Rumor Central: Jokers Torn on 1.1, Goutfish Plans Following Diaz Injury and More

The St. Joseph Jokers remain undecided on their top overall selection in the 2023 Reserve Draft according to sources. The Jokers have placed Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki at the top of their board from a talent perspective, but the uncertainty about his ETA is giving some pause to the selection.

The actual question is whether or not Sasaki would even want to come over. MLB is considered the top league in the world, but NPB is a strong No. 2 and not every player has the same priorities or desires. Some individuals prefer to remain in Japan for personal or professional reasons that outweigh competing against MLB talent.

Should Sasaki decide he wants to pursue a career in North America, then he'll have to make another important decision: how much does he care about money? That's because the cruel irony of MLB's rules governing international free agents is that they deter the world's best players from joining the league as soon as possible.

Under the current agreement, players who are younger than 25 years old (or who have fewer than six years of professional experience) are subject to the international bonus pool system that also applies to true international amateur free agents (e.g., the teenagers who sign each July 2). That policy greatly limits the signing bonus potential of these players, and explains why Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Angels for less than the 30th pick in the draft despite being a big-league-ready phenom.

Everything is subject to change should the MLB and MLB Players Association agree to an international draft. For our sake, let's assume they don't. Sasaki would have to figure out if he wants to maximize his earnings. An affirmative answer would have him waiting to make the leap until after he celebrated his 25th birthday and accrues six years of pro experience, putting him on track to debut in the majors come 2027. Alternatively, he could request for his team to "post" him earlier than that. There is no guarantee the Marines would oblige.

If the Jokers do pass on Sasaki, Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio and Nationals outfield James Wood would likely be the next in line for the first overall pick.

Around the RDBL

- The Mets lost a second critical member to their pitching staff today as Lake Merced Goutfish closer Edwin Diaz will undergo season-ending knee surgery. Diaz joins Asti Grape Stompers left-hander Jose Quintana who will miss three months due to a rib injury and is expected to be released.

The Goutfish are still gathering options on the trade front or internally to backfill Diaz's Keeper spot as they look to cope with the news. Diaz has only known the Goutfish organization in the RDBL after bring a Waiver Claim in 2016 and being brought back twice in Auction as a Free Agent.

- The Grapes could have a replacement on their own roster as David Peterson (2FA/$5) is battling Tylor Megill for the 5th starter job in New York. Peterson has not allowed a run in eight innings of work this Spring while Megill has allowed just one run in 8 1/3.

- The injury to Diaz could open the door for the Burlingame Blue Ducks to fill their final Keeper spot internally as David Robertson (2FA/$5) is the likely closer now in New York. Robertson would be a natural choice to slide into the ninth inning, having saved 20 games while posting a 2.40 ERA over 58 appearances for the Cubs and Phillies last season. He carried a 209.0 point projection entering the day, a number that should jump substantially this week.

Maulers Add Andrew Hall to Front Office

In the midst of their rebuild, the Mission Viejo Maulers have announced the hiring of Andrew Hall as a Advisor to Baseball Operations according to General Manager Chris Ferraro. Hall will serve as the point person for the Maulers on Draft Day on Monday, 3/27 according to sources close to the club due to a scheduling conflict by Ferraro.

The Maulers are coming off their second Playoff berth in Franchise History after finishing fourth in the RDBL last season, winning their second Wild Card banner. The club ranked second in hitting and sixth in pitching in 2022, but they are expected to take a dip in both categories after electing to rebuild their roster for the future. That plan included parting ways with 2022 Hitter of the Year Aaron Judge and American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander as well as Nolan Arenado, Daulton Varsho, Ryan Pressly and Josh Lowe.

The Maulers are expected to be led by Nico Hoerner, Cody Bellinger, Nolan Jones, Nathan Eovaldi and Keibert Ruiz with a substantial amount of cap space to play with. Thus far, Bryce Harper, Carlos Rodon and Walker Buehler have all been linked ot the Maulers in Auction.

Questions to Answer Before the Keeper Deadline

The 2023 Keeper Deadline is right around the corner with multiple clubs still trying to pin down their final Keeper Roster plans. Injuries have multiple clubs scrambling for potential deals while other clubs weigh the trade-off of waiting for Auction to fill in their open spots or seek a deal before Monday.

Here are the latest questions facing RDBL Front Offices with just six days remaining until Keeper Rosters are due to the Commissioner's Office for the 10th season of play.

Grapes Replacement for Quintana?

The Asti Grape Stompers are still awaiting word on a timeline for left-hander Jose Quintana (2FA/$5) who is recovering from a hairline fracture to his ribs making ­their final Keeper spot a storyline to follow this week. The club has reportedly been in contact with Lunatic Fringe GM Tony Guglielmi who is looking to pair down his starting rotation while making calls on a number of potential activations. Potential fits include Lance McCullers (2/$1), Michael Wacha (2FA/$5), Taijuan Walker (2D/$5) and Lucas Giolito (3R/$5) from the Fringe while Chris Bassitt (2/$24) would serve as an upgrade at a higher price point.

Hammeheads Late Flurry of Deals?

GM Ross Horiuchi has been dealt some difficult blows over Spring Training. Planned Keeper Jurickson Profar (2D/$5) remains unsigned, Alex Kirilloff (2R/$3) continues to deal with wrist complications that project to land him on the IL or in Triple-A and Seiya Suzuki (2/$22) is dealing with a Grade 2 oblique strain that will sideline him into April.

The club remains high on Brandon Pfaadt (Minors), for good reason, but a 4.50 ERA in three appearances is likely not enough for him to break camp as the D'Backs fifth starter. That leaves fellow Heads Ryne Nelson (Minors) and Drew Jameson (Minors), as potential options for the job, but they hold 13.50 and 7.45 ERAs respectively entering play Tuesday which has done little to assure them of Opening Day activations.

The club is hopeful Jarren Duran (Minors) can make a push for the Red Sox Opening Day roster, but he will need to overcome some odds in the depth chart to secure daily at-bats while Dylan Carlson (3/$15) could face some early season pressure in the outfield if the Cardinals promote young star Jordan Walker.

With a lethal foursome on offense of Austin Riley (3R/$5), Paul Goldschmidt (3/$25), J.T. Realmuto (2/$28) and Tyler Stephenson (2R/$3) as well as formidable arms in Pablo Lopez (2/$13) and Chris Sale (2/$1), the foundation of contender is certainly in place. It will be interesting to see if Horiuchi waits to address some depth issues in the Draft or jumps back into the trade market this week before Monday's Keeper Deadline.

Fringe starter Lucas Giolito (3R/$5) was attached to the Heads earlier this off-season while Falcons reliever Peter Fairbanks (2FA/$5) appears to have the edge over projected Heads Keeper Jason Adam (2FA/$5) for save chances in Tampa Bay. Multi-positional threat Brandon Drury (2FA/$5) could also line up nicely as the Mission Viejo Mauler continue their off-season firesale.

Who Lands Spots in the Fringe Rotation?

The Fringe are staring at eight legitimate rotation options behind the 1-2 punch of Sandy Alcantara (3R/$5) and Triston McKenzie (1R/$1). Activation options Reid Detmers, Josiah Gray, Clarke Schmidt and Grayson Rodriguez all appear positioned for Opening Day roles. Those activation decisions are especially intriguing after Guglielmi passed on the activation of McKenzie in 2022, a factor that likely kept the club out of Playoff contention.

On the veteran front, Lance McCullers (2/$1), Michael Wacha (2FA/$5), Taijuan Walker (2D/$5) and Lucas Giolito (3R/$5) all have their appeal though McCullers will be delayed to start the season due to more arm trouble. The positive for McCullers and Walker is that each possess 2024 options while Giolito and Wacha are set to hit Free Agency at the end of the year.

Devils Final Keeper Spots

The Mt. Diablo Devils are another club to watch over the week as a number of final roster spots appear in flux. With Merrill Kelly (2D/$5), Cal Quantrill (2R/$3), Adam Wainwright (3/$4) and activation Nick Lodolo (Minors) locked into the top four rotation spots, the fight for the fifth spot remains influx. Jameson Taillon (3/$16) posted a strong 3.91 ERA in 177 1/3 innings and is looking to lock in his spot while fighting off potential activation James Kaprielian (Minors) who made his debut over the weekend after another round of injury concerns.

Jorge Lopez (2FA/$5) looked like a lock for the 2023 Keeper Roster, but struggled after his trade to Minnesota and appears ticketed for a setup role this season which could have his Keeper spot in limbo.

The club holds an appealing option on Brandon Belt (3/$3) who expected to serve as the primary DH in Toronto. He made his Spring debut over the weekend as he continues to build back from knee surgery.

Rounding out the group of decisions, a shallow catching market could play into the decision on Christian Vazquez (2/$10) as a drop would have GM Jason Watson forced to land two backstops in auction.

Stacks Replacements for Lux, Rodgers

The Alamo Short Stacks shored up one of their replacements for injured middle-infielders Gavin Lux and Brendan Rodgers on Monday night, acquiring closer Ryan Pressly (3/$6). That leaves one remaining Keeper opening with the Front Office currently favoring the return of catcher Will Smith (2/$30) due to a barren Free Agent class behind the plate.

The Stacks reportedly had an agreement in place with the Cloverdale Clovers on SS/2B Jorge Polanco (3/$15), but the move was pending Polanco's health and he has yet to appear in a Spring Training game as he continues his return from knee issues in 2022.

If Smith is retained, the Stacks would have just $104 for eight spots, the 3rd lowest projected overall cap space in the RDBL.

How Barren Do the Maulers Go?

The Mission Viejo Maulers have stripped down their roster for the second time in three seasons, but hold a number of intriguing options they must decide on this week. That list is headlined by Cody Bellinger (2/$3) who will enter 2023 with a change of scenery in Chicago and a contract that would allow GM Chris Ferraro more cap space flexibility in Auction.

The club is clearly focused on 2024, but the contracts of Alex Bregman (2/$36) and Brandon Drury (2FA/$5) are worthy of Keeper spots on a RDBL Roster while Trayce Thompson (2FA/$5) could certainly earn himself a role as well.

The Activation Class will be one to watch as well. With his 2022 Playoff activation, shortstop Nico Hoerner is locked into an Opening Day 1R/$1 role while Nolan Jones (Minors) and newly acquired MacKenzie Gore (Minors) have the everyday big league roles to require a strong consideration.

Ducks Seek Final Keeper in Infield

The Burlingame Blue Ducks are largely set but Rhys Hoskins is currently projected as the only returnee in the infield. With one opening remaining on the Keeper Roster, GM Ryan Walsh remains on the lookout for help before Monday's Keeper Deadline making Mission Viejo Maulers utilityman Brandon Drury (2FA/$5) a potential fit. Drury brings eligibility at first, second, third and the outfield and is expected to serve as the primary second baseman in Anaheim this season.

Hops with Room to Work

The Meinert Hops bring back a strong top-end Keeper Roster led by Shohei Ohtani, Shane McClanahan, Zac Gallen, Bryan Reynolds and activation Michael Harris. The club remains up in the air on the activation decision looming over CJ Abrams and still has two openings available on their Keeper List if they choose to use them.

As they work around Ohtani's $88 contract, the Hops are currently projected to have a RDBL-low $80 in cap space making any addition this week likely to be one under a cheap contract.