State of the Franchise: Maltese Falcons

The Maltese Falcons embark on their first season without Assistant GM Erik Nielsen since 2017 as President of Baseball Operations Gary Falzon takes back the full reign of the club. The Falcons are coming off their worst season in Franchise History, finishing in 13th Place while missing the Playoffs/Cash Finish for just the third time in ten seasons.

The club released new branding this off-season which will be coupled by a talented young roster that should have the Falcons right back in the mix in 2024.

Franchise History Page

President of Baseball Operations: Gary Falzon

Headquarters: Belmont, CA

Seasons: 10

Cash Finishes: 7 (Tied for RDBL Record)

Division Titles: 4

Lifetime Earnings: $2,215

Top Hitter: Paul Goldschmidt, (2017)

Top Pitcher: Max Scherzer, 633.0 Points (2018)

2023 Season

Usually risk averse, the Falcons committed a combined $72 to oft-injured assets Carlos Rodon and Starling Marte which sunk an otherwise talented group while also getting little production from hitters Jose Miranda, Michael Massey and Joey Bart. Nestor Cortes turning back into a pumpkin was the final straw for Falzon and Nielsen to turn the page to next season.

With the writing on the wall, the Falcons Front Office became sellers for the first time in Franchise History. The overhaul looks promising as the Falcons have as many as nine players on 1R or 2R deals with one of the biggest cap space situations in the RDBL entering 2024.

Lost to 2024 Free Agency

LHP Robbie Ray

Current Projected Keeper Roster Ranked by Value

1. RHP Eury Perez (1R/$1)

2. 1B Triston Casas (1R/$1)

3. 2B Ozzie Albies (2/$27)

4. OF Ian Happ (3/$13)

5. IF Isaac Paredes (2/$1)

6. OF Riley Greene (2R/$3)

7. IF Royce Lewis (1R/$1)

8. 2B Edouard Julien (1R/$1)

9. 1B Vinnie Pasquantino (2R/$3)

10. RHP Seth Lugo (2FA/$5)

11. OF Sal Frelick (1R/$1)

12. OF Luis Matos (1R/$1)

13. C Austin Wells (1R/$1)

With nine players on 1R or 2R deals, six selections in the first first two rounds of the Reserve Draft and boat loads of cap space, Falzon has a bevy of options to improve his club before Opening Day. The rotation is off to a solid start with elite activation Eury Perez ready to grab the top spot while Seth Lugo, awarded a $45M deal from the Royals, a good bet to return on his 2FA/$5 deal.

There's plenty to like on offense as well with the trio of Edouard Julien, Royce Lewis and Riley Greene each possessing 400+ point upside for 2024.

Farm System

1. RHP Eury Perez (Marlins)

2. 1B Triston Casas (Red Sox)

3. IF Royce Lewis (Twins)

4. OF James Wood (Nationals)

5. 2B Edouard Julien (Twins)

6. 3B Coby Mayo (Orioles)

7. OF Sal Frelick (Brewers)

8. OF Druw Jones (D'Backs)

9. OF Luis Matos (Giants)

10. C Austin Wells (Yankees)

Next Best: OF Josue De Paula (LAD), OF Zac Veen (COL), RHP Daniel Espino (CLE)

The Falcons have one of the most balanced Farm Systems in the RDBL, with elite activations for 2024 hardly set to cripple the group with James Wood and Coby Mayo right behind them and on track for 2025. The foursome of Eury Perez, Triston Casas, Royce Lewis and Edouard Julien represent a potential 1,600 point addition to the Falcons roster for just $4 combined next season.

Dodgers slugger Josue De Paula is a name to watch as he continues to rise as one of baseball's best outfield prospects.

The Falcons have six of the first 28 picks in the RDBL Reserve Draft, giving Falzon plenty of ammo to replenish their depth with as seven prospects set for Opening Day jobs.

Off-Season Questions

Trust in their Farm System?

The Falcons have seven prospects who have made a case for an Opening Day activation. Just how many GM Gary Falzon trusts to occupy a coveted spot in the Active Roster is another story with the club potentially open to parting with an activation-ready talent to bring in some more proven talent for 2024.

$200 in Cap Space - where does it go?

The Falcons have spent over $51 on a player just once in Franchise History (Max Scherzer, $54 in 2018) but enter 2024 with one of the highest cap space numbers in the league. Falzon could elect to use some of that wiggle room to add a high priced talent through trade before Draft Day, given the Draft selections they hold and the available spots they have on their Keeper Roster.

Fit with the Goutfish?

The Lake Merced Goutfish are staring at eight viable starting pitcher options entering 2024, likely looking to trim at least two off that group in trades over the next 10 weeks. That could line up for a potential deal between the Falcons and Goutfish with Dylan Cease (3R/$5) or Framber Valdez (2/$48) standing out as potential candidates to be moved.

3 Up, 3 Down: Grissom Receives Big Boost Following Deal

With the turn of the calendar to 2024, the countdown to the new season is on with just 84 days remaining until Draft Day. Some activity across Major League Baseball led by a big Red Sox and Braves trade as well as some injury news has spurned the latest 3 Up, 3 Down.

The 11th Annual Roger Dorn Baseball League Draft is set for Tuesday, 3/26.

IF Vaughn Grissom (2D/$5), Mission Viejo Maulers

Grissom struggled to carve out a permanent role in Atlanta over the last two seasons, but will get a fresh start in Boston as a potential long-term building block, most likely at second base. The 22-year-old former top prospect still needs to find a long-term defensive home, but he’s shown some serious promise at the dish, posting a .746 OPS with five homers and five steals in 236 plate appearances in the majors since 2022. He tore the cover off the ball this past season for Triple-A Gwinnett, compiling a stratospheric .330/.419/.501 triple-slash line with eight homers and 13 steals in 468 plate appearances. It’s a fantastic landing spot for fantasy purposes as Grissom should benefit tremendously from Fenway Park’s hitter-friendly dimensions.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Saturday that the team views Grissom as its everyday second baseman, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports, a further boost to his value following the deal.

Grissom is part of a crowded Maulers Roster that could make him a potential trade candidate before Draft Day. With control through 2025, he should have a healthy market across the RDBL if GM Chris Ferraro decides to go that route.

LHP Chris Sale (3/$1), Honolulu Hammerheads

Chris Sale departs the Red Sox, who are paying the majority ($17 million, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe) of the $27.5 million left on the final year of his contract, to fortify Atlanta’s formidable starting rotation. The 34-year-old southpaw has been plagued by injuries the last few years, but has been an effective starter, when healthy. He was limited to just 20 starts this past season in Boston, finishing with a 4.30 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 125/29 K/BB ratio across 102 2/3 innings of work, and has made just 31 starts total since 2019. Despite his durability concerns, it's hard to pass on a $1 pitcher with the upside of Sale which makes him a solid bet to return to the Hammerheads in 2024.

RHP Max Meyer (Minors), Las Vegas Aristocrats

Earlier this month during the Winter Meetings, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker namedropped a player he is looking forward to seeing in 2024: Max Meyer. 

As Schumaker put it, Miami’s path to success lies in its rotation -- and in the starters on the way. Meyer, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the organization’s No. 3 prospect, was just six innings into his Major League career when he tore the UCL in his right elbow on July 23, 2022. He hasn’t pitched in a game since then while he’s been recovering from Tommy John surgery. 

While Meyer might not open the season in the Marlins rotation, he figures to make an impact quickly in 2024 and could emerge as a mid-season option for a talented 'Crats roster.

Max Scherzer (2/$50), Spokane Fightin' Fish

Scherzer will be sidelined until June or July after undergoing surgery Thursday to repair a herniated disc in his back, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports. Scherzer was limited to 152.2 innings during the regular season and just 9.2 frames in the postseason in 2023 while dealing with a shoulder/back problem. He and the Rangers attempted several conservative treatments earlier this offseason, but the pain persisted so the decision to have surgery was made. As a 39-year-old who will miss at least a couple months following a back operation, Scherzer might slip all the way to the Reserve Draft.

C Endy Rodriguez (Minors), St. Joseph Jokers

Jokers catcher and top prospect Endy Rodríguez underwent reconstructive surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament and flexor tendon Tuesday, the team announced. The Pirates added he is expected to return to baseball activity in 10-12 months and will thus miss the entire 2024 season.

Rodríguez suffered the injury taking a swing in winter ball on Nov. 13, the Pirates said. He appeared in only seven games in the Dominican Winter League before being shut down with the injury.

The 23-year-old Rodríguez made his MLB debut this past season, authoring a .220/.284/.328 batting line with three home runs in 57 games, including 52 at catcher. He took over as Pittsburgh's No. 1 catcher after being called up in mid July. Rodríguez entered 2023 as one of the 50 best prospects in baseball and was expected to be the team's starting catcher in 2024. While ready for activation, Rodriguez was a potential trade candidate in the RDBL this off-season with MJ Melendez and Gabriel Moreno already holding down the catcher spot for GM Rick Steen.

SS Wander Franco (3R/$5), Mt. Diablo Devils

Jose Dicen of the Listin Diario reports that authorities in the Dominican Republic raided two homes on Tuesday in an effort to find Wander Franco. The news sparked further outrage from Devils fans who have called for GM Jason Watson to release the shortstop.

Franco was not found during the raids. Dicen notes that the Office of the Attorney for Children and Adolescents in Santo Domingo is looking for the 22-year-old infielder for allegedly having a relationship with an underage woman in Puerto Plata. There had been some speculation that Franco may avoid charges altogether after he opted to return to the Dominican Republic in early December — as it’s unlikely he would’ve returned there if there was threat of arrest or other legal entanglement. Franco remains on administrative leave and is still under investigation by Major League Baseball.

Franco also failed to show for questioning Thursday after being summoned by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Children and Adolescent in Santo Domingo.

3 Up, 3 Down: Lee and Pair of Starters See Jump in Value

The Free Agent Market is heating up and appears to be at a tipping point as the Yoshinobu Yamamoto decision is likely to come this week. With Yamamoto's domino set to fall, that should spark a wave of movement on the likes of Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger, Rhys Hoskins and other high-profile names that RDBL clubs are closely monitoring.

Here's the latest 3 Up, 3 Down following the last two weeks of MLB transactions.

OF Jung Hoo Lee (Free Agent)

The San Francisco Giants inked Jung Hoo Lee to a 6-year, $113M deal last week that should lead to a healthy market for the outfielder in the 2024 Auction Draft. Lee, 25, has been a highly anticipated free agent for a long time now. It was reported in January that the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization would post him for MLB clubs after the 2023 campaign. At that point, Lee was coming off an excellent 2022 campaign. He had always had strong plate discipline but took that part of his game to new heights last year, walking in 10.5% of his plate appearances while striking out in just 5.1% of them. He had never hit more than 15 home runs in a season but managed to tally 23 in that season. He finished with a batting line of .349/.421/.575 for a wRC+ of 175, indicating he was 75 percent better than league average. He also won a Golden Glove award for a fifth straight year and also earned MVP honors.

But his platform year didn’t go quite according to plan. He hit .318/.406/.455 with just six homers in his 86 games in 2023. He injured his left ankle in late July, necessitating season-ending surgery. Nonetheless, he garnered plenty of interest from clubs like the Giants, Padres, Yankees and Mets before being officially posted last week. He figures to draw a similar market to Masataka Yoshida who went for $23 to the Asti Grape Stompers in 2023, though it could come with a bump for being a San Francisco Giant.

RHP Ryan Pepiot (2FA/$5), San Mateo Oppo Tacos

Pepiot was traded from the Dodgers to the Rays along with Jonny DeLuca in exchange for Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot on Thursday, locking in a full-time starting spot for Tampa Bay as well as a return to the San Mateo Oppo Tacos in 2024. Pepiot missed most of the 2023 season with an oblique injury, though he ended the season healthy while handling a full starting workload. He also enjoyed plenty of success, maintaining a 2.14 ERA with a 38:5 K:BB across 42 innings with the belief from the Rays in his talents only solidifying his spot for GM Erik Nielsen.

RHP Seth Lugo (2FA/$5), Maltese Falcons

The Falcons are light on rotation options behind activation-ready right-hander Eury Perez, making Seth Lugo's 3-year, $45M deal with the Kansas City Royals a potential confidence boost for GM Gary Falzon to slot him into the second spot. Lugo was connected to a wide range of teams this winter -- including the Mets, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Reds, Tigers and Atlanta -- but he has opted to join the Royals and should immediately jump to the top of their rotation depth chart. The 34-year-old right-hander worked as a full-time starter with the Padres in 2023 and registered a sharp 3.57 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 140:36 K:BB across 146.1 innings. He had a 3.56 ERA and 124:37 K:BB in 111.1 innings of relief with the Mets between 2021-22.

IF Jonathan India (Free Agent)

The Reds’ signing of Jeimer Candelario added to the infield surplus that could lead to the outing of former National League Rookie of the Year Jonathan India.  If Candelario is now taking regular time at third base, that leaves India, Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, and Noelvi Marte all competing for middle infield spots.  Even if Candelario slides over to first base, Christian Encarnacion-Strand also needs a place to play, and the DH position provides some a few extra at-bats for the Reds to juggle all these options.

Since winning the ROY in 2021, India has hit .246/.333/.394 with 27 homers over 960 plate appearances for Cincinnati, with hamstring injuries and plantar fasciitis impacting his ability to stay on the field.  Public defensive metrics have also been very unimpressed with India’s glovework, so his contributions as a second baseman specifically could be limited. His ultimate landing spot will be a big factor in how strong his market will be in the 2024 Auction Draft.

IF Miguel Vargas (2R/$3), Alamo Short Stacks

The Stacks aggressively activated Vargas to start the 2023 season, but by mid-July he was back in the minors, where he remained for the remainder of the campaign. The heralded prospect struggled to a .195/.305/.367 slash line over 81 games, and the demotion came after he batted a paltry .079 (5-for-63) over his final 23 contests. Despite the disappointing stat line, there are reasons to believe that Vargas can succeed at the MLB level. He demonstrated refined plate discipline while up with the big club, posting a hearty 12.5 percent walk rate and a respectable 20.1 percent strikeout rate along with a borderline-elite 20.8 percent chase rate, per Statcast. Vargas didn't sulk after being sent down, instead extending his run of minor-league success with an .886 OPS and 10 homers over 60 Triple-A contests. Los Angeles filled the void at second base following Vargas' demotion primarily by transitioning Mookie Betts from right field, and the experiment went smoothly enough that Betts has been announced as the full-time option at the keystone again in 2024. The Dodgers plan on moving Vargas to the outfield, but that's unlikely to come with consistent playing time to start next season making Vargas a lock to be released.

IF Ronny Mauricio (Minors), Lake Merced Goutfish

Goutfish infielder Ronny Mauricio suffered a knee injury playing in the Dominican Winter League on Sunday and it turns out it's a torn ACL, which will require surgery, the Mets announced Tuesday. Depending upon how the recovery goes, it's possible Mauricio could return and play maybe around half the 2024 season, but there's no doubt he'll start the season on the injured list. The team said an estimated timeline would be determined after the procedure.

Mauricio, 22, was having a big winter ball season so far, hitting .433 with two doubles, a triple and a home run in seven games. He debuted for the Mets last season and the former top-65 prospect was expected to compete for a starting job heading into spring training with the potential of an Opening Day activation for GM Ryan Atkinson.

As things stood prior to Mauricio's injury, the Mets were set to have him, Brett Baty, Mark Vientos and Joey Wendle fight for the third base job out of camp, though they have also been attached to Justin Turner in Free Agency.