Welcome back to year seven 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).
We had a disappointing season last year, going 80-82 and finishing third in the division. The owner isn’t happywith my performance and I’m in the last year of my contract, so I need to win now. The problem is my budgethas been cut by $32m and I need to part with some of my best players. Hopefully, I can work some magic and retool our team enough to save my job while not completely sacrificing our future.
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):
Brandon Komar
Komar was going to be our best pitcher this year but suffered a 12-month setback during his torn labrum recovery. He was eligible to return during the playoffs but sent back to the minors. I wouldn’t be surprised if he never plays in the majors again.
Here are his ratings at the end of last season.
Ben Bowden
Bowden was good for us last season but wanted too much to re-sign. He signed a 2/$3.2m deal with the Rangers and ruptured his UCL in April. He looks like he’s done as a major league pitcher.
Ludwin Jimenez
Jimenez is a solid player but got pushed out due to better options. He has a good chance of being back in the majors next year.
Joey Lucchesi
I didn’t bring back Lucchesi because he thought he was a starting pitcher, even though he’s not. The giants paid him like a starter, and he performed like a reliever forced into a starting role.
Jack Walker
Walker got roughed up last year so was sent back down to AA. He performed moderately there and will probably remain in the minors next season.
Freddy Galvis
Galvis’s ratings have slipped below MLB standards so I decided to let him leave as a free agent. He didn’t sign with a team this season.
Jeison Guzman
I wanted to keep Guzman as a minor league depth piece, but he was out of options. The Giants claimed him on waivers, released him two days later, then he signed a minor league deal with the Marlins, was eventually placed on waivers again, and then claimed by the Mets. His journey around the league didn’t do him any favors and he looks done as a major league player.
Ke’Bryan Hayes
Hayes had a couple of good seasons for us, but I decided to go with other options. He signed a minor league deal with the Bandits and was decent.
Move #1:
Slammers Receive: Josh Sheppard, $300k Cash
Braves Receive: Jack Flaherty, Bruce Ledezma
So, I need to win this season to save my job, and the first thing I do is trade my best player to a division rival for a player that might help us in three years. If I get fired this will probably be the reason why, but I really need to clear some budget room and this is by far the best offer available. We lost $29m last year and the owner isn’t going to be happy if we do that again. Hopefully, Flaherty tears his rotator cuff in spring training.
Move #2:
Signed Christian Vazquez to a 2/$4m extension. The second year is a team option with a $500k buyout.
Vazquez doesn’t really do anything on offense but he’s elite defensively. Maybe I’ll keep him around until he’s 40.
Move #3:
Slammers Receive: Connor Jones (40% retained), Robby Teeter, Sam Lauderdale
Angels Receive: Jose Paulino
Paulino was great last season but I’m betting on him falling off sooner than later. Also, if he has another good year, his arbitration estimate will get too high for my liking.
Jones is a dominant reliever and he’ll only cost me $3m a year for the next three seasons. I know his age makes him a risk for injury and regression, but his high character should get him through the rest of his contract.
Lauderdale is willing to accept a bullpen role and should be good as a long reliever. He can also make spot starts.
Teeter has some of the best batting potential I’ve ever seen. He looks like he could put up 8 WAR with just his bat. He’s also got great character and has performed well in the low minors. His defense and baserunning are awful, but I think I can work around those. He’ll make for an excellent replacement for Ohtani if I can’t re-sign him.
Move #4:
Slammers Receive: Ryan Castellani (5% retained)
Rockies Receive: Jesus Atencio
I’m once again in desperate need of starting pitching, so I’m taking a chance on Castellani. Hopefully he can be a league average pitcher outside of Coors.
Atencio is a career minor leaguer.
Move #5 (part 1, part 2, part 3):
Slammers Receive: $13.1m Cash
Slammers Lose: J.D. Brock, Scott Kobos, Nelson Gomez
I’m probably going to need cash for draft picks and an international amateur, so I went ahead and started selling prospects. Some of these guys are useful minor leaguers but they’re probably not going to play in the majors.
Move #6:
Slammers Receive: A.J. Puk (75% retained)
Dodgers Receive: Jesse Lepore
Puk is pretty old but still looks like he could be really good. Hopefully my defense will allow him to excel. He’ll cost us about $1m per year for the next two seasons.
Move #7:
Signed free agent Blake Taylor to a 3/$9m deal. The third year is a team option with a $500k buyout.
The last time Taylor played for us he was an all-star and one of the top relievers in the game. I’m hoping he gets back to form after spending two years in the Coors pitcher torture chamber.
Move #8:
Slammers Receive: Taylor Walls (60% retained)
Pirates Receive: Rio Britton, Andy Clayton, Sam Thompson
I needed another infielder after Hayes left in free agency and Walls was available on the trading block. He’s been pretty good the last couple of years and will cost a little under $4m a year for the next two seasons. Clayton is the only player I didn’t want to part with, but I think his odds of reaching the majors are slim.
Move #9:
Signed free agent Hee-Joon Bang to a 3/$22.5m contract.
This signing is directly tied to the next move. I’ll try to justify it below.
Move #10:
Slammers Receive: Clayton Andrews (10% retained), Hunter Mink
Mariners Receive: Jordan Alvarez
Alvarez is really good but he’s probably going to be really expensive his last two arbitration years. He’ll make $5m this season, $6.5m next season, then probably $10m+ the two years after that. I decided I’d rather lock in Bang at $7.5m for the next three years than play the arbitration game with Alvarez. Also, Bang is durable and better fits my system.
Andrews is a really good lefty reliever that will fill the middle relief spot vacated by Lucchesi and Fink will get a shot at the starting rotation. This seems like a great deal in the aggregate.
Final Financial Situation:
The owner dropped our budget another $2m at the start of the preseason, so we only have about $11m in available funds heading into the season. If I need a pitcher, I’ll spend the money on one of those over signing draft picks since we need to win now.
Here are the salaries heading into the season.
Move #11:
Slammers Receive: $1m Cash
Royals Receive: Luis Araujo
Here’s our annual “prospect for cash” trade. I don’t think I’ve given up anything of value in one of these yet.
Season Outlook:
I’d say we have about a 60% chance of making the playoffs. I probably could’ve done more to win now but would’ve had to give up too much. Even if I have a winning record this year, I’m probably not going to do enough to get a multi-year extension, so I need to plan for winning next season too.
The pitching is mediocre, the bullpen should be dominant, the offense should be better with a full season of Bernal, and the defense should be elite. We have a good amount of pitching depth in the minors, and a moderate amount of position player depth. Hopefully, we stay healthy and win more games than we lose.
Batters:
Primary Lineup vs. RHP when Healthy (\DH enabled in both leagues)*
3B – Nick Gordon
I moved Gordon back to the leadoff spot after a strong 2026 campaign, but he struggled and ended the year on the bench. He’s an upcoming free agent and probably won’t return.
LF – Jeisson Rosario
Rosario had a monster season. He had an OPS+ of 124 and won his first gold glove. I doubt he can keep up his .387 BABIP but he should be an above average player going forward.
He sent me a message in May saying he wanted an extension, so I asked and couldn’t believe how low his demands were. He wanted 3/$5.7m but I decided he deserved more and offered 3/$6m. He accepted and now I have one of the best value contracts in the game.
1B – Ernesto Bernal
I had high expectations for Bernal after his great rookie season, but he was pretty underwhelming. It looks like he had some bad luck with his .261 BABIP, so hopefully he bounces back next year. I need him to be good.
DH – Shohei Ohtani
Ohtani was amazing this year. He was the hitter of the month for May and June, was named an all-star starter, won the platinum stick award at DH, and was named MVP. He also made a really strong run at the triple crown.
He’s been our best player since the day he arrived and is the undisputed face of the franchise. I want to bring him back, but I don’t think I can afford his 7/$245m demand. I’m hoping I can get him for around 4/$120 in free agency, but I honestly have no clue how the AI teams will value him with his pitching ratings.
RF – Will Shirah
Shirah had another solid year but missed the last month of the season to injury. He’ll probably be back.
2B – Taylor Walls
Walls was a great acquisition. He ended up replacing Gordon in the leadoff spot and won his first gold glove at second base. He has one year remaining on his contract that I’ll have to pay about $4m of.
C – Christian Vazquez
It seems like whoever I name the starting catcher is bound to have a bad season and be replaced by the backup. Vazquez was really bad the first half of the year, missed four weeks to injury, was moved to the bench when he returned, then played better after that. I’ll bring him back as the number two catcher next season.
SS – Willie Vega
Vega continues to be excellent in the field. He had a zone rating of 28.4 and won his second straight gold glove. He’s improved offensively and I’m hoping he can be a league average hitter next year. I might look to lock him up long term so I’m not paying market value for a 7 WAR short stop in a few seasons.
CF – Franyel Baez
Baez has been a steady presence for us the last four seasons, providing excellent center field defense and competent offense. I should have a couple of in-house replacements ready by the time he hits free agency.
Bench
C – Drew Romo
Romo is the best defensive catcher in the game and had his best offensive season yet. He’ll be the starter next year.
IF – Marcelo Mayer
Mayer had one good year in 2025 but hasn’t done much since. He started off the season in the majors so I could keep my top prospect in AAA and then was sent down to AAA himself halfway through the year. An injury to Walls forced him back up the next day but he was sent back down when Walls returned and finished the year in AAA.
OF – Matt Hogan
Hogan had an amazing 2025 season, but I think that was a mirage. He’s been bad the last two seasons and probably won’t be back for a third. I’ll give one of my minor leaguers a shot at the fourth outfielder position.
Replacements
IF – Josh Epps
Epps was number one on my top prospects list last season and was ready to start the season in the majors, but I kept him in the minors to get another year of control. He was called up halfway through the season to replace Mayer as the utility infielder but was forced into a starting role when Walls went down to injury the next day. Epps played so well I had to leave him in the starting lineup when Walls returned, and he looks like he’ll be a top performer for many years to come.
C – Roberto Alvarez
Alvarez was called up for a few weeks when Vazquez was injured and was pretty bad. He’s out of options years so won’t return if someone picks him up on waivers.
OF – Christian Moore
Moore was forced up again this season due to injuries and was actually pretty good after a rough first few games. He was the starter the last couple weeks of the season and will be in consideration for a role next season.
OF – Tim Mehler
Mehler was called up when Hogan and Shirah were both injured, and my AA and AAA replacements were also injured. He’ll start next season at AA and hopefully improves his contact before getting called up again.
Pitchers:
Pitching Staff when Healthy
SP – Justin Steele
Steele wasn’t very good and couldn’t stay on the field due to injuries, so I shipped him off in June.
Move #12:
Slammers Receive: Mike Ruhs
Indians Receive: Justin Steele (100% retained)
This isn’t a great value trade, but it was better than the alternative of releasing Steele or letting him continue to play poorly. Ruhs should be a member of the bullpen sooner than later.
SP – Rawley Hector
Hector looks like he should be better but he’s just kind of average. The only problem I can find is he has a poor relationship with the bench coach. Hopefully, he’s better next season.
SP – Cooper Benson
Benson is a perfectly average starter and should be back next season.
SP – Ryan Castellani
Castellani was below average but healthy. I have him signed for one more year cheap, so he will return if better options don’t emerge.
SP – A.J. Puk
Puk was decent and should return. Maybe he’ll have a breakout season next year and get me a compensation pick.
CL – Hee-Joon Bang
Bang did about what I expected. He was an all-star, won pitcher of the month in July, and was voted the reliever of the year. He’ll be back next season.
SU – Connor Jones
Jones was dominant. He had an FIP of 2.52 and finished second in the reliever of the year voting. I have him under contract for two more seasons, so he will return.
MR – Curtis Taylor
Taylor was really good and should be back. He has a few more years of team control.
MR – Andres Nunez
Nunez has been solid for five seasons with us and will be back for his last arbitration season.
MR – Blake Taylor
I was hoping Taylor would bounce back after getting away from Coors field and he did. He’ll be back for two more seasons at $3m per year.
MR – Clayton Andrews
Andrews struggled to start the year but came on strong late. He’ll be back for his last arbitration season.
MR – Corbin Clouse
Clouse has been a steady presence for six years but is about to enter free agency. I might bring him back if I can’t find a suitable lefty replacement.
LR – Sam Lauderdale
Lauderdale filled his role perfectly. He provided league average performance during garbage time innings. He’ll be back next season.
LR – Argenis Angulo
Angulo has improved significantly since last season. I wish he would have done this before his last arbitration season, but he didn’t, so I’m probably going to lose him as a free agent.
Replacements
SP – Hunter Mink
Mink filled in for Steele during his multiple IL stints early in the year, then replaced him full time when he was traded. He was my best pitcher the first half of the season, winning pitcher of the month in June and making the all-star team but fell off later in the year. He’ll be back next season.
SP – Seth Halvorsen
Halvorsen had to make a couple of emergency starts and got roughed up. He might return as a long reliever next season.
MR – Willie Rosas
Rosas had an interesting journey to the majors. He went from potential ace in 2022 to complete bust in 2023and has now become a top bullpen option. He was called up when rosters expanded and pitched really well. He’ll have a spot next season.
My only concern is he might expect to be a starter sooner than later and I don’t want him starting with that movement.
SP – Pat Dibartolo
Dibartolo was called up in early August as an injury replacement, sent back down at the end of the month, then called back up again when rosters expanded. He was part of the six-man rotation the last month of the season and pitched really well. I really needed a prankster, so he will definitely return.
Season Results:
We avoided the slow start from last season and played well the first half of the year, going 44-37 and remaining within three games of the division leading Marlins. The starting pitching was shaky, but the bullpen was lights out and Ohtani was playing like a golden god. He had an OPS+ over 200 and was on pace for 10.6 WAR at the halfway point.
We continued to play well the third quarter of the year but so did the Braves and Marlins. We were 68-54 and third in the division, 2 ½ games behind the leader. The Marlins slipped a bit late and the race came down to us and the Braves. We were one game back with 20 games remaining but couldn’t make up any ground and remained one back with seven games left. Our last two series of the year were against the Braves and Cardinals. We took three of four against the Braves to take the division lead for the first time all year, then swept the Cardinals to lock up the division. Considering what was on the line this season, this was a huge accomplishment.
We had some difficult decisions heading into the playoffs. Shirah was injured for two more days and not allowed on the playoff roster, and Mehler was called up too late to be eligible. I debated transferring Shirah to the 60-day IL to allow Mehler to play but decided to try my luck without a fourth outfielder so Shirah could come back the next round.
I had six solid starters heading into the playoffs and went with Mink, Dibartolo, Puk, and Benson for the rotation and moved Hector and Castellani to the bullpen. It was tough to leave out Hector, but it doesn’t really make sense to keep a five man rotation.
Our first-round opponent was the 90-72 Phillies, led by Eloy Jimenez. We started off the series great with a 7-0 victory and got seven shutout innings from Mink. Then they bounced back to win game two 9-3, then game three 5-0. Our offense was struggling but came to life in the last three games as we won those 13-6, 14-5, and 9-0. Vega was named series MVP and Shirah is now eligible to return for the next round.
Next up was the 102-60 Brewers, led by Luke Leto and Christian Yelich. They were loaded with talent and had the best record in the NL. We lost a tight one 3-4 in game one but evened the series with a 4-2 game two victory. Romo had four RBIs and Dibartolo gave us eight innings of two-run ball. We then took a 3-1 series lead behind two great pitching performances in games three and four. Mink gave us nine shutout innings in a 1-0 game three victory and Puk pitched six scorless in a 3-0 game four win. The Brewers weren’t ready to go home yet and won games five and six. They knocked out Benson and Dibartolo early in each game, winning them 5-2 and 7-1. Our postseason ace Mink started game seven and gave us six innings of three run work, which was enough for an 8-3 victory. Romo was named series MVP.
I wasn’t too surprised by the first-round victory but couldn’t believe we beat the Brewers. They were by far the superior team on paper. We’re playing with house money at this point and anything else is a bonus.
Our next opponent was the 105-57 Mariners. They had the best offense and defense in the league and a star-studded roster. The rotation was led by Jose Corniell, the lineup by Cody Bellinger, and the bullpen had five all-world relievers with Jordan Alvarez, Edwin Diaz, Josh Hader, Andres Munoz, and Gerardo Cuevas. This is the classic David vs. Goliath matchup.
We had a tough start the series. Corniell pitched nine innings and gave up one run in a 5-1 game one loss, Benson was roughed up early in a 7-0 game two defeat, then we were shutout again in a 2-0 game three loss. I had a feeling we’d have trouble scoring against them and we did. We avoided the sweep with a 6-2 game four victory, then won game five after an eighth inning rally and blown save by Cuevas. We were heading back to Seattle for game six and had momentum on our side. We knocked out McCullers in the first inning and took an easy victory, tying the series 3-3. Benson gave up 1 run over 7.2 innings.
So here we are, a team with a manager on the hotseat and just hoping to have a winning record, and we’re one game away from winning the World Series.
The pitching matchup for the final game was the rookie Dibartolo vs. Evan Taylor. We started off great with solo shots in the first and third from Rosario and Baez and a 2-0 lead, but they rallied back with a 3-run fourth to go up 3-2. Dibartolo settled down and pitched another 1.2 innings before Nunez took over in the sixth inning. Moore reached base on a two-out single in the top of the seventh, then advanced to second on an error on a pick-off attempt. Baez drove him in on a single, tying the game 3-3. There were a few close calls, but the score remained 3-3 at the end of nine. Angulo pitched 3 scoreless relief innings, with 2.2 of those coming in extra innings, and struck out five. He kept us alive until Taylor took over with one out in the twelfth and ended the inning. Their bullpen was thin due to knocking out their starters early in games five and six, so McCullers started the thirteenth despite getting rocked just the day before. Walls hit a one out solo shot, then Rosario and Bernal singled before they intentionally walked Ohtani to load the bases. It looked like we were about to blow it wide open, but Epps struck out and Romo flew out to retire the side. Taylor started the thirteenth and the Mariners had Dalbec, Walton, and Raleigh due up. Dalbec flew out to right, Walton struck out swinging, and Raleigh did the same. We closed out the inning, the game, and the World Series! Walls was named series MVP.
In just the seventh year of the franchise’s existence, we’ve won our first World Series! I tried to assemble a solid team at the beginning of the season but had no clue we’d be able to pull this off. We had to fight just to make the playoffs and then win six elimination games in the final two rounds. Hopefully, this is the first championship of many to come!
The playoff revenue was huge for our bottom line. We ended the regular season with a $9m deficit but were $19m in the green after winning the World Series. We also got a huge boost in fan interest, going from 66 to 98 by the end of the year.
The owner is good with my performance and gave me a three-year extension at the start of the offseason.
Here are the rest of the playoff results and MLB standings.
Top Prospects:
1.) John Edlich
I left Edlich off the list last year because I’ve been fooled too many times with international amateurs, but after a year in rookie ball I think he’s the real deal. He could be a 10 WAR pitcher if he reaches his full potential. It’s very tempting to see if he can reach that potential in my system, but there are some serious red flags. He suffered a torn rotator cuff at the end of the season, and he has low intelligence. The safe money is to trade him for something lower risk, but I might roll the dice since he has more potential than any pitcher in the game.
2.) Robby Teeter
Teeter makes my decision with Ohtani even more difficult. He’s an in-house replacement that looks like he can step into the majors and be a top-ten hitter from day one. His batting potential is so good it almost seems too good to be true. He can’t play in the field, but I don’t play Ohtani in the field either. The only thing Ohtani provides that Teeter doesn’t is good baserunning.
If I decide to bring Ohtani back I’ll have to trade Teeter. I can’t start two DHs, and it just doesn’t make sense to keep a talent like Teeter in the minors. I really have no clue what I’m going to do.
3.) Chad Arnold
I have pitching prospects with more potential, but Arnold is the safest bet to make the majors. His ratings are more actual than potential, he has high character, durable injury proneness, and has performed well at every level he’s played at. I’ll start him in AA next year.
4.) Josh Sheppard
Sheppard was the return in the Jack Flaherty trade, so he really needs to pan out. He didn’t do as well as I wanted this year, but I think a lot of that was bad luck. He had a BABIP of .365. He’s probably going to repeat A+, but I could move him up to AA if his control improves before next season.
5.) Sean Whiteman
Whiteman has filled out a bit since last year, but I was hoping for more progress. I’m also hoping his movement improves in the next year or two or he might not cut it in the majors. He’ll start next season at AA.
6.) Joey Hudson
Hudson doesn’t have the same potential as last season, but he could still be a very useful player. He didn’t perform as well as I wanted at A- but his ratings suggest he’s ready for A, so I’ll start him there next year.
7.) Andrew McGee
I think McGee has better offensive ratings than some of the guys on my major league roster. I’m not a fan of promoting teenagers out of the low minors but McGee has no business down there. He’ll begin next season at A.
8.) Chris West
I have a hoard of above average pitching prospects, so hopefully a few of them pan out and I have a good major league rotation in a few years. I’ll probably start West at A- next season due to his low control.
9.) Josh Langdon
Langdon has improved across the board since last season and should find himself in the majors in a few seasons if he stays healthy. He’ll repeat A- next year.
10.) Chris Ryan
Ryan has realized a lot of his potential since last season and looks just about ready for the majors. He’ll start the year at AA and could get called up as an injury replacement.
Honorable mentions:
Josh Berkner
Berkner had a great year in A+ and saw his ratings increase since last season. He got some nice experience at short stop this year and I’ll try to get him some time at left and right field next season. He looks like he’ll be an awesome utility player in a year or two.
Jesus Medina
I love relievers with this profile. He’s pretty much a top starter without the stamina. He pitched well in limited appearances but will probably repeat rookie ball.
Oscar Trevino
Trevino’s ratings are about the same as last year, but I still think he can be a useful utility player. I kind of forgot about the whole “left handers can’t play 2B, SS, or 3B”, so I force started him at third base and he did awful in the field. I’ll start him at A+ next year.
Joe McKinney
McKinney has improved tremendously since last season and looks like he’s only a year or two from the majors. He’ll start next season in A.
Josh Snellgrove
Snellgrove’s ratings have improved since last season and he finally broke through in rookie ball. He’ll start next season at A and I’m still hopeful his catcher ability improves some.
Promoted to MLB:
Josh Epps, Pat Dibartolo, Tim Mehler
Dropped from list:
Dan Gay
I had high hopes for Gay, but his ratings appear to have flamed out since last year. Low control seems to be the quickest way for a prospect to not make it. He’ll start next season at A+.
Mike Marrone
Marrone still looks like he’ll be a good hitter but not good enough to keep on the list. He’ll spend one more season in rookie ball.
Here are his ratings from last year.
Esteban Gutierrez
Gutierrez is the annual winner of the “international amateur free agent that loses all of his potential in two years” award. Here’s his 2026 ratings that I can look at like in the wolverine meme.
Future Outlook:
It’s hard not to be excited about a team that just won the World Series. We won it all and have the ability to bring back almost everyone. I have a really tough decision with Ohtani/Teeter but I think we’ll be fine no matter which way I decide.
The budget will be the same next season but should be significantly improved the year after that due to the increased fan interest. Here are the salaries heading into the offseason: (part 1, part 2).

Welcome back to year ten 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).
We had another good year last season, finishing 98-64. That was good enough for the second-best record in the league but only second in the division, so we missed out on the playoffs. Hopefully, we can maintain a similar record and make the playoffs 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 is a good defender but can’t cut it at the plate in the majors. I doubt he gets called up again.
Franyel Baez
Baez gave us six good years, but I decided it was time to part ways. He signed a minor league deal with the Orioles and did well when he played, but I doubt he’ll ever get the opportunity to be a full-time starter again.
Will Shirah
Shirah had a $10m arbitration estimate and was coming off an injury plagued season, so I decided to let him walk. He signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers and ended up starting 138 games for them. He was decent but I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t get another shot next year.
Hee-joon Bang
Bang was great during his three-year tenure with us, but I didn’t feel comfortable paying a 36-year-old as much as he wanted. He signed a 2/$24m deal with the Angels and played well, but not nearly as good as his previous two seasons.
David Bednar
I was scared off by Bednar’s age and regression, so let him leave as a free agent. He signed with the rival Braves and did well.
Corbin Clouse
Clouse was decent last year but I decided to let him leave as a free agent since he’s getting pretty old. He signed with San Diego and played well, but they put him on waivers, and he was claimed by Pittsburgh. I feel like he’s got to fall off a cliff sooner than later.
Blake Taylor
Taylor had too many injuries for my liking last season, so I decided to let him walk. He signed with Boston and was passable.
Move #1:
Signed free agent Chang-hyeok Kim to a 5/$30m contract. The fifth year is a team option with a $1m buyout.
I’m breaking a lot of my rules by signing Kim. He’s an old reliever with bad character, and I signed him to a long-term deal. If this doesn’t work out, I shouldn’t be too surprised. Hopefully, the other guys can keep him in line.
Move #2:
Signed free agent Ali Sanchez to a 2/$3m contract. The second year is a team option with a $500k buyout.
Sanchez will take the backup catcher role. Hopefully, he doesn’t fall off a cliff midseason.
Final Financial Situation:
We have about $26m in budget room to start the year, so we shouldn’t have any issues signing draft picks and an international amateur.
Here are the salaries heading into the season.
Season Outlook:
We didn’t do much this offseason, but I don’t think we needed to. We had the second-best record in baseball last year and brought back most of the team. We have some young guys that are going to get a shot and hopefully some of them break out.
If we stay healthy, I think we’ll win 90+ games and compete for the division, and if we make the playoffs, I like our chances as much as anyone else.
If you read last year’s version, you might remember my top prospect Chris West. His ratings have continued to explode, and he looks ready for the majors. I’m very excited to see what a true ace can do with our defense, but I’m going to try to keep him in the minors the first month or two.
Batters:
Primary Lineup vs. RHP when Healthy (\DH enabled in both leagues)*
1B – Ernesto Bernal
I wish I would’ve put Bernal in the leadoff spot a few years ago, he’s been excellent here the last two seasons. He had his best season yet, making his first all-star team. He thinks he should be in the middle of the lineup, but he’s wrong. I guess my scout misevaluated his intelligence rating.
LF – Jeisson Rosario
Rosario has been with us since day one. He bounced back and forth between the majors and minors the first few years, but he’s been a solid starter the last six seasons. I’m tempted to re-sign him, but it’s probably time to give some of my young guys a shot.
3B – Fernando Tatis Jr.
Tatis came back with a vengeance this season. He was an all-star starter, won batter of the month in June, and won the platinum stick award at third base. He probably had the best season in franchise history, which is saying a lot since Ohtani won two MVPs, but he came up short of winning the award himself. He finished third behind Bovain and Torres.
Tatis has two years remaining on his deal and should be back.
DH – Robby Teeter
Teeter wasn’t as good as his first two seasons, but still had a really good year, making his third all-star team. His arbitration estimate is close to $12m and he had seven weeks of day-to-day injuries, so he might get moved in the next couple of seasons.
RF – Andrew McGee
I had a feeling McGee wasn’t going to last long in the league. He had durable injury proneness coming out of the draft, but quickly racked up leg injuries and saw his proneness drop to normal. He suffered a torn PCL in August and will be out until June of next year.
This is why you need to pay close attention to injury histories, instead of only relying on injury proneness ratings. Injury proneness is an average of their individual injury ratings, so it won’t tell you if a guy is highly susceptible in only one category.
I’ll trade him as soon as I can. Hopefully, he still has some value.
2B – Josh Epps
I’m starting to wonder if Epps is completely out of secret sauce. He’ll return due to his character and defense, but I’m not expecting anything offensively going forward. This is part of the reason I don’t like signing young guys to long-term deals.
C – Drew Romo
Romo continues to be excellent defensively and competent at the plate. He’s an upcoming free agent that wants 4/$52m to re-sign, so I’m going to let him enter free agency. I have a feeling I can get him for a much better price on the open market.
SS – Willie Vega
Vega had another great season but missed out on winning a fifth straight gold glove. His last arbitration estimate is close to $15m and I’ll probably bring him back since I don’t know where I can get a comparable replacement.
I’m not crazy about signing a guy without positive character attributes to a long -term deal, so he’ll probably leave as a free agent after next season. It’s tempting to go ahead and trade him now, but I’m perfectly fine getting a compensation pick. I trust in my ability to draft good players.
CF – Joey Hudson
Hudson is probably the best center fielder in our franchise’s ten-year history. He’ll be back next season.
Bench
C – Ali Sanchez
Sanchez provided exactly what I wanted in a backup catcher. I’ll pick up his team option for next season.
IF – Josh Berkner
I was hoping Berkner could improve to a league average hitter, but I’m fine what he provides. He plays five positions and has the prankster personality trait.
OF – Tim Mehler
Mehler can’t really hit but is an ace defender. He backed up all three outfield positions and saved a lot of runs.
Replacements
OF – Oscar Trevino
Trevino filled in for McGee for a few weeks in May and wasn’t very good. I’m not giving up on him though, he’ll get another chance if injuries arise next year.
IF – Manny Monzon
Monzon filled in for Epps when he missed five weeks. His defense was so good he had positive WAR while posting an OPS+ of 50. This might be my Vega replacement after next year.
OF – Mike Startzel
Startzel was drafted last season and started in the majors just a year later. He played well and will probably be the starter next season.
Pitchers:
Pitching Staff when Healthy
SP – Hunter Mink
Mink had another great year, leading the team in pitching WAR. I have two more years of team control, but his arbitration estimate is $13.1m and he’s getting close to 30 years old. I might go ahead and move him while his trade value is still high.
SP – Giles Palacios
Palacios had a great third season with us, starting the all-star game and finishing second in the Cy Young voting. If I’m going to extend one of my pitchers, he’ll probably be the one, but it depends what the rest of the financials looks like.
SP – Pat Dibartolo
Dibartolo is a really good pitcher, but probably the worst two-time Cy Young winner I’ve ever seen. He won the award this year despite being the third best pitcher on the team. He’s still really good though, and extremely popular, so he’ll be around for a while.
SP – Rawley Hector
Hector was passable this year but demoted to make room for my star pitching prospect. He might get another look next season if I move on from Mink.
SP – Sean Whiteman
Whiteman wasn’t as good as I wanted but I think he’ll be better in his second full season.
RP – Chris Ryan
Last year I was worried Ryan’s ratings would stall out, but he’s progressed nicely. His performance was slightly worse this season, although I’m not too worried. There’s a lot of variance with relief pitchers.
RP – Connor Jones
Jones had a good year, but his ratings have slipped and I’m going to decline his team option.
RP – Ludwin Jimenez
Jimenez was decent but I had a to make room to call up my phenom reliever, and he was the odd man out. He might be back next year.
RP – Mike Ruhs
Ruhs is really good and will be back for many years.
RP – Taylor Guilbeau
Guilbeau had a good year but his ratings started falling fast at the end of the season. I’m going to decline his team option.
RP – Sam Lauderdale
Lauderdale continues to be a steady presence in the bullpen and will return next year.
RP – Joe McKinney
McKinney played well and his ratings have improved since last season. I’m expecting big things from him next year.
RP – Chang-hyeok Kim
Year one of the Chang-hyeok Kim experiment was a success. He made the all-star team and won reliever of the year. I’m probably going to go ahead and move him though. His ratings have slipped slightly since his signing and I have a new guy that makes him redundant. Hopefully, I can get an asset for him, but I’ll settle for a salary dump.
RP – Cooper Benson
Benson was pushed out of the rotation due to better options but could return to a starting role next year. It’s always nice to have pitching depth like this.
Replacements
SP – Chris West
I kept West in the minors as long as I could then put him in the starting rotation in June. He did well for a 21-year-old rookie and should be even better next year.
SP – Josh Sheppard
It took a while, but the return from the Jack Flaherty trade finally made his major league debut. He made nine starts, posting an FIP of 3.16, and will be in the rotation next season.
RP – Corey MacDonald
I’m really not sure what to do with MacDonald. He worked as a starter in AA, winning the pitcher of the year award, then moved to the bullpen when called up and dominated as a reliever. I wouldn’t hesitate to put him in the rotation if his slider was rated above 45, but the lack of a third pitch and a questionable stamina/hold runners combo has me doubtful he can start.
RP – Tommy Noonan
If you don’t click on any other profile in this write up, click on this one. Noonan is unreal. He faced 48 batters and struck out 25 of them. If he continues at this rate, he’ll be the greatest reliever of all time.
Season Results:
We started the year strong, going 25-15 our first 40 games, and never let up. We clinched the division with fifteen games remaining and had a record of 106-56. This was our best team yet and I really liked our chances heading into the playoffs. We had four good starting pitchers, a dominant bullpen, and three elite batters.
Our first-round opponent was the 86-76 Giants, led by Jack Flaherty, Joey Bart, Luis Robert, and Danny Hoover. They had a solid team, but nowhere near as good as ours.
We started off the series strong, winning game one 8-2. Palacios struck out ten and gave up one earned over seven innings, and the offense came through with three homers. We were still rolling in game two, up 4-2 in the eighth, then our young stud reliever Macdonald gave up a two-run shot to tie the game 4-4, followed by our other hot-shot reliever Noonan giving up a go-ahead solo shot in the tenth. They held on to win game two 5-4. We looked to get back on track in game three, but the offense sputtered, and we lost 3-1. The offense continued to struggle, scoring two runs total the next two games, and they closed out the series.
We went from postseason favorites to knocked out 4-1 in the first round. Good times. Then, to add insult to injury, we were as many steps removed from the championship as possible.
Here are the rest of the playoff results and MLB standings.
On a positive note, my contract was extended for three years. I’m a long way removed from worrying about whether or not I’m going to be fired. I honestly didn’t even know my contract was expiring.
Top Prospects:
There are a lot of new faces this year since seven players from last season’s list were promoted to the majors. There are a couple of guys I don’t love at the bottom of the list but a great draft this year has restocked the talent at the top.
1.) Andy Schaffer
For the second year in a row, I’ve had a pitcher get a huge ratings boost and jump to the number one spot. Last season it was Chris West and this time it’s Andy Schaffer. The big difference between the two is that West was already a good prospect before jumping to number one, but Schaffer wasn’t even on my radar last season. When I made the rankings last year, I was going off Schaffer’s 5/19/2029 scouting report, which had him as a 20-potential player, but his ratings have exploded since then. His control and stuff have improved significantly, and he’s added a really good sinker. I had no clue he’d become this when I drafted him, I really just took a flier on his high movement. He’ll begin next season at A+.
2.) Edwin Mireles
Mireles might be my first successful international amateur free agent signing in five years. He had a solid season in rookie ball and his potential has held steady. His defensive ratings improved slightly and I’m hoping they can get even better. I’ll probably move him to A- next season.
3.) Dave Codes
Codes had a great year in rookie ball and looks like he’ll be a legitimate masher in a few seasons. He’ll start next year in A or A+.
4.) Chris Dearborn
The next three players on the list were all taken in this year’s draft and are a huge reason our minor league system is in such good shape. If Dearborn’s changeup develops, he’ll be a top starter, and I like his chances due to his high work ethic and durability.
He had an “impossible” signing bonus demand, so I was able to scoop him up in the fifth round. He agreed to sign for $10m.
5.) Eddie Copping
I don’t love Copping’s movement, but he had the best combination of character, durability, and talent on the board. He had a great season in rookie ball and will begin next year in A+.
6.) Bobby Butler
Butler had a solid season in rookie ball and will probably begin next season in A-. He has a good chance of becoming an MLB starter if he can stay healthy.
7.) Josh Snellgrove
Snellgrove had a good year in A+ and I’ll probably start him in AAA next season as the first injury replacement. His defense has rounded out since last year, but it looks like his talent might’ve capped out. Hopefully, he has something extra in the tank.
8.) Josh Boston
If Boston reaches his full potential, he’ll be a very useful player. Hopefully, his leadership improves at some point.
9.) Josh McBride
McBride really only has the potential to be a utility player, but there’s nothing wrong with that. He’ll start next season at AA, and I’ll start training him at different positions.
10.) Steve Flores
Flores doesn’t look to have enough hitting potential to survive in the majors, but his defense and character might get him there. He’ll start next season at A+.
Promoted to MLB:
Chris West, Josh Sheppard, Joey Hudson, Joe McKinney, Tommy Noonan, Corey MacDonald, Oscar Trevino
Dropped from list:
Josh Langdon
Langdon has developed nicely since last season but I’m out on him. I don’t trust fragile pitchers, so he’ll be traded.
Future Outlook:
It’s always disappointing when your 100+ win team gets knocked out in the first round, but the franchise is in a great position overall. We have lots of talent at every level of the organization, no bad contracts, and good fan interest/loyalty. I would love to win another championship, but I think we’re doing pretty good for a team that didn’t exist ten years ago.
The books are getting a bit tighter, so I’ll probably have to move a few of our key contributors, but I think we have enough minor league depth to keep rolling.
Here is the budget and salaries heading into the offseason.
Ten Year Review:
The transition from “scrappy expansion team trying to compete with the big boys” to “legitimate perennial contender” has been exciting. We’ve had multiple thrilling pennant races and an amazing World Series run. We started off with a team full of rookies and veteran castoffs, and no farm system, but now have talent up and down the organization. I’m very happy with where we’re at.
I was interested to see where our players and production have come from over the last ten years, so I decided to plot it out. Here’s the percentage of players by acquisition type and the percentage of total WAR by acquisition type. Unsurprisingly, we’ve relied less and less on expansion and rule 5 draft players and started filling out the team with draft picks. The bulk of our production still comes from players acquired in trades, but I’m hoping that changes over the next few years. I really hope we can develop that home grown superstar sooner than later.
I was also interested to see who the top players were for the first decade, so I ranked the top-five position players, starting pitchers, and relievers by total WAR and then by single season WAR. The rankings are below:
\Total WAR Player profiles are from the most recent season with team*
Top 5 Position Players by Total WAR
1.) Shohei Ohtani (6 Seasons, 29.9 WAR)
2.) Willie Vega (5 Seasons, 22.1 WAR)
3.) Jeisson Rosario (10 Seasons, 19 WAR)
4.) Nick Gordon (7 Seasons, 17.7 WAR)
5.) Ernesto Bernal (6 Seasons, 14.7 WAR)
Top 5 Position Player Seasons by WAR
1.) 2030 Fernando Tatis Jr. (9 WAR)
2.) 2023 Shohei Ohtani (8.2 WAR)
3.) 2027 Shohei Ohtani (6.6 WAR)
4.) 2022 Nolan Arenado (5.9 WAR)
5.) 2029 Willie Vega (5.7 WAR)
Top 5 Starting Pitchers by Total WAR
1.) Hunter Mink (4 Seasons, 16 WAR)
2.) Jack Flaherty (3 Seasons, 13.7 WAR)
2.) Jose Paulino (5 Seasons, 13.7 WAR)
4.) Pat Dibartolo (4 Seasons, 11.9 WAR)
5.) Justin Steele (7 Seasons, 11.4 WAR)
Top 5 Starting Pitcher Seasons by WAR
1.) 2024 Jack Flaherty (5.2 WAR)
2.) 2030 Hunter Mink (5 WAR)
3.) 2026 Jose Paulino (4.9 WAR)
4.) 2028 Hunter Mink (4.6 WAR)
4.) 2030 Gilles Palacios (4.6 WAR)
Top 5 Relievers by Total WAR
1.) Hee-joon Bang (3 Seasons, 10.1 WAR)
2.) Blake Taylor (7 Seasons, 9.6 WAR)
3.) Argenis Angulo (6 Seasons, 6 WAR)
4.) Jordan Alvarez (2 Seasons, 5.2 WAR)
5.) Connor Jones (5 Seasons, 5.2 WAR)
Top 5 Reliever Seasons by WAR
1.) 2028 Hee-joon Bang (3.9 WAR)
1.) 2029 Hee-joon Bang (3.9 WAR)
3.) 2026 Jordan Alvarez (3.4 WAR)
4.) 2030 Chang-hyeok Kim (2.9 WAR)
5.) 2025 Ben Bowden (2.8 WAR)

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.

Welcome back to year eight 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).
We finished with a record of 95-67 last season and won our first World Series! Fan interest is sky high and we should be able to bring back most of the team. I think with a couple of smart moves we can be a strong playoff team again this season.
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: (part 1, part 2).
\Unless stated otherwise, all players were re-signed to their one-year arbitration estimate*
Departures (non-trades):
Shohei Ohtani
This one hurt but I couldn’t justify paying Ohtani the 5/$180m Boston gave him, and it might’ve been even more if we got into a bidding war. He was the face of our franchise, but he’ll be 38 years old at the end of the deal. Odds are he’ll fall off before the contract is over.
He had a good year with Boston and I’m rooting for him going forward. It would be really cool to see him get in the hall of fame, but I think he might’ve got started too late. The hall of fame on here seems to be more about longevity than peak performance.
Roberto Alvarez
Alvarez was a minor league free agent and out of option years, so I had to let him walk. He accepted the same minor league contract from the Cubs that I offered him.
Nick Gordon
Gordon had a lot of good seasons with us, but I decided to go with younger options. I’m surprised no one signed him. He’d still be a great utility player.
Matt Hogan
I decided to cut bait with Hogan after two poor seasons. I doubt he makes it back to the majors.
Argenis Angulo
I really hate that Angulo waited until his last arbitration season to become this good. I had to let him walk as a free agent and he signed a 2/$12m contract with the Astros. I would’ve been happy to have a starter like him at this price but didn’t think he had the stamina for it. It looks like I was wrong.
Seth Halvorsen
Halvorsen has bounced back and forth as a spot starter and long reliever but wasn’t needed this season. He’s out of option years so probably won’t remain in the organization next year.
Moves:
Move #1:
Signed free agent Corbin Clouse to a 2/$5m contract. The second year is a team option with a $500k buyout.
Clouse has been solid for us the last six seasons and we’re lacking for left-handed relievers. There were a few guys I could’ve traded for but decided to keep my assets.
Move #2:
Slammers Receive: Matt Manning
Tigers Receive: Ryan Castellani (100% retained), Andres Nunez (100% retained), Nick Estrella (100% retained), $5m Cash
Starting pitching was our weakest link last season and Manning should help us there. He perfectly fits my system and has great character. Hopefully he performs well and nets a compensation pick in the offseason.
We’re giving up three decent players and cash in the deal, but I think it’s all easily replaceable. Detroit is doing this deal mostly to save money, so I don’t think they were too worried about the talent return.
Move #3:
Slammers Receive: Gilles Palacios
Rangers Receive: John Edlich, A.J. Puk (25% retained), Railison Bentura
This trade is mostly about cashing out on Edlich before his arm falls off. He was the best pitching prospect in baseball but just came off a torn rotator cuff that decreased his injury proneness to fragile. Puk was good for us last season, but old and in the last year of his deal. Bentura is a career minor leaguer.
Palacios doesn’t have anywhere near the upside of Edlich but he’s MLB ready and the exact type of player I want. He has great character, durable injury proneness, four good pitches, and is a groundball pitcher. I wouldn’t be surprised if he improves a lot the next few years.
Final Financial Situation:
We have almost $40m in available funds, so we can do pretty much whatever we want this season. The owner should be happy with our balance at the end of the year.
Here are the salaries heading into the season.
Season Outlook:
We didn’t make many moves this offseason, but I think that’s reasonable for a team that just won the championship. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
Our starting pitching should be improved, the bullpen should be slightly worse, the defense should continue to be elite, and the offense has the potential to be average. The reason I say “potential to be average” is because I still don’t know how Teeter is going to perform. He looks like the greatest hitter of all time, but he’s never played in an MLB game. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself with unproven players.
We have an abundance of relief pitcher depth in the minors, 3-4 guys that can survive as starters, and 4-5 position players that can at least play defense. Hopefully, we don’t need them, but it’s always nice to have solid injury replacements.
If we stay healthy and have a bit of luck, I think we can win 90+ games and the division.
Batters:
Primary Lineup vs. RHP when Healthy (\DH enabled in both leagues)*
3B – Taylor Walls
Walls had another great year but is an upcoming free agent that wants 7/$73m to re-sign. I’m leaning towards extending the qualifying offer to try to get a compensation pick.
LF – Jeisson Rosario
Rosario had another solid year and should be back. He’s probably the best non-rookie scale contract in the game. I still have him for two more years at $2m per season.
1B – Ernesto Bernal
Bernal was better this year but still not as good as I want him to be. I’m thinking about moving him to the leadoff spot next season to have more baserunning opportunities.
DH – Robby Teeter
So, it turns out Teeter is the real deal. Here are his accolades for the year: April rookie of the month, May rookie of the month, September rookie of the month, all-star, platinum stick winner at DH, rookie of the year, and a third-place finish in the MVP voting. He’ll be around for a while.
RF – Will Shirah
Shirah had his best season since his 2025 rookie of the year campaign. I’m glad he played so well but it’s boosted his arbitration estimate close to $9m, which is way more than he’s worth. I have enough money to pay it, but I wish there was a way to pay him something more reasonable.
2B – Josh Epps
Epps must have some secret sauce in his ratings. I expect him to be elite defensively but not this good at the plate. He’ll be back next year.
C – Drew Romo
Romo was given an increased role and took advantage of his opportunity. He had an OPS+ above league average for the first time in his career and made his first all-star team. Fortunately, I locked him into a low price for next season, but his arbitration estimate is probably going to explode after that.
SS – Willie Vega
Vega won his third straight gold glove and continues to improve offensively. I really need to get him locked up before he gets too expensive.
CF – Franyel Baez
Baez had another solid year and will be back for a sixth season.
Bench
C – Christian Vazquez
I decreased Vazquez’s role and limited his starts to mostly against left-handed pitchers. He responded well to this change and will return next season. I signed him to a 1/$1.6m extension midseason.
IF – Marcelo Mayer
Marcelo is a great defender but doesn’t do much offensively. I might go in a different direction next season.
OF – Christian Moore
Moore had a great run in the playoffs last year but couldn’t recapture the magic this season. He might return if I can’t find a better replacement.
Replacements
OF – Tim Mehler
Mehler filled in for Baez for a few weeks and was pretty bad, but I’m glad to have a minor league outfielder that can competently backup center field.
Pitchers:
Pitching Staff when Healthy
SP – Hunter Mink
Mink has exceeded every expectation I had when I traded for him last year. I was hoping to get a solid back of the rotation starter, but he was one of the top pitchers in the game and finished third in the Cy Young voting. He’ll be back next year.
SP – Pat Dibartolo
I was lukewarm on Dibartolo when I drafted him in 2025 but he’s become my undisputed best pitcher. He made his first all-star game, led the league in ERA, and won the Cy Young! He’s a fan favorite, so I plan on keeping him around for a while.
SP – Gilles Palacios
Palacios wasn’t as good as I expected but he was definitely better than the player I traded for him. I was worried about Edlich’s health and it turns out I was right to be concerned, he suffered a career ending injury in April.
I still think Palacios will be good. I’m expecting him to be better next season.
SP – Matt Manning
Manning missed six weeks to injury but was really good when healthy. He’s an upcoming free agent that wants 10/$200m to re-sign so he won’t be returning. I should get a compensation pick.
SP – Rawley Hector
Hector started the season on the IL and was sent to AAA when he returned. The team was rolling, and Benson was playing well so I didn’t want to mess with what was working. He was called up when Manning was injured and remained up when he returned since Benson started to fade after his strong start.
Hector still isn’t as good as I want him to be but he’s the best I’ve got. He’ll be back next season.
CL – Hee-joon Bang
Bang had another great season. He made his fifth all-star game, won pitcher of the month in May, and was named the reliever of the year. He has one more year on his contract, so will return.
SU – Connor Jones
Jones stats weren’t that good but they’re a bit deceiving. He gave up ten runs to start the year before recording his first out then gave up another ten runs the rest of the season. He has one more year on his deal so will be back.
MR – Ludwin Jimenez
Jimenez wasn’t that good, but he looks like he should be. I’ll bring him back next year.
MR – Corbin Clouse
Clouse had a solid seventh year with us and will be back for an eighth.
MR – Clayton Andrews
Clayton had a really good year but is an upcoming free agent and probably won’t return. I’ll have to hit the trade market for another left-handed reliever.
MR – Blake Taylor
Taylor continues to improve since his release from the Coors pitcher torture chamber. He’ll be back next season.
MR – Curtis Taylor
Taylor was awesome this season and I still have multiple years of team control. He should be back.
LR – Sam Lauderdale
Lauderdale improved from last season and will return next year.
LR – Willie Rosas
Rosas worked mostly out of the bullpen but made a couple of emergency starts. He expects to be a starter now and has good trade value so I’m probably going to move him. I don’t like starting pitchers with movement as low as his.
Replacements
SP – Cooper Benson
Benson started the season as an injury replacement starter but was sent back down later. He returned as a long reliever when rosters expanded and has a good chance to make the rotation next season.
MR – Chris Ryan
Ryan was called up when rosters expanded but didn’t pitch much. He’ll probably start next season in the majors.
Season Results:
We started off the season strong, going 48-33 over the first 81 games. Teeter was the frontrunner for MVP and the whole team was rocking. We cooled off a bit during the third quarter of the year but kept the Braves at bay, keeping a two-game lead for most of that stretch. Then in September we took it to another level with a record of 22-7. We finished first in the division and had a record of 99-63.
The defense and pitching were superb as always, and the offense did enough to win. Everyone was healthy heading into the playoffs, and I felt like we had a great chance of winning it all. We went with a postseason rotation of Dibartolo, Manning, Mink, and Hector.
Our first-round opponent was the 85-77 Reds. They didn’t have the best pitching, but their offense was led by MVP Gleyber Torres and MVP runner-up Ethan Vecrumba. The two of them combined for 115 home runs and 255 RBIs this season.
We started off the series with a 3-0 win, getting seven shutout innings from Dibartolo and homers from Epps and Bernal. Jones and Bang closed out the last two innings. Then in game two Manning was knocked out without recording a single out. He allowed eight hits and six earned runs in zero innings pitched. You’d think that meant a loss, but the offense rallied back and scored sixteen runs while the bullpen combined for nine innings of three-run work. We took game three 7-3 behind a four RBI performance from Epps, and the series appeared to be over with a 3-0 lead. The Reds fought back and won game four 10-7 and game five 8-3. We went back home for game six and things weren’t looking good, but Romo saved the day with a two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh. We closed out the game and the series, and advanced to the NLCS. Epps was named series MVP.
Up next was the 91-71 Mets, led by Termarr Johnson. Their team was built similarly to mine, with great defense and limited offense. No one other than Johnson really stands out, but they have a nice collection of talent from top to bottom.
The first game was a back-and-forth affair that ended in a 7-6 win after a 3-run shot by Rosario in the bottom of the eighth. Game two was a close 4-2 victory, but we led throughout. Then we lost a close one in game three, 5-4. We were on track to win game four, up 3-0 in the bottom of the eighth, then Jones gave up two runs in the eighth, followed by Bang blowing the save in the ninth. We looked to get back on track in game five, but Bang once again blew the save, giving up two runs in the bottom of the ninth. Down 3-2, we really needed a win in game six and Baez came through in a big way. The game was tied 4-4 in the bottom of the eight and he delivered a go-ahead grand slam. Bang gave up a run in the ninth, but we held on to win 8-5. Game seven was anticlimactic, as the Mets took a 3-0 lead early and held on throughout. We never really got close.
It’s always disappointing to lose in the playoffs, but especially the way we lost. We have the best closer in the game and he blew back-to-back saves. I guess you take the good with the bad though. We had a lot of things bounce our way last year.
Here are the rest of the playoff results and MLB standings.
Top Prospects:
This is the worst the farm system has been in a while. Part of it was bad luck with the injury to Edlich and retirement of my number three prospect (see below), but a lot of it has been poor drafting. I haven’t made many good picks the last few years and made my worst pick ever this season. I took this guy instead of this one in the first round and I’m still kicking myself. I need to do better next year.
1.) Andrew McGee
McGee moves to number one on the list by default. He’s improved across the board since last season and continues to dominate minor league pitching, but he missed six weeks to injury and that scares me, especially for someone that used to have durable injury proneness. He’ll start next season at AA and will be my first option as an injury replacement.
2.) Sean Whiteman
Whiteman has improved his ratings since last season and continues to perform well. He thinks he’s ready for the majors but I’m planning on starting him in AAA. Hopefully, his movement improves, but if not, I think he has enough skill elsewhere to compensate.
3.) Josh Sheppard
Sheppard doesn’t have the production to back up his ratings but I’m going to trust my scout that he’s actually good. He’ll start next season at AA.
Here are his ratings from last year.
4.) Chris West
West has improved significantly since last season but I’m not going to get too excited about a pitcher with normal injury proneness. He’ll start next year at A.
5.) Joey Hudson
Hudson hasn’t performed that great in the minors but I’m not giving up on a switch-hitting center fielder with gold glove potential. He’ll repeat A next year.
Here are his ratings from last season.
6.) Josh Langdon
Langdon’s potential has dropped slightly since last year, but his actual ratings improved. He’ll start next year at A+.
7.) Josh Berkner
Berkner had a tough year in AA but still saw his ratings increase slightly. He picked up experience in left and right field and will be an excellent utility player. He’s probably going to replace Meyer next season and his prankster personality will be a nice addition.
8.) Josh Snellgrove
Snellgrove has improved slightly since last season and still looks like he can be a serviceable backup catcher. He’ll repeat A next year.
9.) Oscar Trevino
Trevino has improved across the board since last season but I’m hoping he still has some hidden potential. He’ll start next year at AA and could get called up as an injury replacement.
10.) Joe McKinney
McKinney wasn’t very good in A+ and I’m not sure why. A player with his ratings should dominate at this level. Maybe my scout is feeding me a bunch of lies, or maybe he just had a bad year. Either way, he’ll repeat A+.
Honorable mentions:
Edwin Mireles, Jose Macias
I’m not saying anything about either of these two until they’ve played a year of rookie ball.
Promoted to MLB:
Chris Ryan
Dropped from list:
Chad Arnold
Arnold was my number three prospect last season but decided to retire to play football. I’ve had this happen before but never to a prospect this good. What a shame.
Future Outlook:
The team is in a good place going forward. We’ve made back-to back deep playoff runs and have the ability to bring back most everyone. We need to improve the farm system but have enough major league talent to maintain until we sort that out.
I’ll probably look to find another middle-of-the-order bat and I’m always on the lookout for starting pitching upgrades. Hopefully, we can make a few moves and put ourselves in championship contention again next year.
Here is the budget and salaries heading into the offseason.