Post by White Sox GM (Michael) on Oct 12, 2014 10:36:29 GMT -5
It's October here in ODC, which means that many owners about their chances in 2015. As a result, it can be hard for competitors to find rebuilders as trade partners.
The exception to the rule, at least this offseason, seems to be teams with new owners. Early on, we can already see a tendency to rebuild among new league members.
Angels (Santiago)
Santiago is a fairly new member to ODC, but he’s already completed a full teardown of his Major League squad. This wasn’t Santiago’s only option – last season, without a truly active owner, the Angels managed over 150 wins, 36 above a .500 winning percentage. The team had All-Star caliber talent like Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, Jose Reyes, Jhonny Peralta, Victor Martinez, Jacob deGrom, and Craig Kimbrel.
The issue wasn’t talent, though; as anyone could tell, L.A. had some serious cap issues moving forward. Without any sentimental attachment to the winning team, it was easy for Santiago to just trade everything that wasn’t nailed down. Now, according to the latest prospect rankings, the Angels are in the upper third of ODC’s farm systems, and they no longer are tied down by all those contracts.
Reds (Cody)
Cody has been around for longer, but he wasn’t a part of the league until the 2014 season was well underway. Cody has moved a lot of real assets, especially on the pitching side, including Corey Kluber, Wade Davis, Clay Buchholz, and Homer Bailey (after Cody acquired him). In return, he received several picks for both drafts and significant prospect depth, as well.
Recent trades, particularly one with San Diego, suggest that Cody is looking for talent close to the big leagues or controllable players that are already there. In addition, Cody is one of the league’s most active waiver wire users, consistently grabbing pieces that could grow in value in the future.
Brewers (Nick)
This is maybe stretching the definition of “new owner,” but I thought it was suitable to include Nick after discussing Cody. The Brewers, one of the eight franchises yet to reach the postseason, have always been stuck between rebuilding and contending, and they hadn’t had a consistently strong owner for the past few seasons. Yet again, the Brewers were near .500, but they finally have a team direction. Nick doesn’t make a ton of moves, but most of his trades have been impactful. Early on in the year, he boldly dealt for All-star first baseman Jose Abreu, but he’s also surrounded Abreu with good, young hitters like Danny Santana and Kole Calhoun.
Right now, though, Nick’s main focus appears to be at the minor league level, where he has built a very deep and respectable farm system. Nick also has almost $50 million to play with this season, but it’s tough to know how he’ll use it.
Yankees (Paz)
Paz is one of our newest owners, and although he hasn’t made many moves, he is clearly going to rebuild. Most owners who take over a team in such a dilapidated state choose to move almost all of their assets for draft picks, and Paz is probably not an exception. His one quality MLB player, J.D. Martinez, should only be moved for a great package of pieces with future value.
For a team as weak as New York’s is right now, however, it could be beneficial to stay active on the waiver wire. Outside of Martinez, the Yankees don’t have much to trade, so they have to become creative in creating value for their franchise.
Cardinals (Matt)
Another one of our newest members, Matt recently took over a team that has had questionable leadership ever since it took home the title in 2013. The Cardinals were in full retool mode, built with young players like Jurickson Profar, Manny Machado, and Wilin Rosario. So far, Matt has acquired a lot of MLB talent, much of it expensive (Elvis Andrus, Curtis Granderson, Ryan Howard). St. Louis is in good position to finish above .500 in 2015; however, what happens after that depends on the development of some of his younger players, including Bryce Harper and Khris Davis.
The strength of the Cardinals' farm is pitching, so perhaps Matt will focus on hitter development in the coming months. He could also go hitter-heavy in the draft, but he doesn't appear to be holding on to picks tenuously right now. Again, since he hasn't made a lot of moves yet, it is too early to tell completely how Matt will move forward with his team.
Padres (Noah)
Noah is the league’s newest owner, and he’s already traded away some of his Major League talent. In his recent trade with Cincy, he dealt two of his better (and controllable) MLB players, Chris Taylor and Jimmy Nelson, in a deal to acquire several solid prospects. Noah also traded down in the Rule V draft in favor of more picks.
It’s already clear that Noah wants prospects and, more specifically, prospect depth. He has also already put in some claims for waiver wire players. Since he has a lot of cap room, as well, Noah will probably begin to acquire picks and prospects for cash. Expect Noah to build one of the league’s largest and deepest farms.
***
By my count, at least, every owner who joined after Opening Day that is still here is in rebuild mode. Part of that are the situations that the teams were in, but there also seems to be a tendency for an owner to want to make the team his own. By building from the ground up, new owners set themselves up nicely for the future, but they also create franchises that they can proudly state are theirs.
The exception to the rule, at least this offseason, seems to be teams with new owners. Early on, we can already see a tendency to rebuild among new league members.
Angels (Santiago)
Santiago is a fairly new member to ODC, but he’s already completed a full teardown of his Major League squad. This wasn’t Santiago’s only option – last season, without a truly active owner, the Angels managed over 150 wins, 36 above a .500 winning percentage. The team had All-Star caliber talent like Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, Jose Reyes, Jhonny Peralta, Victor Martinez, Jacob deGrom, and Craig Kimbrel.
The issue wasn’t talent, though; as anyone could tell, L.A. had some serious cap issues moving forward. Without any sentimental attachment to the winning team, it was easy for Santiago to just trade everything that wasn’t nailed down. Now, according to the latest prospect rankings, the Angels are in the upper third of ODC’s farm systems, and they no longer are tied down by all those contracts.
Reds (Cody)
Cody has been around for longer, but he wasn’t a part of the league until the 2014 season was well underway. Cody has moved a lot of real assets, especially on the pitching side, including Corey Kluber, Wade Davis, Clay Buchholz, and Homer Bailey (after Cody acquired him). In return, he received several picks for both drafts and significant prospect depth, as well.
Recent trades, particularly one with San Diego, suggest that Cody is looking for talent close to the big leagues or controllable players that are already there. In addition, Cody is one of the league’s most active waiver wire users, consistently grabbing pieces that could grow in value in the future.
Brewers (Nick)
This is maybe stretching the definition of “new owner,” but I thought it was suitable to include Nick after discussing Cody. The Brewers, one of the eight franchises yet to reach the postseason, have always been stuck between rebuilding and contending, and they hadn’t had a consistently strong owner for the past few seasons. Yet again, the Brewers were near .500, but they finally have a team direction. Nick doesn’t make a ton of moves, but most of his trades have been impactful. Early on in the year, he boldly dealt for All-star first baseman Jose Abreu, but he’s also surrounded Abreu with good, young hitters like Danny Santana and Kole Calhoun.
Right now, though, Nick’s main focus appears to be at the minor league level, where he has built a very deep and respectable farm system. Nick also has almost $50 million to play with this season, but it’s tough to know how he’ll use it.
Yankees (Paz)
Paz is one of our newest owners, and although he hasn’t made many moves, he is clearly going to rebuild. Most owners who take over a team in such a dilapidated state choose to move almost all of their assets for draft picks, and Paz is probably not an exception. His one quality MLB player, J.D. Martinez, should only be moved for a great package of pieces with future value.
For a team as weak as New York’s is right now, however, it could be beneficial to stay active on the waiver wire. Outside of Martinez, the Yankees don’t have much to trade, so they have to become creative in creating value for their franchise.
Cardinals (Matt)
Another one of our newest members, Matt recently took over a team that has had questionable leadership ever since it took home the title in 2013. The Cardinals were in full retool mode, built with young players like Jurickson Profar, Manny Machado, and Wilin Rosario. So far, Matt has acquired a lot of MLB talent, much of it expensive (Elvis Andrus, Curtis Granderson, Ryan Howard). St. Louis is in good position to finish above .500 in 2015; however, what happens after that depends on the development of some of his younger players, including Bryce Harper and Khris Davis.
The strength of the Cardinals' farm is pitching, so perhaps Matt will focus on hitter development in the coming months. He could also go hitter-heavy in the draft, but he doesn't appear to be holding on to picks tenuously right now. Again, since he hasn't made a lot of moves yet, it is too early to tell completely how Matt will move forward with his team.
Padres (Noah)
Noah is the league’s newest owner, and he’s already traded away some of his Major League talent. In his recent trade with Cincy, he dealt two of his better (and controllable) MLB players, Chris Taylor and Jimmy Nelson, in a deal to acquire several solid prospects. Noah also traded down in the Rule V draft in favor of more picks.
It’s already clear that Noah wants prospects and, more specifically, prospect depth. He has also already put in some claims for waiver wire players. Since he has a lot of cap room, as well, Noah will probably begin to acquire picks and prospects for cash. Expect Noah to build one of the league’s largest and deepest farms.
***
By my count, at least, every owner who joined after Opening Day that is still here is in rebuild mode. Part of that are the situations that the teams were in, but there also seems to be a tendency for an owner to want to make the team his own. By building from the ground up, new owners set themselves up nicely for the future, but they also create franchises that they can proudly state are theirs.
