With the 2056 regular season drawing to a close, it’s a good time to look over the league and see what teams are heading in what directions and what steps they need to take in my opinion to get there. This is by no means the gospel truth when it comes to each team but its pretty close to the gospel truth. This is a further continuation of that series but now with the Western Conference finished we’re going to do something different and look at AAAA teams…
Eastern Conference: Metro
Boston Brawlers
Positives: There are a few pieces in an otherwise dire situation. Lozano looks to be elite but he’s young, Davis could be decent, Haynes looks good, Acevedo could be okay. So there are some pieces here. All the positives are in the minors except for Art Morrison who continues to be the light in a dark land where 500 baseball is an achievement and simply making the playoffs gets everybody a ring. Player: Art Morrison is without a doubt one of the best to ever pitching the RLB. He’ll be a first ballot HOF and will go into the Hall as a Brawler… with no rings.
Negatives: Besides for Morrison, this team is nothing but garbage players, overpaid players, overachieving players, and underachieving players. You’d wish there was more depth in the farm and you’d wish there was more highlights amongst the youngsters but this is a team that has kicked the can of rebuilding down the road about fifteen times and each time it’s gotten a little deeper in a pit of a shit.
Dire Need: Prospects. All will do.
Harlem Sewer Rats
Positives: There are some bright signs to this rebuild, some already in the majors like Morrison who put up 44 dongs at 25 to Finch who looks to be a good COF bat to Zuckadiechs who will be a decent hitter. Not a bad start to the rebuild but it could be going better. Player: Sam Morrison hit 44 dongs in his first season in the bigs. His stock can only continue to rise and he’s a piece that Harlem hopes they can build around in the next few seasons.
Negatives: There isn’t much on the major league roster to be excited about. A whole lot of average players without much value to trade for prospects and the farm is still early in development but you’d want to see at least 3-4 decent pitching spects in there by now. Always can do with my arms. Player: Marv Mooneyham is getting paid the most on a relatively cheap team and he isn’t doing much. Can’t help but feel like that money could be better spent elsewhere or moving Mooneyham for some kind of return.
Dire Need: Pitching prospects.
Montreal Royales
Positives: Oh look, another Metro team, another Metro rebuild. We’re 3 for 3 right now. Gosh, I wonder how Portland won so many games. There isn’t a whole lot going good in Montreal but there are some nice things. Alford is a good player and he’s only 26 so he’s got some time left to build around him. Renwick is an elite bat but odds of him staying in Montreal aren’t too strong. The farm looks pretty bare but Seleznov and Torres stand out as decent pieces, along with Miller, Hildago and Mitchell. These kids need more time and need more friends around them to make this rebuild even better. Player: Morris Alford put up 3 war off the mound and had a solid 696 ops from the field. Definitely trying his hardest on both sides of the plate. Strong dominant pitcher who had some injury problems, Montreal needs to keep this kid healthy and build around him to have any luck in exiting a rebuilding process that is going on 30 seasons.
Negatives: There just isn’t enough in the farm for a rebuild that is really at least 2-3 years in a cycle. I understand Montreal has been perpetually rebuilding but this cycle is not just starting and the farm doesn’t have all the pieces it needs. The RLB roster is devoid of much talent and yet there are 3 players making over 15m. You need to spend that money on amateurs from the international market or on FAs that you can turn for a profit. Montreal is doing neither apparently. Player: Manny Perez is in the second year of a 45m deal and he’s put up back to back years of negative war. His FIP is around 5, his bb% over 10% and he looks awful. You’re making a lot of money, guy. Montreal needs you to do better.
Dire Need: Prospects.
Portland Pines
Positives: They’ve got some good young players.
Negatives: There seems to be a lack of will to win.
Dire Need: Will to win.
Woonsocket Mongeese
Positives: Very exciting young talent hitting the majors, Woon should start swooning soon. They look to be in a boom and their flower of youth is blooming in their farm. Is it too soon to swoon? I cannot say but Trump looks sick, Canul is a strong piece on a competing team and youngsters like Rogers, Nunez and Ricks are encouraging. The farm also has bright spots in the form of Lewis, White, Puckett,White 2, Reese, Fowler, and Molina. Like seriously they’ve got some good pieces in development here. Quite a few too. Player: Edgar Trump really stepped into the majors and showed he can shine. 4 war in a full year, with a solid 831 ops, Trump looked good. I might even say Trump was the best and he’s doing bigly in the Metro coming soon. He wins and he won’t ever get tired of winning. He wins nightly. Now we need the rest of these youngins to do the same.
Negatives: I can’t help but look and see some glaring issues on this team that is hopefully coming out of a rebuild. There are too many average players making a lot of money and (shudder) getting extended. Escobar is good but at 31 is he worth 30m a year? Morales getting a 3 year 20m extension is a travesty for a young team’s finances. Coming out of a rebuild, this team should be cutting expenses and looking to buy big to supplement FA and studs with their farm. Not extending the boring players who kept you 500 while you rebuilt. Player: Alec Verschuren was supposed to be a top pitcher and instead he’s been average. Another year, another meh campaign from Alec makes me think the guy is just so used to losing that he can’t pull himself out.
Dire Need: Major league pitching, specifically an impact pitcher.
Leave a Reply