After back-to-back seasons of having a Pythagorean record of -5 or higher, we hope to turn our "luck" around. I'm not entirely sure what to expect, but if some guys bounce back we could be right back in the playoffs. Either way, I'm starting to build for the future ever so slowly.
Starters
Position Player Age Ratings 2017 stats / awards C Daric Barton 32/33 8,8,8,10,6 .278/.363/.460/.823; 20 homers, 75 RBIs, 89 runs, and 75 walks 1B Prince Fielder 33/34 8,7,8,10,4 .266/.349/.529/.878; 39 homers, 126 RBIs, 90 runs, and 60 walks 2B Cliff Pennington 33/34 8,9,3,8,6 .270/.323/.356/.679; GG at SS and 20 steals SS Jemile Weeks 31 8,10,4,4,5 .254/.281/.363/.644; 35 steals 3B Ryan Zimmerman 33 8,8,9,6,8 .239/.304/.389/.693; 18 homers, 82 RBIs, and 89 runs LF Jose Abrego 30 8,7,3,7,7 .274/.330/.347/.677; 51 steals in part-time play CF Jermaine Mitchell 33 9,8,9,7,6 .285/.340/.434/.774; 16 homers, 76 RBIs, 91 runs, and 29 steals RF Chris Parmelee 30 10,9,8,7,7 .310/.377/.493/.870; 18 homers, 80 RBIs, 95 runs, GG at 1B DH Albert Pujols 38 10,10,10,10,10 .369/.454/.544/.998; 15 homers, 102 RBIs, 105 runs, and 76 walks
Bench
Position Player Age Ratings 2017 stats / awards C Brian Jeroloman 32/33 7,6,6,7,6 .158/.304/.158/.462 in 19 ABs (in for D, may be replaced) 1B/OF Corey Brown 32 8,7,6,10,4 .279/.339/.384/.723; 15 steals with great D IF Paul Markstrom 30 7,7,5,6,6 .277/.378/.468/.846; great D OF/DH Delmon Young 32 8,9,9,7,8 .257/.315/.419/.734; 8 homers, 61 RBIs, and 11 steals in part-time play
Rotation (order to be determined with 1 guy moving to the pen)
Position Player Age Ratings 2017 stats / awards SP RHP Jon Asahina 37 7,8,10,7; 62 GBP 12 - 12 with a 3.82 ERA SP RHP Vin Mazzaro 31 10,6,10,7; 68 GBP 10 - 11 - 9 with a 3.87 ERA SP LHP Chaz Roe 31 7,10,9,7; 69 GBP 15 - 4 with a 4.10 ERA SP LHP Scott Olsen 34 8,9,7,7; 32 GBP 15 - 13 with a 3.70 ERA SP RHP Jason Hirsh 36 10,7,9,8; 52 GBP 7 - 9 - 1 with a 7.60 ERA SP RHP Frank Manhardt 28 9,9,7,9; 47 GBP 1 - 6 with a 8.17 ERA
Bullpen
Position Player Age Ratings 2017 stats / awards MR Ryan Madson 37/38 8,9,8,6; 50 GBP 4 - 5 - 5 with a 4.17 ERA MR Santiago Casilla 38 9,9,8,3; 48 GBP 2 - 2 - 1 with a 5.84 ERA MR Andy Sisco 35 8,5,9,6; 31 GBP 3 - 0 - 3 with a 4.50 ERA MR Richard Pinto 33/34 8,8,9,5; 69 GBP 1 - 4 - 4 with a 4.74 ERA MR Calvin Delaney 26/27 8,8,9,3; 37 GBP 4 - 3 - 2 with a 4.19 ERA CL Deon Silva 29 7,10,10,3; 35 GBP 3 - 3 - 11 with a 2.87 ERA
I'm not sure what my rotation will be exactly. Mazzaro, Asahina, and Roe are the only locks. Mazzaro moved back to the rotation during last season out of need due to lack of SP depth. He did better than he had in the past as far as his walks go. Olsen will probably be there, but his lost of talent and ratings scares me. Hirsh still has solid ratings, but was terrible last year (1st time in 11 years he didn't get at least 10 wins). Manhardt took his lumps as a rookie, but hopefully he'll find it eventually.
C Jeroloman may be replaced with Ambort or if I get someone in FA. Markstrom will probably stick, but I want to get Soto up somehow.
Also, you'll notice that the reigning GG winner at 1B for the last 9 years will be in RF. That's because Pujols is a defensive liability now and the fact that Fielder can't play anywhere else except 1B due to his slow speed and weak arms. Parmelee has a 7 OF arm so I'm hoping he'll do alright out in RF. Zimmerman and Weeks need to bounce back near their track records.
We'll see what happens. We should have won 89 games according to our Pythagorean last year so I definitely feel we're better than the 83 wins we actually got. Hopefully, my pitching staff doesn't get decimated by injuries like it did last year:
SP Manhardt - 1.5 weeks
SP Mazzaro - 4 weeks
SP Roe - 6.5 weeks
MR Madson - 10.5 weeks
MR Casilla - was DTD for 3 weeks or something and didn't pitch
MR Sisco - 5 weeks