3 Up, 3 Down: Kelenic Thriving in Spring Training

We are just 17 days out from Opening Day and six days out from the 2023 RDBL Keeper Deadline which has teams in final preparation mode for Draft Day. With many big leaguers away at the World Baseball Classic, some of the top prospects and young players in the RDBL are getting more time to shine in Spring Training on their respective clubs while others are making the most out of their opportunities in the WBC.

On the flip side, injuries across baseball are starting to pile up which has some RDBL teams scrambling for a plan to round out their 2023 Keeper Roster.

Here's a look at the latest 3 Up, 3 Down:

OF Jarred Kelenic (2R/$3), Clovers

With two more hits today and a steal, Kelenic is now hitting .480 with a ridiculous 1.599 OPS as a re-tooled approach and swing have the former top prospect clearly solidifying his spot as a Keeper for the Cloverdale Clovers. Kelenic, acquired along with Andrew Painter and Dustin May from the Alamo Short Stacks last season, projects to be the primary starter against left-handers but will see some playing time eaten up against left-handers by AJ Pollack.

Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said Monday, “Jarred is in a great place. There’s a different kind of confidence, an air about him, that’s been fun to see. In the box, he made a few adjustments to his swing over the offseason, and he’s been locked in since day one (of spring training). The combination of contact quality to all fields, pitch selection and overall consistency from at bat to at bat has been excellent. We are currently seeing a young, five-tool player who is evolving as a person, taking the lessons he’s learned and making the necessary adjustments.”

OF Jasson Dominguez (Minors), Maulers

After an excellent season in 2022, Dominguez has delighted Yankees fans all spring and as the Maulers excited about what's to come. The 20-year-old outfielder socked his fourth home run of the spring over the weekend and is now tied with nine other players atop the spring leaderboard. The longball was one of two hits Dominguez collected in two games.

“He continues to just show why we invested so heavily in him, which is great. He’s an exciting talent. And he’s determined and he’s hungry. So he’s got all the attributes you need,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman said. “He’s got the physical ability matching the competitive fire and the will to succeed. The sky’s the limit.”

C Harry Ford (Minors), Fringe

For the second time in as many days Monday, top Fringe prospect Harry Ford was “knighted” at Chase Field after homering for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic. This second home run was a pretty big one. With the Brits in desperate need of a win to keep their hopes of advancing out of pool play alive, Ford hammered a solo shot way out to left field that pushed his team’s surprising lead over Colombia to 7-3. At just 20 years old, Ford is the first player in the history of the World Baseball Classic to hit two home runs prior to their 21st birthday, according to MLB’s Sarah Langs.

Ford spent last season with the Modesto Nuts, a Single-A affiliate of the Mariners. In 104 games, he slashed .274/.425/.439 for an .863 OPS with 11 homers, 23 stolen bases, 88 walks, 65 RBIs and 89 runs scored, splitting time between catcher and designated hitter and continues to rise as one of the top backstop prospects in baseball.

Grape Injuries

The Mets are planning to shut down starter José Quintana (2FA/$5) for the next three months, reports Mike Puma of The New York Post. The left-hander had recently been diagnosed with a stress fracture in one of his ribs and was sent for more imaging. It seems the injury is significant enough that he will miss roughly the first half of the season which will result in the left-hander being released by the Grapes according to sources.

The Grapes are also expected to start 2023 without off-season addition Mitch Haniger (3/$11) who is dealing with a Grade 1 oblique strain. His absence isn't expected to be lengthy, but obliques are incredibly tricky to predict.

LHP Carlos Rodon (Free Agent)

On Thursday, general manager Brian Cashman revealed that Carlos Rodón, one of the top available starters in the RDBL Free Agent Class, will begin the season on the IL due to a forearm strain. The 30-year-old Rodón, whom the Yankees signed to a six-year, $162 million deal in mid-December, was roughed up by the Atlanta Braves in his spring debut last Sunday. As he conceded his arm felt “a little cranky” going into the start and had trouble recovering afterwards, the Yankees sent him for an MRI that revealed he’d suffered a mild strain of his brachioradialis, the most superficial muscle of the forearm.

Rodón told reporters he suffered the same injury last May while with the Giants, and pitched through it without missing a start — that in a season where he set career highs with 31 starts, 178 innings, and 6.2 WAR while posting a 2.84 ERA and 2.25 FIP. “I can go out there and perform, but am I performing at my best and how long am I going to last throughout the season if I continue down this road?” Rodón told reporters on Thursday. “I’m not here to pitch until the All-Star break. I’m here to pitch well into October and whenever this team needs me. If it’s Oct. 5th or it’s the ALDS, I’m taking the ball. I want to pitch.”

Cashman said that Rodon’s UCL, which was repaired via Tommy John surgery in 2019, is intact and that the pitcher will be shut down from throwing for seven to 10 days. Barring further setbacks, that would put him on track for a return in mid-to-late April. Concerns over his health are certain to hurt his market, though a $30+ contract is still likely.

RHP Tony Gonsolin (2D/$5), Ducks

Moving from the Grapefruit League to the Cactus League, the Dodgers reported on Wednesday that Tony Gonsolin had sprained his left ankle during pitcher fielding practice on Monday, putting his Opening Day status in jeopardy. The 28-year-old righty is coming off a breakout season founded on an improved split-finger fastball and an ability to handle a larger workload. He set career bests with 130.1 innings and a 2.14 ERA, and made the NL All-Star team, though his season ended on a sour note; he suffered a forearm strain in late August and made just one two-inning regular season appearance after that, nearly six weeks later, then couldn’t get out of the second inning in his Division Series Game start against the Padres.

According to manager Dave Roberts, x-rays have ruled out a fracture, but Gonolin isn’t expected to throw for several days, and could eventually need an MRI depending upon how quickly his ankle progresses. “It’s not something we feel really good about right now,” said the skipper regarding the pitcher’s availability to start the season.

TRADE: Stacks Land Closer, Lowe in Deal with Maulers

The Alamo Short Stacks have been scrambling to fill their final two Keeper spots after Gavin Lux and Brendan Rodgers suffered season-ending injuries early in Spring Training. The club took a big step in that direction Monday evening, finalizing a deal with the Mission Viejo Maulers to land closer Ryan Pressly (2/$6) and outfielder Josh Lowe (Minors) in exchange for left-hander MacKenzie Gore (Minors) and shortstop Cristian Hernandez (Minors).

Pressly turned in another quality season in 2022 and carries the third highest projected 2023 total for a reliever by CBS, only trailing new Stacks teammate Emmanuel Clase and Asti Grape Stompers closer Ryan Helsley.

Pressly made 50 appearances for the Astros during the 2022 campaign, logging a 2.98 ERA and a 2.31 FIP in 48.1 innings of work. He also added 65 strikeouts against just 13 walks while registering a career-high 33 saves. Those saves project to continue as the Astros boast a strong lineup and a deep bullpen of setup options who should hold leads the offense can generate.

Lowe was set to by the Stacks final pick in the 10th Round of the 2021 Reserve Draft before the Honolulu Hammerheads took the outfielder with the pick just before their selection. Funny enough, the Stacks would go on to select Cristian Hernandez who is moving to the Maulers in Monday's deal.

Lowe, 25, is a well-seasoned minor leaguer with lots of production fueled by a friendly Durham Athletic Park, but he has exactly 200 major league plate appearances over the past two season with little to write home about. Some of the limitation are the typical contract stalling techniques Tampa Bay is well known for, but some of Lowe's issues are of his own doing. He has had some issues in the field, which is not a good thing for a team that puts a premium on outfield defense. Lowe has also had a very similar issue to his older brother Nathaniel in struggles with good velocity up in the zone. The power numbers in Triple-A should not be the focus as much as the walk rate and his stolen base prowess as that is where his value truly lies. Lowe is 84 of his last 95 in stolen base attempts (88%) and has a top 50 home-to-first speed just .01 behind Oneil Cruz.

He's been one of the standout performers in camp for the Rays, leading off on most days while launching three home runs with three steals and a 1.049 OPS with the Stacks hopeful he can play his way into an early season activation. Lowe faces a deep depth chart in the Rays outfield with Randy Arozarena, Jose Siri and Manuel Margot penciled in as starters with Luke Raley off the bench.

For the Maulers, a move of Pressly seemed like a foregone conclusion given his age (34) and current rebuild. MacKenzie Gore headlines the return, just as he did for the Nationals in their return for Juan Soto. Gore got off to an impressive start in the majors with the Padres in 2022, with a 1.50 ERA, a 2.20 FIP, 17 walks, 57 Ks, and a .200/.279/.241 line against in his first nine games, eight starts, and 48 IP for the Padres before elbow issues sidetracked his season. He was fully recovered in late September, allowing for a fully healthy off-season that the Nationals and Maulers will hope leads to a full workload in 2023.

Hernandez drew repeated physical comparisons to a young Alex Rodriguez and Manny Machado as an amateur in the Dominican Republic, and some scouts considered him the best prospect in the 2020 international class. The Cubs signed him for $3 million in January 2021 and believed he has more upside than any international player they've landed in at least a decade -- including Willson Contreras, Eloy Jimenez and Gleyber Torres. He debuted in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League at age 17, batting .285/.398/.424 with five homers and 21 steals in 47 games in 2021.

He posted a 30% strikeout rate in his stateside debut in 2022 with a .261/.321/.357 line at age 19, continuing to show a smooth swing with incredible power for his age and position. Much like the GM Chris Ferraro's previous acquisition of Orelvis Martinez from the Stacks, there's substantial bust risk here but the ceiling remains huge which plays well for the rebuilding Maulers.

Rumor Central: Five Players Who Could Still Be Moved

We are officially one week out of the 2023 Roger Dorn Baseball League Keeper Deadline when Front Offices are forced to pair down their Active Rosters to 12 players, make calls on potential activations and any cuts to their Minor League system. After a flurry of deals in early February, the RDBL Hot Stove has been anything but warm, but things are expected to pick up this week as the final tweaks are made.

Here's the latest around the Roger Dorn Baseball League with five players that could still be moved before the 20th.

RHP Lucas Giolito (3R/$5), Lunatic Fringe

Giolito seemed like a pretty safe bet to bolster your fantasy pitching staff last season. He was coming off the second 200-strikeout season of his career in 2021 and from 2019-21 collected a 3.47 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 526/137 K/BB ratio over 427 2/3 innings.

Instead, we saw the right-hander fall flat on his face, posting a 4.90 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 177/61 K/BB ratio across 161 2/3 frames. His strikeout rate was still solid at 25.4%, but down from the 30.7% rate he had over the previous three years. Giolito’s velocity was also down a tick across the board and so were his spin rates, particularly on his fastball.

This February, Giolito showed up to White Sox camp 25 pounds lighter and with a revamped delivery, seemingly intent on bouncing back in 2023 in what will be a walk year. Better conditioning and cleaner mechanics surely can’t hurt, but betting on a Giolito bounce-back is mostly betting on track record. He made one of the largest leaps forward we’ve ever seen a pitcher make from 2018 to 2019 and largely sustained it until last year’s backslide. He’s just 28 and seems worth buying back in on for a club seeking an additional arm.

SS/2B Jorge Polanco (3/$15), Cloverdale Clovers

Polanco had a disappointing, injury-riddled 2022 season for fantasy managers after a standout 2021 season. The 29-year-old slashed .235/.346/.405 with 16 home runs and 56 RBI in 445 plate appearances while spending time on the injured list with low back tightness and left knee inflammation, failing to repeat his breakout 2021 campaign.

The Alamo Short Stacks reportedly have an agreement in place with the Cloverdale Clovers pending Polanco proving his health before the Keeper Deadline, but Polanco has yet to appear in a Spring Training game which has clouded confidence the deal will be completed.

3B Alex Bregman (2/$36), Mission Viejo Maulers

Alex Bregman was one of the top hitters in baseball between 2018-2019, finishing 2019 as the runner-up American League MVP to Mike Trout. A multitude of injuries that impacted his mechanics led to some regression in the 2020 and 2021 season. Bregman was still a good hitter, but far from the game-changer he had been. Finally healthy, Bregman found his mechanics and regained his peak form, specifically in the second half of the season. He hit .259 with an .820 OPS in 2022 with his second-half being noteworthy, hitting .287 with an .894 OPS. He carried that over with a dominant Playoff run, hitting .294 with a .948 OPS. If a club is seeking cost-certainty entering Draft Day, Bregman could be the ideal fit as a safe 400+ point bet for a reasonable contract.

RHP Lance McCullers (2/$1), Lunatic Fringe

McCullers (forearm) threw for the second time Monday in the batting cage, his second throwing session in three days as he works back from muscle strain he suffered in his right arm last month. The right-hander is expected to miss the first couple weeks of the season, but is he keeps progressing, it's reasonable to expect him to return to the mound by the end of April. McCullers has struggled with the injury bug over the past couple seasons, only appearing in eight games in 2022 after nursing a forearm injury he sustained in the 2021 playoffs. Still, at his best, McCullers is an elite value at just $1 and could be a potential fit for the Asti Grape Stompers given the right-hander is under control through 2024.

1B, 2B, 3B, OF Brandon Drury (2FA/$5), Mission Viejo Maulers

Los Angeles Angels infielder Brandon Drury had a surprising 2022 campaign split between the Cincinnati Reds and the San Diego Padres. He slashed .263/.320/.492 and set career highs with 28 HRs, 87 RBI, 87 runs, and two stolen bases in 138 games, the most over his eight seasons. Drury was solid the year before, posting a .274 average and a .783 OPS, but owned a lowly .206 xBA and .348 xSLG. The veteran posted eye-popping splits in 2022 with a .298 average and 12 home runs over 52 contests at Great American Ballpark but hit .240 with 16 homers in 86 games elsewhere. Now, without the benefit of playing his home games in Cincinnati, Drury won't replicate his 2022 numbers.

Around the RDBL

- The Meinert Hops intend to keep Bryan Reynolds (2/$38) according to sources. Reynolds is projected to post the fifth most points among all outfielders (478.5) in 2023 according to CBS after putting up 374.5 points in 2022.

- The Alamo Short Stacks have continued to analyze their options as they look to pivot after losing Gavin Lux and Brendan Rodgers to season-ending injuries. Those plans now include retaining Will Smith (2/$30) due in large part to a barren Free Agent class at the catcher position. If Smith is retained, Yasmani Grandal would become the top available catcher with the backstop expected to be released from his 2/$19 option with the Lake Merced Goutfish.

- The Stacks remain open to adding in additional areas and have reportedly dangled left-hander MacKenzie Gore (Minors) according to sources. Gore got off to an impressive start in the majors, with a 1.50 ERA, a 2.20 FIP, 17 walks, 57 Ks, and a .200/.279/.241 line against in his first nine games, eight starts, and 48 IP for the Padres before elbow issues sidetracked his season. He's set to start 2023 in the Opening Day rotation for the Nationals.