Rumor Central: Fish Plans Come Into Focus

The Spokane Fightin' Fish certainly lit a fuse on the off-season trade market Tuesday as they acquired the top scoring hitter and the second scoring pitcher from last season in a blockbuster move with the Mission Viejo Maulers.

Following the move, things are starting to come into focus as the Franchise has vaulted into clear title contention for the 2023 season.

- The club is currently planning on retaining Cal Raleigh (2FA/$5) and Mitch Garver (3/$8) behind the plate, leaving Danny Jansen (2/$2) as a potential trade candidate. Garver was mentioned as a top trade candidate in the Catching Market Overview late last month, but seems to have hopped over Jansen for now internally with the Fish.

- Fresh off a breakout season, corner infielder Yandy Diaz (2D/$5) is available in trade talks as a crowded Keeper Roster could push him out the door. Diaz is eligible at both first and third base and is projected for 347.5 points after posting 371.5 last season. Diaz should have a strong market before Draft Day with the Asti Grape Stompers, Burlingame Blue Ducks, Honolulu Hammerheads, Meinert Hops and Idaho Taters all potential fits.

- Both Gerrit Cole (3/$73) and Shane Bieber (2/$58) are currently out of the running for Keeper spots according to sources close to Tirabassi. Cole has been rumored to be heading for Free Agency for much of the Winter but Bieber could be a surprise addition to an already elite Free Agent Class provided he's not moved before Draft Day.

- There were few bigger surprises in 2022 than Martin Perez (2FA/$5) who came out of nowhere to produce 495.0 points. While he's currently projected for 396.0 this season, Perez is on the market with Tirabassi reportedly not buying into the surprise season. It would be a surprise to see Perez reach Free Agency given his $5 contract for 2023 making him a potential fit for the Las Vegas Aristocrats, Idaho Taters and Honolulu Hammerheads who could be in the market for an additional arm.

Around the RDBL

- As news of the Cloverdale Clovers offer for Judge and Verlander leaked, there was a great deal of surprise in GM Chris Ferraro's decision to take the Fish offer over a package of Marco Luciano, Taj Bradley and Alek Thomas and four 2023 picks including a pair of 1st Rounders. More GMs were reportedly surprised that Fish first baseman Vinny Pasquantino (1R/$1) was not included in the deal though his 2022 Playoff activation was reportedly a concern for Ferraro who is planning a full rebuild.

- The Maulers attempted to pivot talks with the Clovers to Nolan Arenado (2/$38) after turning down their offer but were quickly turned away according to sources. The Maulers are reportedly seeking a high profile prospect and early round selection in return for Arenado.

- The Maulers completed a similar overhaul in 2021 when they were actively shopping and trading players on Draft Night. The league instituted a "Trade Freeze" for future seasons shortly after, limiting trade activity until after Period 1 to prevent a repeat of a full firesale during the Draft.

While Ferraro will have to wait, expect most of their Active Roster to be on the trade block quickly in 2023 as the seek better results with their second full scale rebuild in three seasons.

- With pitchers and catchers set to report next week, GM Ross Horiuchi is getting quite nervous with expected Keeper Jurickson Profar (2D/$5) still yet to sign with a big league club. If his Free Agency lags further, expect the Hammerheads to jump into the trade market for additional bats with potential keeper Jose Iglesias (2FA/$5) also not signed.

- The Alamo Short Stacks are largely set on their 2023 Keeper Roster but continue to mull decisions around their catching group. The club acquired Joey Bart (Minors) while also holding Will Smith (2/$31) and activation-ready Luis Campusano (Minors). Bart has already drawn trade interest after being dealt to the Stacks from the St. Joseph Jokers last week, but the club is still evaluating their options for 2023.

TRADE: Fish Pull Off Stunner, Land Verlander and Judge

The Spokane Fightin' Fish pulled off the blockbuster deal of the off-season, officially landing Justin Verlander (3/$5) and Aaron Judge (3/$31) from the Mission Viejo Maulers for prospects Termarr Johnson (Minors), George Valera (Minors) and a pair of 1st Round Picks in 2023 (3rd and 13th Overall).

Judge is fresh off a record breaking 2022 season, posting 652.5 points while being named the RDBL Hitter of the Year and American League MVP. He was at his best to finish the year, breaking the RDBL Record for Playoff Points with 177.5 points over his final five weeks.

Verlander had another banner season in his Hall of Fame career with 647.0 points, capturing his third Cy Young Award as he posted a 1.75 ERA over 175 innings. He signed a two-year, $86.66M contract with the New York Mets and will pitch in the National League for the first time in his career at 39 years old.

Keith Law ranked Johnson 18th overall in his recent Top 100, stating "Johnson was the best pure hitter in the high school ranks in the 2022 draft class, although he had some competition from players like Jackson Holliday. Johnson, who went fourth to the Pirates, played against awful competition for his Atlanta high school, often dealing with pitchers who’d pitch around him, but hit when he got the chance while also working like an extra coach, encouraging teammates, giving them tips at the plate while he was on base, and more. It’s one thing to talk about a player having great makeup, but you could see Johnson’s great makeup in tangible ways. He has a small hitch in his swing, but has exceptional hand-eye coordination and great bat speed to overcome it, and in a small sample in pro ball he showed he could hit good velocity and deal with better pitch shapes than he’d ever seen in his life. He has great hands to stay on the dirt, but he’s not a shortstop, and his footwork there makes me think he’ll end up at second base. He’s still growing, and might end up a little bit taller — he’s already a baller — and a lot stronger, with 20 homers within reach given his hit tool."

Valera was ranked 27th by Law who profiled him with "Valera and Brayan Rocchio have been on nearly parallel tracks the last two years, moving up from High A to Double A and then Double A to Triple A within two weeks of each other. Rocchio is the safer bet with the higher floor, but Valera offers more upside, especially with the bat, where he could be a high-OBP, 30-homer guy if he can keep his contact rate intact. Valera works the count extremely well, rarely chasing fastballs out of the zone, and is comfortable hitting with two strikes, only expanding slightly in those counts. He has very easy power to pull and the other way, with 30 homers a realistic projection for him, especially as he continues to learn which pitches to take and which to attack. After barely facing southpaws in 2021, he showed only a small platoon split in 2022, hitting better against right-handers but making almost as much contact against lefties. He’s a “flashy” player, but I say that as a compliment, as I think the game needs more guys who play with flair and energy. With average defense in right, he could be a huge impact bat who has OBPs near .400 with the aforementioned power, as long as he can hold or reduce his strikeout rate (25.6 percent last year) as he moves up the ladder."

The Cloverdale Clovers reportedly made a major push in recent days, offering a package of four picks inside the first four rounds including two 1st Round Picks in addition to prospects Marco Luciano, Taj Bradley and Alek Thomas.

Rumor Central: Verlander Market Hot, Judge Talks Cool, Giolito Likely to Move

The Mission Viejo Maulers have been overwhelmed with inquiries on four stars who they made available earlier this week. While GM Chris Ferraro continues conversations, Justin Verlander (3/$5) appears to be the most likely to be moved according to sources.

Ferraro had expressed some pessimism on making a deal after the first 48 hours of talks as the club started to plan on retaining Verlander, Aaron Judge (3/$31) and Nolan Arenado (3/$38). But as of Thursday morning, talks had intensified on Verlander to the point where there could be a finish line in sign according to those familiar with negotiations.

Sources indicate Alamo Short Stacks, Spokane Fightin' Fish, Lake Merced Goutfish, Las Vegas Aristocrats, Maltese Falcons and Cloverdale Clovers were all engaged at some level over this week.

The Aristocrats had attempted to build a package around the 2nd overall pick while the talks with the Stacks centered around emerging starter Logan Gilbert (2R/$3).

Around the RDBL

- While the race for Verlander continues, Lunatic Fringe right-hander Lucas Giolito (3R/$5) could be the next arm to be moved. With cheap bounceback candidates Tyler Mahle and Noah Syndergaard quickly off the market, the spotlight shifts to Giolito who looks like he will be squeezed out of a spot for GM Tony Guglielmi.

The right-hander established himself as a reliable front-end starter with a 3.47 ERA from 2019 to 2021, but he cratered last season with an ERA that approached 5.00. He lost a tick on his fastball and saw his strikeout rate drop over two percentage points to 25.2 percent, though his HR/9 improved slightly to 1.3. The White Sox's poor defense certainly did him no favors, which is reflected in his 3.66 xFIP. Still, the poor results can't be entirely blamed on the defense, as he also allowed a 39 percent hard-hit rate, which represents a full-season career high. Giolito will turn 29 years old in July and is entering his final season of arbitration eligibility, and he's a prime rebound candidate with every incentive to deliver in a contract year.

CBS certainly sees that bounceback coming as they have Giolito with a 420.0 point projection for 2023.