Keep 15 players in your organization

[White Sox GM (Michael)]

We've done this in the past...if anyone can find the previous threads, let me know.

Edit: Thanks Patty ondeckcircle.proboards.com/thread/16518/protect-15-players-picks-organization

Anyway, pretend there's an expansion draft and you can only protect 15 players (including prospects) in your organization. This is including salaries/team control. Feel free to give reasoning too.

[Mets GM (Jack)]

Easy Choices

1. Dylan Crews OF
2. Henry Davis C
3. Ceddanne Rafaela SS/CF
4. Logan O'Hoppe C
5. Logan Gilbert SP
6. Nick Lodolo SP
7. Kyle Harrison SP
8. Max Meyer SP
9. Reid Detmers SP
10. Brandon Marsh CF

All of the above are Cheap and have 3-6+ years of control or high end prospects on the cusp of the Majors

Still easy
11. Rafael Devers
12. Aaron Judge
13. Kodai Senga
14. Paul Goldschmidt

All of these guys cost a lot but are building blocks of my contending roster and losing one of them would be hard to replace

15th guy
Reese Olson - Tough choice here but Reese is a cheap SP which are hard to come by, think I would have to lean on SP and let a bat walk

Unprotected:
Mickey Moniak
Kerry Carpenter
Brice Turang
Darius Vines
Jordan Diaz
Lucas Giolito
Geraldo Perdomo
Shane Drohan


Who I would pick if I was the expansion team - Probably Jordan Diaz, has the most potential to be a long term regular at a shallow position and would be cheap with control

Remembering fondly when I would have to consider my draft picks and relief pitchers for this exercise

[White Sox GM (Michael)]

Easy decisions (12):

Endy Rodriguez

Brooks Lee
Ezequiel Tovar
Lamonte Wade Jr.
Nick Yorke

Josh Lowe
Jasson Dominguez
Druw Jones

Bryan Woo
Jared Jones
Griff McGarry
Tekoah Roby

Most of these feel self-explanatory. Either young MLB players who had good prospect pedigree, close to MLB prospects, or further away guys with huge upside. Shoutout to Woo and Wade.

I'll also take:

C? Austin Wells
SS Carlos Correa
SP Drey Jameson

Correa has had a down year but he'll bounce back, and I am not worried about cap space for 2024. Wells and Jameson both have unstable roles longterm but should be successful big leaguers.

Unprotected:

IF Jose Miranda
SS Addison Barger
SS Angel Martinez
OF George Valera
OF Grant McCray
OF Cristian Vaquero
SP Owen White

All these prospects are in a similar tier for me, along with Wells and Jameson and honestly a few of the "easy choice" picks too. I don't really know how to rank all these guys but I leaned toward high upside and positional variance if I am only able to protect 15 players total.

[Astros GM (Max)]

Team is in a major state of flux right now, so this is more a snapshot of today than it is an actual period of my team's development. But I will update this when/if I make trades before next week's deadline to make it more fun!

Each tier is in no specific order

Easy Decisions
SP Framber Valdez (5)
SP Zack Wheeler ($15M thru 2025)
1B Freddie Freeman ($27M thru 2026)
CL Edwin Diaz ($10M thru 2025)

Didn't Have to Think Too Hard
C Alejandro Kirk (3)
2B Carlos Jorge, Prospect
SS Orelvis Martinez, Prospect
OF Luis Lara, Prospect
3B Sterlin Thompson, Prospect
SS Austin Charles, Prospect
OF Luis Guanipa, Prospect

Borderline, But Kept
2B Brendan Rodgers (3)
SP Edward Cabrera (3)
CL Kenley Jansen ($7M thru 2024)
SS Keiner Delgado, Prospect

[clevelandodcphil]

Hard to only pick 15!

MLB:
C Francisco Alvarez
1B Christian Walker
3B Royce Lewis
3B Maikel Garcia
3B/SS Elly De La Cruz
SS Bobby Witt Jr.
SS Anthony Volpe
LF Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
CF Michael Harris II
RF Ronald Acuna Jr.
CL Felix Bautista
CL Camilo Doval

Prospects:
SS Jackson Merrill
SS Luisangel Acuna
CF Jackson Chourio

[Dodgers GM (Jake)]

C Yainer Diaz
1B Miguel Vargas
2B Jose Altuve
SS Dansby Swanson
OF Jarred Kelenic
SP Dustin May
SP JP Sears
SP Mike Clevinger
SP Ken Waldichuk
RP Devin Williams
RP Tyler Rogers

SS Noelvi Marte
OF Robert Calaz
SP Mick Abel
3B Andres Chaparro

[Pirates GM (Caleb)]

Clint Frazier

CF Luis Matos
3B Colt Keith
OF Everson Pereira
OF Heston Kjerstad
1B Tyler Locklear
OF Yanquiel Fernandez
SS Marco Luciano
C Diego Cartaya
2B James Triantos
SP Jake Eder
SP Drew Thorpe
SP(Thank you Royals)Cole Ragans
OF Zac Veen
2B Jorbit Vivas
1B Jacob Berry

HM:
SP Connor Prielipp
SP Caden Dana
OF Lazaro Montes
1B Deyvison De Los Santos
2B/SS Leo Jimenez
C Daniel Susac
2B/CF Ji-Hwan bae
RP Andrew Nardi

[Yankees GM (Justin)]

C Danny Jansen
1B Josh Naylor
2B Matt McLain
2B Edouard Julien
SS Oneil Cruz
SS Bo Bichette
3B Tyler Black
CF James Outman
CF Emmanuel Rodriguez
CF Jazz Chisholm

SP Eury Perez
SP Bobby Miller
SP Taj Bradley
SP Logan Webb
SP Shane McClanahan

[Rockies GM (Red)]

Jordan Westburg SS
Orlando Arcia SS
Isaac Parades IF
Spencer Strider 1B/3B/LF
Garrett Mitchell CF
Chas McCormick OF
Jorge Soler OF
Matt Wallner OF
Aaron Civale SP

Connor Norby 2B
Brock Wilken 3B
Justyn-Henry Malloy 3B
Gavin Cross OF
Wilkelman Gonzalez SP
Clayton Beeter SP

[Marlins GM (Kevin)]

Cal Raleigh
Alec Bohm
Austin Riley
CJ Abrams
Jarren Duran

Tarik Skubal
Bailey Ober
Brayan Bello
Logan Allen

Blaze Jordan
Dominic Keegan
Brayden Taylor
Michael Busch
Jordan Beck
Spencer Jones

[Rays GM]

In this order

Jackson Holliday
Junior Caminero
Wyatt Langford
Colson Montgomery
Adael Amador
Brandon Pfaadt
Chase Delauter
Carson Williams
Samuel Basallo
Denzel Clarke
Lawrence Butler
Xavier Isaac
Nolan Schanuel
Juan Brito
Orelvis Martinez

Rest:
Robby Snelling
Andy Pages
Gavin Stone
Ryan Clifford
Bryce Eldridge
Connor Phillips
Luis Perales
Jackson Ferris

[Rangers GM (Bill)]

Yordan Alvarez
Corbin Carroll
Gunnar Henderson
Marcus Semien
Bryan Reynolds
Kyle Bradish
Hunter Brown
Kyle Wright
Andres Munoz
Ryan Helsley
Garrett Whitlock

Jason Misiorowski
Brennan Milone
Victor Scott
Richard Fitts

[Mariners GM (David)]

C JT Realmuto
1B CJ Cron
2B Michael Massey
SS Francisco Lindor
3B Jake Burger
RF George Springer
LF Ian Happ
LF Steven Kwan
CF Leody Taveras
SP Merrill Kelly
SP Justin Steele
SP Clarke Schmidt
SP Seth Lugo
RP Jason Adam
RP Raisel Iglesias

[Reds GM (Dave)]

Reds 15-
1. Tyler Stepheson
2. Christopher Morel
3. Randal Grichuk
4. Kyle Freeland
5. Brusdar Graterol
6. Dalton Rushing
7. Cole Winn
8. Asa Lacey
9. Walter Ford
10. Michael McGreevy
11. Chayse MDermott
12. JT Ginn
13. Xavier Edwards
14. Rhys Hoskins
15. Adam Duvall

[Twins GM (Pat)]

Mike Trout
Manny Machado
Jonathan India
Michael King
Michael Lorenzen
Dany Jimenez
Jake Bauers
Pedro Avila
Brandon Valenzuela
Drew Millas
Estevan Florial
Jeremiah Jackson
Connor Joe
Nick Nelson
Deivi Garcia