We’re 10 days away from the 2016 JLB Draft and there are some interesting names out there in the draft, which includes some top-level prospects and some Asian imports who could easily go in the first round.
There also was going to be some pitchers out there, but the Outs, among others, made the most of the offseason, bringing in picks for excess pitching.
The big deadline winner on Monday was a shocker as the Sex Panthers swooped in and upgraded her veteran pitching spots with James Shields and Jordan Zimmermann, supplanting Wei-Yin Chen and Phil Hughes.
I personally like Shields, but I'm not super high on Zimmermann just because of the low strikeout-rate and the switch from the NL to the AL. But when it comes down to it, the Sex Panthers greatly upgraded her veteran pitcher spots for very little cost.
And add that to four minor league pitchers who are all already in the majors — Luis Severino, Trevor Bauer, Marcus Stroman and Collin McHugh — and she has an excellent pitching staff. Both Stroman and Severino have top-of-the-rotation stuff, and McHugh, who was eighth in the Cy Young voting a year ago. He quietly went 19-7 with a 3.89 ERA and 171 strikeouts. Bauer still has the potential, but he needs to work on control after leading the majors in walks with 79 last season.
All in all, it was quite the deadline day for the Panthers who yelled at me to write a Jargon about her. It was a demand. She went all third person, saying, "Gina never does this" after acquiring Shields. A few hours later, she piggy-backed that deal, replenishing the fourth-round pick she lost while adding Zimmermann.
And at the end of the day, all she lost was a third rounder and an eighth for Shields and Zimmermann.
Not bad at all, but will it be the best of all the offseason moves? We've seen a lot of different moves, some blockbusters, some minor. We'll have to revisit them later in the season to see who made the right moves and who made the biggest mistakes.
(1B) Edwin Encarnacion, (2B) Dee Gordon, (3B) Todd Frazier, (SS) Troy Tulowitzki, (CF) A.J. Pollock, Joc Pederson, (RF) Jose Bautista
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Addison Russell
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Max Scherzer, Drew Smyly, Adam Wainwright; (RP) Jeurys Familia
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Aaron Nola, Sonny Gray, Vincent Velasquez, Masahiro Tanaka, Carlos Martinez
JARGON'S TAKE
The Moldy Cheese Steaks Retirement Home. (Jim just knocked over his cane in anger.) There are a few young helpers who "pitch" in to make this team drop in average age, but there are certainly some guys who are over-the-hill and heading toward Gambler territory. That doesn't mean this team is bad. Heck no. The aging guys are still going to contribute. I only joke because it's do or die time now. It's all-in for the Steaks who will look to become the first back-to-back champion since the Slammers did it in 2011-2012.
(C) Russell Martin, (1B) Freddie Freeman, (2B) Rougned Odor, (3B) Josh Donaldson, (SS) Carlos Correa, (LF) Starling Marte, (RF) Bryce Harper
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Delino DeShields, Kris Bryant, Mookie Betts
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Madison Bumgarner, Corey Kluber, Jake Arrieta; (RP) Zach Britton
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Michael Wacha, Kyle Hendricks, Lance McCullers
JARGON'S TAKE
This team is extremely scary. Like I'm-glad-I-don't-face-him-Week-1 scary. The pitching has a few questions after a rough spring training, but that's just me being picky. This group rivals the Slammers and Industries for the best pitching staff heading into the draft. And at the plate, this team will be absolutely impossible to beat during the weeks when all the bats are hitting at their best. Outs added Starling Marte, who I think can only get better, and the new keeper in 2016 at second base is Rougned Odor, who also is on many "breakout" lists. Add them to guys like Harper, Bryant, Donaldson and Correa, and easily, you can see why I'm saying the Outs are the team to beat on paper at this point.
(C) Buster Posey, (2B) Jason Kipnis, (3B) Maikel Franco, (SS) , (LF) Michael Brantley, David Peralta, (CF) Carlos Gomez, (RF) Giancarlo Stanton
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Kolten Wong, Yoan Moncada,
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Chris Sale, Jose Fernandez, Cole Hamels; (RP) Glen Perkins
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Jake Odorizzi, Daniel Norris, Kevin Gausman, Roberto Osuna
JARGON'S TAKE
Vandelay had to move on from the Wainwright era, but he shouldn't miss a beat with Chris Sale, Jose Fernandez and Cole Hamels, to go with Jake Odorizzi, Daniel Norris and Kevin Gausman. If Fernandez is healthy, Vandelay's pitching staff is right there with the Outs and Slammers. Offensively, he'll look for a full season of Giancarlo Stanton for once, a healthy return for Michael Brantley and continued improvement from young stars like Kolten Wong and Maikel Franco.
(C) Yadier Molina, (1B) Adrian Gonzalez, (2B) Daniel Murphy, D.J. LeMahieu, (CF) Charlie Blackmon, (RF) Nelson Cruz, (DH) Chris Davis
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Blake Swihart, Billy Hamilton, Jung Ho Kang, Francisco Lindor, Gregory Polanco
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Felix Hernandez, Johnny Cueto, Zack Greinke; (RP) Trevor Rosenthal
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Tyler Glasnow
JARGON'S TAKE
The pitching depth heading into the draft is the weakest among any team in the JLB with only three active starters and just one prospect. Two of those starters are King Felix and Zack Greinke, so that's a confidence builder, but Johnny Cueto has struggled in the spring and really only had a good season when pitching at home in KC at the end of last year. He, along with many other Giants pitchers, scare me, and not the Outs kind of scary; more like the Grinch, I-won't-touch-you-with-a-40-foot-pole scary. Francisco Lindor is the bat that excites me the most, but the rest of the minor league guys need to step up big time to help Steroid out in 2016, otherwise, this could be a step backward after a winning campaign in 2015.
(C) Salvador Perez, (1B) Anthony Rizzo, Eric Hosmer, (2B) Jose Altuve, (3B) Mike Moustakas, (LF) Yoenis Cespedes, (CF) Andrew McCutchen
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Corey Seager (SS), Xander Bogaerts (SS), George Springer (RF)
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Chris Archer, Shelby Miller, Dallas Keuchel; (RP) Aaron Sanchez
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Carlos Rodon, Blake Snell, Andrew Heaney
JARGON'S TAKE
I love this team. Of course I do. It's the Slammers! OK, let's try to be as objective as possible here. The offense is complete with everyday starters at every position, including the two UTIL spots, and on the mound, there is a Cy Young winner, a Cy Young contender and an All-Star who could have been a Cy Young candidate had the Braves scored some runs for him. Dallas Keuchel, Chris Archer and Shelby Miller, along with Carlos Rodon and Andrew Heaney provide as strong as a front five as the Outs and Vandelay. But can they all keep it going against the two teams who have continually made the playoffs in the Slammers stead over the last three years?
(C) Matt Wieters, (1B) Miguel Cabrera, (3B) Manny Machado, Kyle Seager, (SS) Elvis Andrus, (CF) Mike Trout, (RF) Jason Heyward
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Jace Peterson, Jonathan Schoop, Ender Inciarte, Travis d’Arnaud
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Matt Harvey, Michael Pineda, Yu Darvish; (RP) Jonathan Papelbon
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Mike Fiers, Jameson Taillon
JARGON'S TAKE
I was a little shocked to see some of the names that dropped off this roster, and equally as shocked to see guys like Matt Wieters and Yu Darvish make it. Darvish, when healthy, clearly deserves it, so that's not surprising in itself; it's just shocking that he made it over Julio Teheran. It's a bold move and I like it a lot if Darvish comes back strong. Wieters, however, makes me scratch my head a bit, especially when considering Travis d'Arnaud earned a roster spot, too. On the bright side, Miguel Cabrera, Manny Machado, Mike Trout and Jason Heyward are all bats I'd love to have and they'll do plenty to make up for it if Wieters does end up being a mistake. Otto will need a strong draft to catch up to the rest of the NL and get out of the cellar, mind you, a cellar that is upscale in the NL. This isn't your slum Gambler hangout. Last place in the NL just means your the worst of the best.
(C) Brian McCann, (2B) Brian Dozier, (3B) Nolan Arenado, (SS) Ian Desmond, (LF) Ben Zobrist, (RF) Yasiel Puig, J.D. Martinez
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Billy Burns, Orlando Arcia
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Clayton Kershaw, Jeff Samardzija; (RP) Andrew Miller, Aroldis Chapman
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Dellin Betances, Noah Syndergaard, Alex Reyes, Aaron Blair
JARGON'S TAKE
Choo's roster is completely different from what he had last year at the keeper deadline. Hell, as usual, it's far different than what we saw at the end of the 2015 season. Trading David Price was bold, and he sent a lot packing to get Nolan Arenado. Heading into 2016, he's no where near as strong as he has been in the past, but with cornerstones like Clayton Kershaw and Nolan Arenado, he's got the two studs to build a new World Series loser around.
(C) Jonathan Lucroy, (1B) Albert Pujols, (2B) Robinson Cano, (3B) Martin Prado, (SS) Andrelton Simmons, (RF) Curtis Granderson, Nick Markakis
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Byron Buxton, Christian Yelich
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) James Shields, Jordan Zimmermann; (RP) Kenley Jansen, Francisco Rodriquez
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Collin McHugh, Trevor Bauer, Luis Severino, Marcus Stroman
JARGON'S TAKE
A tie-breaker kept the Sex Panthers from making the World Series, and she's primed and ready to get back there. The offense needs some strengthening, but for the first time in a few years, thanks to some young minor leaguers who she's been building around, the Panthers have a legit contending pitching staff. Bolstering it with two decent vets helps, and if Byron Buxton and Christian Yelich live up to their potential, she'll have a team that will be hanging around in August for sure.
(1B) Paul Goldschmidt, (2B) Ian Kinsler, (3B) Evan Longoria, (SS) Eduardo Escobar, (LF) Ben Revere, (CF) Jacoby Ellsbury, (RF) Jay Bruce
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Miguel Sano, Stephen Piscotty, Aaron Judge
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Carlos Carrasco, Gerritt Cole; (RP) Craig Kimbrel, Mark Melancon
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Yordano Ventura, Jacob deGrom, Taylor Jungmann
JARGON'S TAKE
Paul Goldschmidt and Miguel Sano are going to be big home run hitters for this team, and I like Stephen Piscotty to play a key role for the Bombers. Pitching depth at the starting position is lighter than most, but nothing he can't fix in the draft, especially considering he'll get to build around Carlos Carrasco, Gerritt Cole, Jacob deGrom and Yordano Ventura. Keys will be Ventura taking the next step to becoming an ace. Both the Royals and the Bombers could use that.
(1B) Brandon Belt, (2B) Anthony Rendon, (3B) Matt Carpenter, Adrian Beltre, (LF) Corey Dickerson, (CF) Lorenzo Cain, (DH) Prince Fielder
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Randal Grichuk, Nomar Mazara, Bradley Zimmer
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Gio Gonzalez, Garrett Richards, Tyson Ross; (RP) A.J. Ramos
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Lucas Giolito, Danny Salazar, Braden Shipley
JARGON'S TAKE
Ol' Country Breakfast came in and re-did the menu. He got rid of the Sonny-side up eggs and nixed the town favorite Arenado Grand Slam. He also shipped off several draft picks and that's going to set him back this season. There's a lot of talent in the draft, but with the third overall pick and then a 36-pick wait before he drafts again, there will be a lot that disappears. Perhaps, with young studs like Lucas Giolito and Nomar Mazara in waiting, maybe the future is what Ol' Country is cooking for. Then again, bringing in guys who can get the Senior Citizen discount like Adrian Beltre, Gio Gonzalez and Prince Fielder makes you wonder what the plan is for Ol' Country. The mixed messages in the offseason lead me to believe scrapple is today's special.
(1B) Jose Abreu, (2B) Dustin Pedroia, (LF) Hanley Ramirez, (CF) Kevin Pillar, (RF) Carlos Gonzalez, (DH) David Ortiz, Evan Gattis
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
J.P. Crawford, Hector Olivera, J.T. Realmuto,
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Jon Lester, Patrick Corbin, Taijuan Walker; (RP) Huston Street
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Henry Owens, Joe Ross, Jose Berios
JARGON'S TAKE
One step forward, two steps back. Getting rid of Noah Syndergaard is a head-scratcher for me, but the Crox Sox are looking for a grand farewell tour by David Ortiz. I'm just not sure one year of Ortiz is worth what Syndergaard could provide in the long run. Yes, the No. 1 pick is there, but if you ask me, I'd take the "curveball from hell" any day. Oh wait, I traded him, too? I guess I have no room to talk. .... But I digress, Jon Lester joined the Crox Sox to give him a front-line starter with Syndergaard gone, and with the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Crox can do some damage there to help bolster this. There are decent pieces being kept, but it will be pivotal to draft strong with a few question marks on this roster. If Patrick Corbin comes back strong and Taijuan Walker continues his ascent toward reaching his once-perceived potential, the Crox Sox will have a chance to compete. But "ifs" are just that.
(C) Kyle Schwarber, (1B) Joey Votto, (2B) Joe Panik, (SS) Starlin Castro, (LF) Justin Upton, (CF) Adam Jones, (RF) Ryan Braun
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Joey Gallo, Jorge Soler, Michael Conforto
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Stephen Strasburg, David Price, Justin Verlander; (RP) Wade Davis
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Julio Urias, Steven Matz, Anthony DeSclafani
JARGON'S TAKE
The Gamblers have done well after losing a franchise-worst number of games a year ago. Kershaw is obviously long gone, but the Gamblers was able to reel in David Price and add him to Stephen Strasburg and Justin Verlander, along with minor leaguer Steven Matz. Julio Urias and Anthony DeSclafani are there, too, but one is a year away from the majors, and the other is on a last-place Reds team. Offensively, the Gamblers will do well. He just needs a third baseman to complete the lineup that will have plenty of power. If Urias can come up early, this could change the dynamic of this team for sure, but starting pitching will nevertheless be the focus of the draft.
There also was going to be some pitchers out there, but the Outs, among others, made the most of the offseason, bringing in picks for excess pitching.
I personally like Shields, but I'm not super high on Zimmermann just because of the low strikeout-rate and the switch from the NL to the AL. But when it comes down to it, the Sex Panthers greatly upgraded her veteran pitcher spots for very little cost.
And add that to four minor league pitchers who are all already in the majors — Luis Severino, Trevor Bauer, Marcus Stroman and Collin McHugh — and she has an excellent pitching staff. Both Stroman and Severino have top-of-the-rotation stuff, and McHugh, who was eighth in the Cy Young voting a year ago. He quietly went 19-7 with a 3.89 ERA and 171 strikeouts. Bauer still has the potential, but he needs to work on control after leading the majors in walks with 79 last season.
All in all, it was quite the deadline day for the Panthers who yelled at me to write a Jargon about her. It was a demand. She went all third person, saying, "Gina never does this" after acquiring Shields. A few hours later, she piggy-backed that deal, replenishing the fourth-round pick she lost while adding Zimmermann.
And at the end of the day, all she lost was a third rounder and an eighth for Shields and Zimmermann.
Not bad at all, but will it be the best of all the offseason moves? We've seen a lot of different moves, some blockbusters, some minor. We'll have to revisit them later in the season to see who made the right moves and who made the biggest mistakes.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philly Cheese Steaks
VETERAN BATS(1B) Edwin Encarnacion, (2B) Dee Gordon, (3B) Todd Frazier, (SS) Troy Tulowitzki, (CF) A.J. Pollock, Joc Pederson, (RF) Jose Bautista
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Addison Russell
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Max Scherzer, Drew Smyly, Adam Wainwright; (RP) Jeurys Familia
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Aaron Nola, Sonny Gray, Vincent Velasquez, Masahiro Tanaka, Carlos Martinez
JARGON'S TAKE
The Moldy Cheese Steaks Retirement Home. (Jim just knocked over his cane in anger.) There are a few young helpers who "pitch" in to make this team drop in average age, but there are certainly some guys who are over-the-hill and heading toward Gambler territory. That doesn't mean this team is bad. Heck no. The aging guys are still going to contribute. I only joke because it's do or die time now. It's all-in for the Steaks who will look to become the first back-to-back champion since the Slammers did it in 2011-2012.
You’re Freaking Out
VETERAN BATS(C) Russell Martin, (1B) Freddie Freeman, (2B) Rougned Odor, (3B) Josh Donaldson, (SS) Carlos Correa, (LF) Starling Marte, (RF) Bryce Harper
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Delino DeShields, Kris Bryant, Mookie Betts
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Madison Bumgarner, Corey Kluber, Jake Arrieta; (RP) Zach Britton
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Michael Wacha, Kyle Hendricks, Lance McCullers
JARGON'S TAKE
This team is extremely scary. Like I'm-glad-I-don't-face-him-Week-1 scary. The pitching has a few questions after a rough spring training, but that's just me being picky. This group rivals the Slammers and Industries for the best pitching staff heading into the draft. And at the plate, this team will be absolutely impossible to beat during the weeks when all the bats are hitting at their best. Outs added Starling Marte, who I think can only get better, and the new keeper in 2016 at second base is Rougned Odor, who also is on many "breakout" lists. Add them to guys like Harper, Bryant, Donaldson and Correa, and easily, you can see why I'm saying the Outs are the team to beat on paper at this point.
Vandelay Industries
VETERAN BATS(C) Buster Posey, (2B) Jason Kipnis, (3B) Maikel Franco, (SS) , (LF) Michael Brantley, David Peralta, (CF) Carlos Gomez, (RF) Giancarlo Stanton
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Kolten Wong, Yoan Moncada,
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Chris Sale, Jose Fernandez, Cole Hamels; (RP) Glen Perkins
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Jake Odorizzi, Daniel Norris, Kevin Gausman, Roberto Osuna
JARGON'S TAKE
Vandelay had to move on from the Wainwright era, but he shouldn't miss a beat with Chris Sale, Jose Fernandez and Cole Hamels, to go with Jake Odorizzi, Daniel Norris and Kevin Gausman. If Fernandez is healthy, Vandelay's pitching staff is right there with the Outs and Slammers. Offensively, he'll look for a full season of Giancarlo Stanton for once, a healthy return for Michael Brantley and continued improvement from young stars like Kolten Wong and Maikel Franco.
Steroid.ERA
VETERAN BATS(C) Yadier Molina, (1B) Adrian Gonzalez, (2B) Daniel Murphy, D.J. LeMahieu, (CF) Charlie Blackmon, (RF) Nelson Cruz, (DH) Chris Davis
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Blake Swihart, Billy Hamilton, Jung Ho Kang, Francisco Lindor, Gregory Polanco
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Felix Hernandez, Johnny Cueto, Zack Greinke; (RP) Trevor Rosenthal
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Tyler Glasnow
JARGON'S TAKE
The pitching depth heading into the draft is the weakest among any team in the JLB with only three active starters and just one prospect. Two of those starters are King Felix and Zack Greinke, so that's a confidence builder, but Johnny Cueto has struggled in the spring and really only had a good season when pitching at home in KC at the end of last year. He, along with many other Giants pitchers, scare me, and not the Outs kind of scary; more like the Grinch, I-won't-touch-you-with-a-40-foot-pole scary. Francisco Lindor is the bat that excites me the most, but the rest of the minor league guys need to step up big time to help Steroid out in 2016, otherwise, this could be a step backward after a winning campaign in 2015.
Jimmyjam Slammers
VETERAN BATS(C) Salvador Perez, (1B) Anthony Rizzo, Eric Hosmer, (2B) Jose Altuve, (3B) Mike Moustakas, (LF) Yoenis Cespedes, (CF) Andrew McCutchen
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Corey Seager (SS), Xander Bogaerts (SS), George Springer (RF)
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Chris Archer, Shelby Miller, Dallas Keuchel; (RP) Aaron Sanchez
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Carlos Rodon, Blake Snell, Andrew Heaney
JARGON'S TAKE
I love this team. Of course I do. It's the Slammers! OK, let's try to be as objective as possible here. The offense is complete with everyday starters at every position, including the two UTIL spots, and on the mound, there is a Cy Young winner, a Cy Young contender and an All-Star who could have been a Cy Young candidate had the Braves scored some runs for him. Dallas Keuchel, Chris Archer and Shelby Miller, along with Carlos Rodon and Andrew Heaney provide as strong as a front five as the Outs and Vandelay. But can they all keep it going against the two teams who have continually made the playoffs in the Slammers stead over the last three years?
Chief Otto Parts
VETERAN BATS(C) Matt Wieters, (1B) Miguel Cabrera, (3B) Manny Machado, Kyle Seager, (SS) Elvis Andrus, (CF) Mike Trout, (RF) Jason Heyward
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Jace Peterson, Jonathan Schoop, Ender Inciarte, Travis d’Arnaud
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Matt Harvey, Michael Pineda, Yu Darvish; (RP) Jonathan Papelbon
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Mike Fiers, Jameson Taillon
JARGON'S TAKE
I was a little shocked to see some of the names that dropped off this roster, and equally as shocked to see guys like Matt Wieters and Yu Darvish make it. Darvish, when healthy, clearly deserves it, so that's not surprising in itself; it's just shocking that he made it over Julio Teheran. It's a bold move and I like it a lot if Darvish comes back strong. Wieters, however, makes me scratch my head a bit, especially when considering Travis d'Arnaud earned a roster spot, too. On the bright side, Miguel Cabrera, Manny Machado, Mike Trout and Jason Heyward are all bats I'd love to have and they'll do plenty to make up for it if Wieters does end up being a mistake. Otto will need a strong draft to catch up to the rest of the NL and get out of the cellar, mind you, a cellar that is upscale in the NL. This isn't your slum Gambler hangout. Last place in the NL just means your the worst of the best.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Big League Choo
VETERAN BATS(C) Brian McCann, (2B) Brian Dozier, (3B) Nolan Arenado, (SS) Ian Desmond, (LF) Ben Zobrist, (RF) Yasiel Puig, J.D. Martinez
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Billy Burns, Orlando Arcia
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Clayton Kershaw, Jeff Samardzija; (RP) Andrew Miller, Aroldis Chapman
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Dellin Betances, Noah Syndergaard, Alex Reyes, Aaron Blair
JARGON'S TAKE
Choo's roster is completely different from what he had last year at the keeper deadline. Hell, as usual, it's far different than what we saw at the end of the 2015 season. Trading David Price was bold, and he sent a lot packing to get Nolan Arenado. Heading into 2016, he's no where near as strong as he has been in the past, but with cornerstones like Clayton Kershaw and Nolan Arenado, he's got the two studs to build a new World Series loser around.
Sex Panthers
VETERAN BATS(C) Jonathan Lucroy, (1B) Albert Pujols, (2B) Robinson Cano, (3B) Martin Prado, (SS) Andrelton Simmons, (RF) Curtis Granderson, Nick Markakis
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Byron Buxton, Christian Yelich
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) James Shields, Jordan Zimmermann; (RP) Kenley Jansen, Francisco Rodriquez
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Collin McHugh, Trevor Bauer, Luis Severino, Marcus Stroman
JARGON'S TAKE
A tie-breaker kept the Sex Panthers from making the World Series, and she's primed and ready to get back there. The offense needs some strengthening, but for the first time in a few years, thanks to some young minor leaguers who she's been building around, the Panthers have a legit contending pitching staff. Bolstering it with two decent vets helps, and if Byron Buxton and Christian Yelich live up to their potential, she'll have a team that will be hanging around in August for sure.
N.J. Bombers
VETERAN BATS(1B) Paul Goldschmidt, (2B) Ian Kinsler, (3B) Evan Longoria, (SS) Eduardo Escobar, (LF) Ben Revere, (CF) Jacoby Ellsbury, (RF) Jay Bruce
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Miguel Sano, Stephen Piscotty, Aaron Judge
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Carlos Carrasco, Gerritt Cole; (RP) Craig Kimbrel, Mark Melancon
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Yordano Ventura, Jacob deGrom, Taylor Jungmann
JARGON'S TAKE
Paul Goldschmidt and Miguel Sano are going to be big home run hitters for this team, and I like Stephen Piscotty to play a key role for the Bombers. Pitching depth at the starting position is lighter than most, but nothing he can't fix in the draft, especially considering he'll get to build around Carlos Carrasco, Gerritt Cole, Jacob deGrom and Yordano Ventura. Keys will be Ventura taking the next step to becoming an ace. Both the Royals and the Bombers could use that.
Big Ol’ Country Breakfast
VETERAN BATS(1B) Brandon Belt, (2B) Anthony Rendon, (3B) Matt Carpenter, Adrian Beltre, (LF) Corey Dickerson, (CF) Lorenzo Cain, (DH) Prince Fielder
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Randal Grichuk, Nomar Mazara, Bradley Zimmer
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Gio Gonzalez, Garrett Richards, Tyson Ross; (RP) A.J. Ramos
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Lucas Giolito, Danny Salazar, Braden Shipley
JARGON'S TAKE
Ol' Country Breakfast came in and re-did the menu. He got rid of the Sonny-side up eggs and nixed the town favorite Arenado Grand Slam. He also shipped off several draft picks and that's going to set him back this season. There's a lot of talent in the draft, but with the third overall pick and then a 36-pick wait before he drafts again, there will be a lot that disappears. Perhaps, with young studs like Lucas Giolito and Nomar Mazara in waiting, maybe the future is what Ol' Country is cooking for. Then again, bringing in guys who can get the Senior Citizen discount like Adrian Beltre, Gio Gonzalez and Prince Fielder makes you wonder what the plan is for Ol' Country. The mixed messages in the offseason lead me to believe scrapple is today's special.
Crox Sox
VETERAN BATS(1B) Jose Abreu, (2B) Dustin Pedroia, (LF) Hanley Ramirez, (CF) Kevin Pillar, (RF) Carlos Gonzalez, (DH) David Ortiz, Evan Gattis
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
J.P. Crawford, Hector Olivera, J.T. Realmuto,
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Jon Lester, Patrick Corbin, Taijuan Walker; (RP) Huston Street
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Henry Owens, Joe Ross, Jose Berios
JARGON'S TAKE
One step forward, two steps back. Getting rid of Noah Syndergaard is a head-scratcher for me, but the Crox Sox are looking for a grand farewell tour by David Ortiz. I'm just not sure one year of Ortiz is worth what Syndergaard could provide in the long run. Yes, the No. 1 pick is there, but if you ask me, I'd take the "curveball from hell" any day. Oh wait, I traded him, too? I guess I have no room to talk. .... But I digress, Jon Lester joined the Crox Sox to give him a front-line starter with Syndergaard gone, and with the No. 1 pick in the draft, the Crox can do some damage there to help bolster this. There are decent pieces being kept, but it will be pivotal to draft strong with a few question marks on this roster. If Patrick Corbin comes back strong and Taijuan Walker continues his ascent toward reaching his once-perceived potential, the Crox Sox will have a chance to compete. But "ifs" are just that.
Gameday Gamblers
VETERAN BATS(C) Kyle Schwarber, (1B) Joey Votto, (2B) Joe Panik, (SS) Starlin Castro, (LF) Justin Upton, (CF) Adam Jones, (RF) Ryan Braun
MINOR LEAGUE BATS
Joey Gallo, Jorge Soler, Michael Conforto
VETERAN PITCHERS
(SP) Stephen Strasburg, David Price, Justin Verlander; (RP) Wade Davis
MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS
Julio Urias, Steven Matz, Anthony DeSclafani
JARGON'S TAKE
The Gamblers have done well after losing a franchise-worst number of games a year ago. Kershaw is obviously long gone, but the Gamblers was able to reel in David Price and add him to Stephen Strasburg and Justin Verlander, along with minor leaguer Steven Matz. Julio Urias and Anthony DeSclafani are there, too, but one is a year away from the majors, and the other is on a last-place Reds team. Offensively, the Gamblers will do well. He just needs a third baseman to complete the lineup that will have plenty of power. If Urias can come up early, this could change the dynamic of this team for sure, but starting pitching will nevertheless be the focus of the draft.
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