Rumor Central: Pfaadt, Hops, Goutfish Among Early Rumors

The Honolulu Hammerheads have been encouraged enough by right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (Minors) that he is firmly in GM Ross Horiuchi's plans for an Opening Day activation according to sources. That move would have ripple effects on clubs seeking pitching this Winter as the Heads have a strong group of starting options to pair down.

Tanner Bibee (2R/$3) and Sonny Gray (2/$1) are locks to return, but that leaves the fourth and fifth spots open between Reese Olsen (2FA/$5), Michael Wacha (2/$1), Chris Sale (3/$1) and Bailey Ober (2FA/$5), all likely battling for two spots with Horiuchi unlikely to carry a full rotation into Draft Day.

Despite taking the loss in Game 3 of the World Series Monday, Pfaadt has been excellent in the Playoffs with a 3.27 ERA in five starts and a dominant 26/5 K/BB ratio.

Around the RDBL

- While the Meinert Hops are currently projected to select Detroit Tigers third baseman Colt Keith in the first Mock Draft of the off-season, GM Garrett Shelley told reporters the evaluation is hardly complete. While Roki Sasaki and Anthony Volpe have been near locks to go first overall in each of the last two seasons, the 2024 Reserve Draft certainly has a more open candidate pool.

- The Hops received some strong news earlier this month as the Pittsburgh Pirates have informed former top overall MLB Draft pick Henry Davis to prepare for 2024 as a catcher. Davis was brought to the big leagues in the middle of 2023, but played almost exclusively in right field, first to get acclimated to big league pitching and then due to a thumb injury that ruled out playing catcher.

While he lost his catcher eligibility entering 2024, Davis can quickly earn it back with just five games at the position next year.

- The Lake Merced Goutfish figure to be the talk of the off-season, and not just because they are coming off their second RDBL Championship. GM Ryan Atkinson will need to work around a pitching rotation crunch that should make him a busy man on the trade market this Winter.

The club holds options on likely National League Cy Young Winner Blake Snell (3/$10), George Kirby (3R/$5), Kodai Senga (2/$12), Framber Valdez (2/$48), Dylan Cease (3R/$5), Marcus Stroman (2/$5) and Christopher Sanchez (2FA/$5). Further complicating plans is the strong Rookie campaign of activation-ready right-hander Bobby Miller (Minors) and impending arrival of Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Minors) who is expected to receive a $150M+ deal this Winter.

State of the Franchise: Mission Viejo Maulers

We continue our State of the Franchise Series with the Mission Viejo Maulers who entered the 2023 Draft with just six Active Roster players under contract before dominating the Auction Draft and earning a Wild Card spot. If not for Michael Tirabassi's dominance atop the RDBL Standings for the Spokane Fightin' Fish, GM Chris Ferraro might have been 2023's Executive of the Year.

Franchise History Page

President of Baseball Operations: Chris Ferraro

Headquarters: Mission Viejo, CA

Seasons: 10

Cash Finishes: 4

Division Titles: 0

Lifetime Earnings: $1,600

Top Hitter: Jose Ramirez, 487.5 (2018)

Top Pitcher: Justin Verlander, 587.0 (2019)

2023 Season

The Maulers had seemed to waive the white flag before the season even started in 2023, dealing away the 2023 Hitter and Pitcher of the Year, Aaron Judge and Justin Verlander, to the Spokane Fightin' Fish. With just six players under contract for the Auction Draft, Front Offices were surprised when Ferraro came out of the gates spending big, landing Gerrit Cole and Luis Castillo for a combined $120. The duo would go on to finish the 2023 Regular Season as the top two scoring pitchers in the RDBL with Zach Eflin adding to the league's fifth ranked pitching staff.

A wave of deals including Kevin Gausman, Kyle Tucker, Ozzie Albies and Matt Chapman, along with key Waiver claims Zack Gelof and Jose Berrios, strengthened the overall roster as they finished in 5th Place overall, capturing their fourth Cash Finish in Franchise History.

The Maulers were even better in Playoffs as activation Nolan Jones finished with the fourth most points in RDBL Playoff History while Cole and injury-returnee Tarik Skubal dominated down the stretch. While they came up short, finishing in 3rd Place, there's plenty to be proud of in Mission Viejo with excitement only growing heading into 2024.

2024 Pending Free Agents

OF Kyle Tucker, RHP Kevin Gausman

Current Projected Keeper Roster Ranked by Value

1 RHP Gerrit Cole (2/$70)

2. RHP Luis Castillo (2/$50)

3. RHP Zach Eflin (2/$1)

4. 1B/OF Nolan Jones (1R/$1)

5. SS/2B Nico Hoerner (2R/$3)

6. LHP Tarik Skubal (2/$1)

7. 2B Gleybar Torres (2/$15)

8. 3B Alex Bregman (3/$36)

9. 1B Rhys Hoskins (2/$10)

10. IF Zack Gelof (2FA/$5)

11. IF Ha-Seong Kim (3/$1)

12. C Keibert Ruiz (3R/$5)

13. RHP Jose Berrios (2FA/$5)

14. OF Drew Waters (1R/$1)

With an overflowing list of Keepers entering the off-season, GM Chris Ferraro has many options at his fingertips with the likes of Edwin Diaz (2/$12), David Bednar (3/$6), Yusei Kikuchi (2D/$5), Jorge Soler (2/$1), Ranger Suarez (2D/$5), Vaughn Grissom (2D/$5), Whit Merrifield (2/$15), Matt Chapman (3/$15), Andrew Benintendi (3/$10) and Ryan Jeffers (2FA/$5) not even included above.

What's clear is that Cole and Castillo will be back to anchor the rotation, potentially making Alex Bregman the most logical trade chip to conserve cap space for the 2024 Draft.

Tarik Skubal looked the part of a Top-15 arm down the stretch, making the starting rotation among the most talented in the RDBL entering next season while the club will also get a boost from a full season of 2023 breakout Nolan Jones.

Farm System

1. *OF Nolan Jones (Rockies)

2. OF Jasson Dominguez (Yankees)

3. SS Brooks Lee (Twins)

4. 1B/LHP Jac Caglianone (Florida)

5. IF Orelvis Martinez (Blue Jays)

6. OF George Valera (Indians)

7. *OF Drew Waters (Royals)

8. 2B Nick Gonzales (Pirates)

9. SS Cristian Hernandez (Cubs)

10. N/A

Some eyebrows were raised when the Maulers acquired Nolan Jones and a 3rd Round Pick for prized catcher Daulton Varsho before the 2023 Draft. The move paid off handsomely as Jones was exceptional in 2023, posting an overall line of .297/.389/.542 with 46 extra base hits. Jones' performance pushed Ferraro to activate him for the 2023 Playoffs where he went nuclear, posting the fourth most points in RDBL Playoff History.

He'll be joined on the Active Roster by Drew Waters who also was activated into his big league contract for the Playoffs. While Waters hasn't consistently produced so far, he will continue to be given a long leash as the rebuild continues in Kansas City.

The club got extremely close to an in-season activation for Jasson Dominguez following his splashy New York debut, a move that would have been a disaster as he soon went down with an elbow injury that will sideline him for most of 2024.

Brooks Lee, Jac Caglianone and Orelvis Martinez are the key to turning the Maulers from an average Farm System to a strong one. Lee and Martinez are each expected to reach the big leagues in 2024 while Caglianone is currently projected as a Top-5 pick in next summer's MLB Draft.

Off-Season Questions

Who stays and who goes?

The Maulers are certain to be among the most active Front Offices this Winter as the club looks to pair down their Keeper Roster and bring back some of the prospects and Draft picks they parted with over the last seven months. At least 10 players not currently projected to be on their 2024 Keeper Roster look to have enough value to draw attention this Winter.

How much value do they place on the bullpen?

Both Edwin Diaz (2/$12) and David Bednar (3/$6) are Keeper-worthy options for an RDBL club, but the Maulers are so deep that they might not have room to keep either. What's unknown is how much Ferraro will place an emphasis on the bullpen or if both are among the first to be dealt this off-season.

Cap Space a sign for Bregman?

With $120 tied up in just two pitchers, Ferraro will have to look for cap space flexibility before Draft Day. That could spell the end of the line for Alex Bregman (3/$36) as he enters the final season of his contract. As currently projected with Bregman on the roster, Ferraro would have just $56 to spend on eight openings.

2024 Free Agent Power Rankings: Judge Tops the List

While a Free Agent Class will have a tough time matching the star-power of last season, the 2024 Class is hardly short on talent. The group is headlined by outfielder Aaron Judge who is wrapping up his $31 contract that included the 2022 Hitter of the Year and Playoff MVP Awards. Judge is expected to receive a significant raise, potentially matching or exceeding the RDBL-Record of $66 for a hitter that was handed out to Ronald Acuña in 2023 and Nolan Arenado in 2017.

Judge is far from the only impact hitter available with Austin Riley, Trea Turner, Fernando Tatis, Kyle Tucker and Paul Goldschmidt all expected to receive $50+ deals on Draft Day.

The biggest name to watch will be Shohei Ohtani as he's set to be released from his record 3/$88 contract after having Tommy John Surgery in September. Ohtani is expected to be healthy enough to be a full-time hitter in 2024 before returning to the mound in 2025, making him one of the more interesting Auction values in League History.

Zack Wheeler headlines the group of available starting pitchers as he wrapped up a $25 contract spanning time with the Maltese Falcons and Spokane Fightin' Fish. Spencer Strider, Kevin Gausman and Max Fried round out the group of frontline starters set to hit the Auction in March.

You can visit the full 2024 Free Agent Power Rankings here with the group broken down by position.

Top 25 Overall Free Agents

1. Aaron Judge, NYY

2. Austin Riley, ATL

3. Zack Wheeler, PHI

4. Trea Turner, PHI

5. *Shohei Ohtani, LAA (MH)

6. Fernando Tatis, Jr., SD

7. Spencer Strider, ATL

8. Kyle Tucker, HOU

9. Paul Goldschmidt, STL

10. Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., TOR

11. Bo Bichette, TOR

12. *Manny Machado, SD (MDD)

13. Kevin Gausman, TOR

14. Max Fried, ATL

15. Brandon Nimmo, NYM

16. Luis Robert, CHW

17. *Pete Alonso, NYM (CC)

18. Joe Musgrove, SD

19. Randy Arozarena, TB

20. Nolan Arenado, STL

21. Cole Ragans, KC

22. Alex Verdugo, BOS

23. Dansby Swanson, CHC

24. Alec Bohm, PHI

25. Jonathan India, CIN