State of the Franchise: Spokane Fightin' Fish

GM Michael Tirabassi has set his Franchise apart as the most consistent winner in RDBL History, finishing no worse than third place in six of the last seven seasons.  Tirabassi’s group carried that torch again in 2023, winning their second Regular Season Title while coming up just short in the RDBL Playoffs, falling to the eventual Champion Lake Merced Goutfish.  The club will face some difficult decisions before Draft Day, but have plenty of firepower remaining to continue their dynastic run.

Franchise History Page

President of Baseball Operations: Michael Tirabassi

Headquarters: Spokane, WA

Seasons: 10

Cash Finishes: 6 (2nd in RDBL)

Division Titles: 5 (RDBL Record)

Lifetime Earnings: $4,990 (RDBL Record)

Top Hitter: Mookie Betts, 478.0 (2018)

Top Pitcher: Max Scherzer, 558.0 (2016)

2023 Season

The Spokane Fightin’ Fish were a powerhouse again in 2023, becoming the third team in RDBL History to lead the RDBL in both hitting and pitching in the Regular Season.  The club had a more balanced look across their entire roster in 2023, buoyed by young star Julio Rodriguez who shook off a slow start to finish runner-up for the RDBL Activation of the Year Award while plugging holes around the absences of off-season acquisition Aaron Judge and Draft Day steal Corey Seager.

The grizzled duo of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander anchored the rotation while the mid-season addition of Zach Wheeler helped the club pull away from the competition and cruise to the Regular Season Title.

Despite coming up short over the season’s final five weeks, the Fightin’ Fish left their mark on the RDBL History Books by setting seven of 17 League Records reached in 2023.  That pushed Tirabassi well ahead of the competition for his second RDBL Executive of the Year Award.

Lost to 2024 Free Agency

OF Aaron Judge, 1B Jose Abreu, OF Tyler O’Neill, SS Dansby Swanson, RHP Zach Wheeler, OF Taylor Ward, RHP Justin Verlander, 2B Jonathan India, C Mitch Garver, OF Teoscar Hernandez, C Cal Raleigh

Current Projected Keeper Roster Ranked by Value

1. OF Julio Rodriguez (2R/$3)

2. SS Corey Seager (2/$42)

3. 2B Luis Arraez (3/$1)

4. 1B/3B Yandy Diaz (3D/$15)

5. OF Steven Kwan (3D/$15)

6. RHP Mitch Keller (2/$1)

7. RHP Aaron Nola (3/$43)

8. 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes (3R/$5)

9. LHP Braxton Garrett (2FA/$5)

10. SS Willy Adames (3R/$5)

11. U Heston Kjerstad (1R/$1)

12. RP Jordan Romano (2/$8)

One look at the group of players lost to 2024 Free Agency by the Fightin’ Fish reveals just how much work Tirabassi will have to do to replace the production lost from those 12 starters along with Max Scherzer who is set to be cut from his $50 deal.  Building around Julio Rodriguez, easily in the conversation for the best value in all of the RDBL, as well as Corey Seager and Luis Arraez is not a bad place to start.

2022 Draft Day steals Yandy Diaz and Steven Kwan each jump from $5 to $15, still providing plenty of value but cutting $20 total into Tirabassi’s 2024 cap space flexibility while Ke’Bryan Hayes showed some glimmers of hope in the second half that the Fish hope to build on in his final season of control.

Aaron Nola leads the rotation on paper but stands out as a potential trade candidate before Draft Day.  That will leave Mitch Keller and Braxton Garrett next in line with Jordan Romano a candidate to return for a fourth straight season for the Fish.

Heston Kjerstad will be a name to watch in Spring Training as he tries to earn an Opening Day spot in a talented and crowded Orioles depth chart.  Kjerstad only played at DH in 2023, making him only eligible at U to open 2024.

Farm System

1. OF Heston Kjerstad (Orioles)

2. 2B Termarr Johnson (Pirates)

3. 2B Connor Norby (Orioles)

4. RHP Emerson Hancock (Mariners)

5. 1B Matt Mervis (Cubs)

6 . RHP Ben Joyce (Angels)

The Farm System is in need of a jolt, a feat that will be difficult to accomplish with the Fightin’ Fish currently not selecting until 60th Overall, the final pick of the 4th Round.  Kjerstad anchors the Farm System, building back his value following a heart condition that sidelined him in 2021 and forced the Lake Merced Goutfish to cut the former 2nd overall pick.  A bat first player, Kjerstad should carve out a role in Baltimore early in 2024 with the potential to hold both outfield and first base eligibility.

Termarr Johnson likely has the most overall upside of the group as a former High School draftee by Tirabassi.  An up and down 2023 campaign has dimmed his star a bit, but the potential remains as an impact second baseman with an ETA closer to 2025 or 2026. 

The Fish were hopeful Connor Norby could be freed from the Orioles loaded middle infield depth chart, but that went to Joey Ortiz in last week’s Corbin Burnes deal.  Norby is now stuck in a AAA or backup role to start 2024 and will look to shake that label this year.

A mixed 2023 campaign for Emerson Hancock could push his future to the bullpen where his value would be largely diminished while flame-throwing Ben Joyce remains a potential closer in Anaheim. 

Off-Season Questions

Is Aaron Nola the first to go?

The top end of the Fish roster features three 450+ point hitters for just $46 combined in Rodriguez, Seager and Arraez, giving pause to the thought of Tirabassi committing to a rebuild.  Cap Space flexibility will likely be key though which opens the door for Aaron Nola to exit stage left before Draft Day.  Nola’s $43 option for 2024 comes on the heels of a 376.0 point season with a 4.46 ERA but is just one year removed from a 560.0 point season in 2022.

Rebuilding the Farm System a Priority?

With just six prospects currently under contract and a case to be made for only 3-4 to be retained, Tirabassi will have his hands full on rebuilding the club’s Farm System.  While the club has successfully leaned on big league depth acquired in the Reserve Draft, a run at a 2024 Title will likely require some shiny prospects that can draw the interest of other clubs in June/July.  Without a selection in the first three rounds currently, that will require some heavy lifting from the club’s scouting department. 

They wouldn’t trade J-Rod, would they?

The Fightin’ Fish Front Office has at least toyed with the idea of shopping star Julio Rodriguez according to sources.  The club would only entertain that move “to become one of the top Farm Systems in the league” per one Executive who inquired about Rodriguez’s availability.  It’s currently a long-shot, but Tirabassi can never be counted out from zigging when others are zagging.

Rumor Central: Trout Expected to be Released by Grapes

The Asti Grape Stompers are currently planning to release outfielder Mike Trout (2/$58) according to sources. The club is faced with a $58 second year option on Trout who also played for the Grapes in 2013 and 2014.

Trout has earned a combined $608 over ten seasons of RDBL play, completing each of the three previous contracts in full. If released, it will be the first time the future Hall of Famer has been cut in RDBL History.

It was another season marred by injury for the three-time American League MVP in 2023 for the Grapes. Trout managed to stay healthy for most of the first half before he suffered a fractured wrist in early July, and he'd appear in just one contest the rest of the way. He ended up playing in only 82 games, while his .263/.367/.490 slash line is the worst of his career in all three categories since his debut campaign in 2011. The 32-year-old still hit 18 homers and walked at a 12.7 percent clip, but his strikeout rate remained high at 28.7 percent. Trout also continued to square up the ball consistently with a 16.0 percent barrel rate and 51.5 percent hard-hit rate, both of which would rank near the top of the league among qualified hitters.

Trout has played in more than 85 percent of the Angels' games just twice over the past seven seasons, with one of those instances being the shortened 2020 campaign. The durability concerns aren't going anywhere with Trout on the wrong side of 30, but he'll still be a clear difference maker for fantasy managers in 2024 if he's able to play even 120 games, which seems close to the best-case scenario given he hasn't reached that mark since 2019.

His market is likely to exceed $40 in Auction, but the days of a $50+ contract might be behind him unless Trout can put together multiple healthy seasons.

Around the RDBL

• The San Mateo Oppo Tacos continue to shop outfielder Juan Soto (2/$65) who is drawing strong interest, but the contract size continues to be a sticking point according to sources. That has led teams to try and lure GM Erik Nielsen into attaching a young asset with Soto to a deal with Josh Jung (2R/$3) being the most frequently mentioned. Nielsen has no plans to move Jung after his standout Rookie campaign and currently plans to retain Soto for the 2024 Season if they can't strike a deal before Draft Day.

• With Walker Buehler (2D/$5) set to get a late start to the 2024 season (per Dodgers manager Dave Roberts), the Stacks are leaning towards retaining right-hander Bryan Woo (2FA/$5) according to sources. Woo, who turns 24 on Jan. 30, made 18 starts after being called up from Class AA in early June, with a 4.21 ERA, 93 strikeouts and 31 walks over 87.2 innings.

• Despite not being considered a top prospect, Honolulu Hammerheads right-hander Kutter Crawford managed to carve out a niche for himself through his consistent and impressive performances in 2023 which has GM Ross Horiuchi giving him a long look for his rotation. Crawford began the season in the bullpen, but his skill and tenacity soon earned him a spot in the starting rotation. Over 129.1 innings, he posted a 4.04 ERA, ranking second among starting pitchers with 2.5 wins above replacement. Crawford could slot in behind Tanner Bibee, Chris Sale, Brandon Pfaadt and Reese Olson with Bailey Ober (2FA/$5) likely his biggest competition for a spot.

3 Up, 3 Down: Hall, Keith Among Risers While Buehler, Seager Values Take Hit

Pitchers and Catchers are set to report to Spring Training camps in just eight days and there is plenty of news hitting the wire with big league clubs hosting their individual fan fest activities. A blockbuster deal that sent Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles was the biggest news of the last week with the St. Joseph Jokers potentially seeing the biggest benefit of the move as GM Rick Steen continues to overhaul the club's pitching staff.

Here's the latest 3 Up, 3 Down:

LHP DL Hall (Minors), St. Joseph Jokers

Hall was traded from the Orioles to the Brewers along with Joey Ortiz and the 34th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft in exchange for Corbin Burnes on Thursday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

Hall was once viewed as a top prospect as a starting pitcher and still garnered back Top 100 votes, though he's made only one start in 29 appearances in the majors. He was effective as a reliever in 2023, posting a 3.26 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across 19.1 innings after a disrupted offseason caused him to begin the year at less than full strength. However, Hall should have a renewed chance to join a big-league rotation with his new club with the makings of a potential breakout candidate for the St. Joseph Jokers.

Having not made a start at all last season, Hall can be activated as a RP on the Club's Draft Day Roster before having to move into the SP slot on Opening Day.

2B Colt Keith (Free Agent)

The Tigers announced a six-year contract extension with infield prospect Colt Keith. The deal guarantees Keith $28.6425MM and could max out at $82MM over nine years if three club options (covering the 2030, 2031, and 2032 seasons) are all escalated and exercised. The deal is expected to put Keith firmly in the club's plans as the starting second baseman to start the 2024 season and move him into the RDBL's Auction Draft and out of consideration by the Meinert Hops for the top overall pick in the Reserve Draft.

Keith, 22, was a fifth-round pick by the Tigers in the 2020 draft and has since ascended rapidly through the minor leagues with a .300/.382/.512 slash line across all levels, including a .306/.380/.552 slash line in 126 games split between Double- and Triple-A last season. The youngster has emerged as a consensus Top-30 prospect in the game, with MLB.com ranking him 22nd while Baseball America placed him 28th.

RHP Joe Musgrove (Free Agent)

Padres manager Mike Shildt last last week that Musgrove (shoulder) will not have any limitations in spring training, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

San Diego's new skipper revealed that Musgrove has already thrown some bullpen sessions and even faced some hitters and has bounced back with no issues. The veteran right-hander missed the final two months of last season with right shoulder inflammation and also dealt with elbow bursitis earlier in the year. Musgrove was highly effective in 2023 when on the mound, collecting a 3.05 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 97:21 K:BB over 97.1 frames. It's certainly encouraging that it looks like he'll enter spring training with no limits with the right-hander expected to receive one of the largest Auction deals for a starting pitcher in the RDBL Draft.

SS Corey Seager (2/$42), Spokane Fightin' Fish

Seager underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a sports hernia, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Seager initially suffered the injury during the postseason and the hope was that it would heal with some extended rest over the offseason. That didn't happen, however, so the decision was made to have the operation. The Rangers are hopeful that Seager will be ready in time for Opening Day, but if he's not Ezequiel Duran would figure to see extra playing time in the early going. Seager was the runner-up for American League MVP in 2023 and captured World Series MVP honors during Texas' run to the title. An absence, if for part of the Regular Season, would not deter GM Michael Tirabassi from considering a move given Seager's bargain at $42.

RHP Walker Buehler (2D/$5), Alamo Short Stacks

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Saturday that Buehler (elbow) will not be on the Opening Day roster, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports. The Dodgers are trying to figure out the best way to manage Buehler's workload as he comes back from Tommy John surgery and will have him on a "slow program," per Roberts. Whether that means the right-hander will begin the year in extended spring training, on a rehab assignment or something else has not been revealed by the club yet. It's also unclear at this juncture when Buehler might join the Dodgers' rotation, likely taking him out of the mix for a spot in the Stacks Keeper Roster rotation.

RHP Emmet Sheehan (2FA/$5), Asti Grape Stompers

Despite Buehler's slow ramp up, the Dodgers addition of James Paxton and likely re-signing of Clayton Kershaw could leave Sheehan on the outside looking in for the Dodgers rotation by mid-season. Of course, Sheehan could grab the reins and lock in his spot with a dominant Spring Training and early 2024 campaign, but the risk of a bullpen move is certainly high as pitchers and catchers close in our reporting to camp.