That was a rough one to watch as the team's struggles with consistency came back to bite them. They tanked enough to make you shake up the roster for more developement, then won just enough to give you a little bit of hope to resign all the expensive players and then won out when it didn't matter anymore. Good on the team to finish above .500 but we're just not quite there yet as a team to be a serious playoff contender though there are some bright spots already on the roster. Here's my thoughts for the upcoming offseason: Vinny Tannon, Jensen Deputy, Lochlan McMackie, Frank Viola and Herra O'Wuggliems are definitely keepers for next season. They put it all on the line this season and performed well when called upon to carry the team here near the end of the season and gave you a fighting chance to make the postseason. I think you could also keep Mash as I'm convinced this was just a down year, unless he demands a boatload of money in which case feel free to move on as he didn't do enough to earn a pay raise yet. George Bell is on the bubble along with Kendra Kerr as both struggled this season at what they're supposed to be really good at. You can give them one more chance unless there's a really good player you just can't pass on to fill their roles on the team. Willie Randolph I think is fine for one more year as well unless he has another poor defensive year in which case feel free to move on. Pepe's a maybe because he'll be 25 next year and hasn't taken that leap to full starter level yet as he's still sitting at a B-, maybe look for a younger backup for the infield? Kache also hasn't taken the developmental leap I was hoping she would as well this series, and also only hit .220 something this season. Keep an eye on her I don't think she can be a full time outfielder to allow Bell to DH full time. Definite cuts: Leandro Blacksmith, Ken Owens and Ryder McPride. Leandro gets caught stealing way too much to make use of his good speed plus he's massively overpaid if I remember from his resigning so he's a definite cut. The Ken Owens experiment has been a massive failure time to fill his slot in the rotation with a capable third or fourth starter as he's run out of time to prove he can be somebody in this league and I think we should be in a win now mentality instead of the wait and develop mindset. Finally Ryder, my sweet Freebooter boy, he's basically a C+ body playing in a B- shell, his max boosted traits did him no favors and it just showed he's not capable of playing at a high level when called upon in the stressful moments. Probably need a younger/more solid relief option to replace his boom or bust skillset. Enjoying the series so far and I can't wait to see what you do in the offseason! Good luck and thanks for reading! #TheNastyOne
Wow! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts! I greatly appreciate it! This team was so depressing to watch this year. I really thought we had an easy path to the playoffs with maybe an upgrade at the 4th SP towards the end of the season, but I have no idea what went wrong. It was frustrating having to flip flop throughout the season and to see it not matter in the end. I agree with pretty much all of your assessments of our team and appreciate your feedback as I do have some biases with some of these players and sometimes need an objective opinion. I think I'll be looking to find a viable catcher to couple with HOW. Barnstormer is a decent backup, but we need a better option there. I would like to give Mash another chance, but will be looking at other options for sure. Randolph is on a short leash as well and will be looking at other options. Agreed that Pepe really only works as a backup option. I am fine keeping him as a backup, but definitely not a starter. Tannon is a cornerstone player and is absolutely staying. I'm happy keeping Bell since he's a good hitter and only 21, but we need a better platoon option for LF. Agreed about Blacksmith, I need a better option there and HOW will stay and I'd like to find a good RF to platoon with her for when she catches. Ideally, a good OF who can flip between LF and RF for both. McMackie is our other cornerstone player. Love him as a player and he's only 23! Viola was a HUGE surprise and I'm absolutely down with keeping him. The other two SP spots are wide open! In the bullpen I plan to keep Hansen, Jimenez and Deputy for sure, but I have to be honest about Kerr and McPride. Their stats did not match their talents and we can't pay them that much for failure. I'll be looking for alternative options for those spots as well. I'll try and get that offseason video up as soon as possible as I'm excited to see how it all plays out too lol. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts! I greatly appreciate it!
