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DownloadAssorted Rants, Rumblings and Ruminations from the Mind of a “So-Called” Expert
CATCHER: Brian Cashman has made it clear, Gary Sanchez won't be moved from behind the plate. This just in: he's good at baseball. Austin Romine is the backup.
INFIELD: Greg Bird, Starlin Castro and Didi Gregorius are definite. Chase Headley is penciled in at third, but with very light lead and a huge eraser shaped like Gleyber Torres.
OUTFIELD: Aaron Judge and Brett Gardner will be joined by Aaron Hicks, if you believe Hicks will indeed be looked at as a regular. Jacoby Ellsbury lurks too.
DESIGNATED HITTER: There isn't anyone earmarked for the job, with Headley and Ellsbury possibilities in the event the Bronx Bombers decide not to spend on someone of consequence.
BENCH: Tyler Austin, Ronald Torreyes and Tyler Wade will likely be joined by Ellsbury and eventually Headley.
ROTATION: Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka and Sonny Gray are the front-three. Jordan Montgomery is the likely fourth. The club has indicated Chad Green will be stretched out in the spring, ostensibly to battle Luis Cessa, Bryan Mitchell and rookie Chance Adams for the last spot.
BULLPEN: Wow, just wow. Most of these arms could close, or at least work high-leverage innings elsewhere. Aroldis Chapman anchors the back end with Tommy Kahnle, David Robertson and Dellin Betances the primary setup men. Adam Warren, Jonathan Holder and Chase Shreve are nothing to sneeze at.
PROSPECTS TO WATCH: Torres and Adams have already been referenced. Torres is returning from TJS, with the expectation he's ready for spring training. Adams looks ready after half a season at Triple-A, but could be sent back for more seasoning. Michael Andujar and Billy McKinney could see some action too.
POSSIBLE ACQUISITIONS: The Yankees could be in the market for a hitter and starting pitcher, via free agency or perhaps dangling Betances for trade..
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CATCHER: Neither Travis d'Arnaud nor Kevin Plawecki has developed as hoped, but they're back for another season in Queens.
INFIELD: Asdrubal Cabrera had his club option picked up, so he'll probably play third, joining Amed Rosario on the left side. Wilmer Flores is the best in-house option for the keystone, though someone could be brought in. Similarly, Dominic Smith has the edge at first base, however the club has expressed an interesting in bringing in a more established bat.
OUTFIELD: Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto aren't especially durable, but when healthy, they've earned regular run, likely in the corners. Barring an acquisition, Brandom Nimmo and Juan Lagares will battle for center field.
BENCH: Losing Jose Reyes to free agency and T.J. Rivera to TJS has left the Mets short on depth. They'll likely deal with that in free agency, but for now, Gavin Cecchini, Matt Reynolds and Phillip Ervin are the likely reserves, with the strong possibility Flores is pushed to utility after a second baseman is signed.
ROTATION: If healthy, Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom make a great one-two punch. Zack Wheeler, Seth Lugo, Robert Gsellman, Matt Harvey and Steven Matz will duke it out for the other spots. Wheeler and Lugo have an edge since they're healthy. Personally, I have no faith in Harvey and want to see Matz in the spring before passing judgment. Chris Flexen and Tyler Pill also saw action last season, supporting an injury-riddled rotation.
BULLPEN: By season's end, Jeurys Familia had regained the closer spot from A.J. Ramos, which should be the pecking order to open 2018. The rest of the troops are competent, but not especially fantasy worthy with Paul Sewald, Jerry Blevins, Hansel Robles, Josh Smoker and Rafael Montero round things out.
PROSPECTS TO WATCH: Honestly, nothing to see here. Despite a mini-fire sale last season, the Mets did little to fortify a weak system, at least in terms of players close to contributing.
POSSIBLE ACQUISITIONS: If the Mets didn't need to add some bats, I'd expect a veteran starter to help stabilize their M*A*S*H rotation. However, the bulk of their focus will likely be the right side of the infield and maybe a center fielder.
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CATCHER: Jason Castro's bat may not have developed as hoped, but he's good enough behind the dish to warrant regular playing time. Mitch Garver is the current backup.
INFIELD: Joe Mauer and Brian Dozier are stalwarts on the right side. A healthy Miguel Sano locks down the hot corner with Jorge Polanco currently slated for shortstop. Eduardo Escobar deserves mention since he usually get his at bats by season's end.
OUTFIELD: Is this the year Byron Buxton plays the whole season in the Bigs? His glove says yes, hopefully his stick agrees. Eddie Rosario emerged as a regular with Max Kepler at minimum playing versus right-handers, though his leather also warrants full time run.
DESIGNATED HITTER: Robbie Grossman is the leading candidate, though he can also back up all three outfield spots. Kennys Vargas and even Byung Ho Park are in the mix.
BENCH: Escobar and Zack Granite provide infield and outfield depth, along with possibly Vargas and Park.
ROTATION: Ervin Santana currently fronts the staff, but it won't be long before he's supplanted by Jose Berrios. Kyle Gibson is back as a mid-rotation innings eater. Aaron Slegers, Adalberto Mejia and Dietrich Enns will compete for the last spots, provided no one else is brought in (I think some will).
BULLPEN: It's funny how things work out. The Twins bullpen held its own after being gutted at the trade deadline. Still, there's no one to really consider the front-runner for closer. Trevor Hildenberger did it in the minors, but is more of a finesse guy than your typical fireballer. Alan Busenitz is a dark horse to emerge with the role, though the likelihood is the club looks to build on its wild card appearance and brings in an established stopper.
PROSPECTS TO WATCH: Shortstop Nick Gordon is close, though he's known more for this glove than offensive prowess. Stephen Gonsalves could work himself into some starts after debuting last season.
POSSIBLE ACQUISITIONS: The offense seems fine, with maybe a minor tweak or two. If the Twins were to spend, it would be on a starting pitcher or two, along with a ninth inning guy.
Do you want to win your league?
Platinum 2018, featuring the industry's earliest projections has launched. All you have to do is register an account, make sure you're logged in and click HERE.
Please direct all questions to support@mastersball.com.
Follow me on Twitter @ToddZola
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