bringing in Aguilar on trade and landing Kishita and Santana in free agency. Bullpen is actually probably upgraded. Rotation was tougher. We did land a lefty starter in Jason Delgado but that was short of what we were hoping for.
3. What would your team's most cynical and optimistic fans say about the upcoming season?
Cynical: Some of the teams top players are getting old and there is nothing in the pipeline to replace them. Optimistic: Despite a crappy owner and small market somehow this team continues to grow the budget and fill out quality rosters. Continue getting into the playoffs every season and maybe get hot at the right time one year.
4. What are your odds for winning your division? If you don't, what team is most likely to?
Maybe 15%. Cardinals road to the division title starts with over performing and then Reds have to under perform. Finally Cubs and Brewers not making a surprise run.
5. How are your finances looking? What's the plan?
After being seemingly forever stuck in a rebuild that just would not seem to take hold, Cardinals shook things up 3 years ago and started investing all funds and talent into the active roster. They have been rewarded with high profitability and budget increases that have vaulted them from lowest budget in the league to 17th. St. Louis is rolling with the 5th highest payroll despite the 17th budget. But, outside of Girometta, all of the high salary comes off the books after just two more seasons. So we will have the flexibility to pivot or double down depending on the opportunities available.
6. Which player in your organization has the best chance of eventually being voted into the Hall of Fame?
Well he is a very solid player and I love having him on the squad. Still, Girometta's career has not exactly screamed HOF to date. However he probably has the best chance. A very long career or a jump in his stats when he enters his 30s could get him there.
7. What is your 2071 World Series prediction?
I'll take Nationals over Orioles in 5.
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Post by Arizona_PBL on Apr 1, 2024 19:45:56 GMT -5
1. In a word describe last season. Why that word? Lucky. We were lucky to win the division in like the last week of the year. Mid-season we were doubting we would make the playoffs, so yeah…Lucky.
2. What was the off-season plan? How did it go? We were planning on bringing up some of the younger players this year, so I was only looking to see if there were any decent veterans or youngsters with potential I could bring on to help. I found a few, nothing great but some support pieces.
3. What would your team's most cynical and optimistic fans say about the upcoming season? Funny enough they would probably say the same thing… “this is basically the same team as last year”. Optimistic that if our young players Rafeal Morales and Amelio Diaz (and if the 6.0 WAR Pat Phillips is real) can live up to their potential then it could be a great year. Cynical would say if they don’t, we will likely come in last place.
4. What are your odds for winning your division? If you don't, what team is most likely to? 25% roll of a 4-sided dice.
5. How are your finances looking? What's the plan? Looking good actually. Dave Peters has only next year left and really no other long term contracts. If a great players comes up in FA I will be in on it.
6. Which player in your organization has the best chance of eventually being voted into the Hall of Fame? Maybe Hunter Coleman? 11 WAR in only 3 years and he is only 26. No one else come to mind.
7. What is your 2071 World Series prediction? Twins over Cin in 6
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Post by Mac_Yankees GM on Apr 2, 2024 7:22:29 GMT -5
1. In a word describe last season. Why that word?
Progress. After a disappointing 74 win season in '69 I resisted the temptation to blow it up and make drastic changes and stayed the course and stayed committed to building up through the farm system. I was rewarded with a return to the post season and now need to continue the progress with a division title.
2. What was the off season plan? How did it go?
Okay. I didn't really see any huge impact players that would help us but added some useful pieces. I added depth to the bullpen with the signing of relievers Tyler Long , Henry Knight and Mike DeBenham who combined for 4.6 war over 197 games last season. I also added a much needed right handed bat to help offset our weakness against lefty pitchers with the pickup of veteran Wing Rang. Like last off season no dramatic moves just layering in useful pieces who should give us a small improvement.
3. What would your team's most cynical and optimistic fans say about the upcoming season?
They both say the Yankees have all the resources and fan support to be among the league's elite teams. The optimistic fan feels that we will take this advantage and finally break through in the next season or two. While the cynical fan looks at our recent results of being an also ran and expects more of the same.
4. What are your odds for winning your division? If you don't, what team is most likely to?
I am going to say 51% We finished a game back last season to the Orioles and expect a close race again.
5. How are your finances looking? What's the plan?
Yankees have plenty of money. Our plan is not throw it away on bad long term deals- I'm looking at you Robin King and invest in player development.
6. Which player in your organization has the best chance of eventually being voted into the Hall of Fame?
Probably no one is Hall of Fame worthy but Guillermo Rodriguez (the outfielder) is a consistent high 4 war per season player. He is only 27 and should compile some impressive career stats before it's over.
7. What is your 2071 World Series prediction? You got figure the Tigers are gonna win one - so I am picking them to beat the Pirates in 7
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Post by markblakemore on Apr 2, 2024 7:57:13 GMT -5
1. In a word describe last season. Why that word?
Predictable. We had insufficient quality to make a meaningful run. Once Dorsett got injured (again highly predictable) then we were cooked.
2. What was the off season plan? How did it go?
No real plan as no money or room for manoeuvere.
3. What would your team's most cynical and optimistic fans say about the upcoming season?
The cynical fans would say that it's going to be more of the same. Possibly get second place to the Rockies but not make any real playoff run. The optimistic fan would say that Tony Mora is probably going to deliver the same quantity of season stats that Dorsett did by virtue of being able to remain on the field. With that and a bit more growth in pitching we could sneak in to the playoffs
4. What are your odds for winning your division? If you don't, what team is most likely to?
5%. It's the Rockies division to lose.
5. How are your finances looking? What's the plan?
Shocking. After this season though both Sato and Phillips come off the books which releases about $60m between them so we can then start to rebuild.
6. Which player in your organization has the best chance of eventually being voted into the Hall of Fame?
Kenzaburo Sato would be there now if he wasn't still playing! I suspect this will be his last season as the decline is happening so I can't see us (or anyone else) re-signing him.
7. What is your 2071 World Series prediction?
Tigers over the Reds in 6
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Post by andrewtoronto on Apr 2, 2024 21:31:43 GMT -5
1. In a word describe last season. Why that word?
Unsurprising. We overachieved in 2069 to stay in race until mid-September, and 2070 saw Toronto underachieve (from our perspective, at least). Although not supremely talented, the Blue Jay bats held their own, ending up 8th in the AL in runs scored (most likely aided by the short RF porch and a plethora of platoons in the lineup). Conversely, the pitching staff struggled, ending up 12th in runs allowed.
While going from 82 to 76 wins was disappointing, there were bright spots. 2B/SS Jesus Gonzalez rebounded from a subpar 2069 and cemented his status as a long-term building block up the middle. CF Sam Hernandez became passable (up from atrocious) offensively and won his first gold glove in CF. 3B Stan Encell had another solid season as well. On the mound, SP Dave Braun regressed to the mean (in a positive way), while SP Hector Bautista endured a year-long sophomore slump after a breakout rookie season.
The financial disadvantages we face within the division are well-documented and without young stars, competing will be tough. Help is starting to arrive (looking at you, Tyrone Bryant), and we'll see if it's enough.
2. What was the off season plan? How did it go?
I had three priorities as we entered the off-season: upgrade the bullpen, C and SS. Although we entered the free agency flush (relatively speaking, given our budget) with $20m to spend, we wanted to be judicious with our spending. An early run at RP Mitchell Hilson went nowhere (spending 10% of our budget on a reliever is not smart or sustainable), so we settled for bringing in RP Bob Hunt and taking a flyer on former Blue Jay John DeLeon, who's now fully developed. We're hoping improvement can also be found by having Lou Markakis in the pen all season (he started 2070 in the rotation with mixed results). RP Mike Maddo, a waiver wire pick up from the Cubs, impressed in a bullpen role down the stretch, and he'll see high leverage innings to start the year. There is some concern about his flyball tendencies, but his stuff is electric, so we'll take the risk. Overall, I think our bullpen is stronger, but there's plenty of volatility in cheap relievers, so time will tell.
At catcher, we aggressively pursued C Manny Ortiz, who ultimately signed with Arizona in February. Ortiz is worthless offensively, but were really wanted him behind the plate to help our pitching staff. Thankfully, we claimed C Jose Rios off waivers from Atlanta to serve as our regular catcher. Rios is nothing special, but looks like an upgrade off of last year's pairing of Jake Miller (non-tendered) and Ernest Powell (DFA'd last sim after father time came for him this off-season). C Jing Shaw is a glove-first guy who will start in the backup role. I wish we could have done more here, but we didn't have the cash to nab Curt Powell and options outside of him were less than ideal.
We went dumpster diving at SS as well. Hunter Calhoun was signed in FA as an insurance policy, but ended up getting DFA'd at the end of camp. Mark Whitney was nabbed from Detroit in the Rule V, and he'll start the season sharing time with holdover Luis Pagan. Whether he sticks is another story, and will depend on he and the Blue Jays perform. Newly acquired Fraser Lambert will start the year at AAA and may get an opportunity if he plays well. A lot of uninspiring options here. Jesus Gonzalez (last year's SS) will start the year at 2B, but may slide over if needed (or if it's easier to grab a 2B to improve).
3. What would your team's most cynical and optimistic fans say about the upcoming season?
Cynics: Alberto Echebaria throws around nickels like man hole covers and it's affecting the team's ability to compete with the heavyweights in the AL East. Although it's admirable that the Blue Jays haven't bottomed out during the most recent rebuild, watching a team win 70-85 wins each year put them in purgatory and doesn't let them collect enough talent to compete. It's tough to expect anything more given the current build of the roster.
Optimists: Toronto has hovered around .500 the last couple of years built around cast offs and second tier prospects, and after years of waiting, the top farm system in the PBL (7 top 100 prospects) is finally ready to start bearing fruit. SP Tyrone Bryant will break camp with the Jays and has the potential to be the ace Toronto needs to make a move. If other starters falter, Keith Nelson and Dan Cross figure to be ready to step into the rotation by mid-season and Alfonso Mendez not far behind. The offense has steady performers in LF Mike Gonzalez, 2B Jesus Gonzalez, 3B Stan Encell and RF John Alcorn. DH Mels Isabekian has quietly put up at least an .833 OPS in 3 straight season, and will no longer be a butcher in the field after being moved off 1B. Late FA addition 1B Roberto Synder gives a young team the another steady performer and a captain to steer the ship. A playoff berth is probably a stretch, but underestimate this crew at your own peril.
4. What are your odds for winning your division? If you don't, what team is most likely to?
I'll say 15%. I think we have a solid team, but I think the Yankees and Orioles are better than solid. If the pitching can improve, we have a chance, and in the next year or two, I think we'll have the types of arms to do that (hopefully). I think it's the Yankees' division to win, but there's a lotta ballgame left!
5. How are your finances looking? What's the plan?
Not great, but it's life as the Jays, so no need to belabor the point. You can tell we're serious this year because our payroll is 25th in the league at $54 million. As I said earlier, we had room to spend this year, but with arby years coming for key contributors, we wanted to maintain flexibility for future years. We are also continuing to spend on player development and our draft budget. Although the draft is a crap shoot, it is a cheaper avenue to get top talent than free agency. We've gone over slot in recent years on Tyrone Bryant, Leonard Diaz, Keith Nelson, James Dyer and Maximo Campos, and thus far that's more hits than misses.
Going forward, the plan is to 1. check my mail each to see if my 81 year old owner croaked. 2. win some damn games to hopefully can some sort of budget increase going forward. Hopefully both happen this year.
6. Which player in your organization has the best chance of eventually being voted into the Hall of Fame?
Tyrone Bryant. He hasn't thrown a pitch in the PBL yet, but he's ready and looks like he could be a stud (and he's my first draft pick to make the show, so why not root for him). I hope he's that good, because his player profile reads like he might be a bit of an asshole.
7. What is your 2071 World Series prediction?
Tigers over Cardinals in 6...figure it's worth finding out whether picking the Commish to make the series can get you 10 credits or not. Looking forward to the season!
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Post by Ryan_NatsGM on Apr 2, 2024 23:59:45 GMT -5
1. In a word describe last season. Why that word?
Champs. Because we're the champs.
2. What was the off season plan? How did it go?
Continue to bolster the bullpen, move some extra OFs for future considerations, and adjust to life after Varquez. The bullpen was a success thanks to overpaying Mitchell Hilson, and I think I have the bats to cover for Varquez. Still need to make some minor moves on the farm though.
3. What would your team's most cynical and optimistic fans say about the upcoming season?
The cynics are saying we were lazy (again) and didn't make enough moves to sustain a dynasty. The optimists say we've done that for years and still manage to stay near the top.
4. What are your odds for winning your division? If you don't, what team is most likely to?
We won it by 22 games last year, and return most of that team, so I'd say the odds are high. Miami is probably the closest, and could become a challenger soon.
5. How are your finances looking? What's the plan?
Fine despite the slow decline in budget over the last few years. We need to extend Gallaghe and a few younger players before their arb years run out, but there's room to do that. If there's one thing I'm actually good at in this game it's not getting into budget trouble.
6. Which player in your organization has the best chance of eventually being voted into the Hall of Fame?
I suppose if Gallaghe retires now his WAR is borderline, but he isn't retiring right now and already has 5 Cy Youngs, so he's a lock. Cervantes should be a lock too at 81.1 WAR and counting.
7. What is your 2071 World Series prediction?
Tigers flip the script and get their revenge over me in a sweep.
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Post by Sean..Mariners GM on Apr 3, 2024 5:40:18 GMT -5
1. In a word describe last season. Why that word? Frustrating. After the 2069 season I thought we were turning the corner. But, It was the same old M's again. 2. What was the off season plan? How did it go? Revamp the SP a little. I did. But, probably wasn't good enough. 3. What would your team's most cynical and optimistic fans say about the upcoming season? Cynical: This team is so young and talented, why do the keep losing? Optimistic: This team is so young, this is finally the year! Dynasty!! 4. What are your odds for winning your division? If you don't, what team is most likely to? 0%. The Rockies 5. How are your finances looking? What's the plan? Finances are finally in great shape. If these young kids can finally play to their potential, we have the money to extend. 6. Which player in your organization has the best chance of eventually being voted into the Hall of Fame? If we can get Martin Davis some wins to get him MVP and Cy Young votes, it would be him. 7. What is your 2071 World Series prediction? I think Sean will bounce back...Cincy over Texas in 6.
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