Formal 2023 Rule Change Proposals

The Roger Dorn Baseball League has put forward three proposals for Front Offices to vote on over the weekend with the announcement of the final plans for 2023 expected early next week.

The Commissioner's Office has historically made minor changes to the rulebook on an annual basis to improve the competitive landscape and keep pace with the trends of Major League Baseball and player use.

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Trade Deadline Adjustment

Proposal: The 2023 RDBL Trade Deadline will take place exactly two weeks prior to the MLB Trade Deadline. Commissioner Manfred can select the MLB Trade Deadline between 7/28 and 8/3 annually as part of the MLB CBA. Previously, the RDBL Deadline aligned on the same day as the MLB Trade Deadline.

• Aims at preventing teams from playing both sides of the fence

• Current RDBL deadline is roughly 82% of the way through the RDBL Regular Season compared to 60-65% for normal leagues

• Keeper Deadline would remain as the first Monday of August allowing for final claims that could be carried over on a 2FA/$5 for the next season

Addition of 1.0 Value for Holds

Proposal: With the adjustment of how teams handle the ninth inning, a 1.0 value would be placed on holds providing more value to elite relievers who are used in the 7th and 8th innings frequently.

• The leader in holds for 2022 was A.J. Minter at 35 with Brad Boxberger next at 30.

• Counter argument from some Franchises is that it decreases the value of closers and waters down the overall RP market.

New Free Agent Bid System

Proposal: Teams would be given a $100 Free Agent Budget for the season and can bid for Free Agents weekly, replacing the current 15th-1st Waiver process.

• The current limit of one claim per week would be eliminated, allowing as many claims/drops as desired.

• This allows the top available players to go to the teams that value them highest instead of automatically flowing to the underperforming teams.

• FA Budget money would not be eligible to be traded as an asset.

• This entire process would flow through CBS, allowing teams to submit their bids at any point during the week with the results flowing through overnight on Sunday.

2023 Activation Class Loaded with Talent and Depth

The 2023 Activation Class is shaping up to be one of the best in League History led by Julio Rodriguez of the Spokane Fightin' Fish and Adley Rutschman of the Cloverdale Clovers while we calculate as many as 56 players in line for a potential addition to Active Rosters by Opening Day.

That's an eye-opening number that shows the level of depth across the upper Minor Leagues and the strength of RDBL Front Offices who have annually improved their Reserve Draft strategies over the last 10 seasons.

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Asti Grape Stompers (2)

RHP Hunter Greene, C Francisco Alvarez

The Grapes aggressively promoted Bobby Witt, Jr. in 2022 and have a wave of high-end talent on the way to join him, starting in 2023 with Hunter Greene and potentially Francisco Alvarez. Greene was electric to finish a rollercoaster 2022 season, allowing just 13 hits and two earned runs over his final 29.0 innings and will look to build on that heading into 2023.

It's unclear if the Mets will hand over an everyday role at catcher and DH to Alvarez, but the bat is certainly the carrying tool that could make him an exceptional value quickly. While the Grapes want to be aggressive during Witt, Jr.'s contract, the group of Jordan Walker, Kyle Harrison, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Jordan Lawlar, Curtis Mead and Mick Abel all look on track for 2024 activations giving GM Terry Shelley a number of options in their contention window.

Alamo Short Stacks (3)

OF Corbin Carroll, 3B Miguel Vargas, C Luis Campusano

Carroll is a lock to be activated while early indications are that the Los Angeles Dodgers plan to give their young players a chance at every day roles with Miguel Vargas currently slotted in as the starting third baseman. Things could certainly change with Justin Turner remaining in Free Agency, but if Vargas holds down the starting spot, the Stacks plan to activate him as well.

Luis Campusano is currently slotted in as the backup catcher for the Padres with only Austin Nola standing in the way for a primary role. The Stacks would love to have both catcher spots filled with Campusano joining Will Smith (2/$30) who is expected to be retained.

Burlingame Blue Ducks (1)

2B Luis Garcia

The Ducks aggressively pursued and captured a RDBL Playoff spot in 2022, trading away some of their top prospects and leaving their 2023 options somewhat limited. Luis Garcia will be given a long leash next season in Washington after receiving consistent at-bats from June on last year. He hit a strong .275 with eligibility at second base and shortstop but walked just 11 times in 243 at-bats, producing one of the worst walk rates in the big leagues. He will need to show a strong approach and eye at the plate to become a viable annual option in the middle infield.

Nolan Jones will be a player to watch following his trade to Colorado (and Coors Field). It's not a great sign that the Cleveland Indians were so willing to part with the young hitter, but he should get a chance to prove himself at the big league level at some point in 2023 for the Rockies.

Cloverdale Clovers (4)

C Adley Rutschman, OF Alek Thomas, RHP Edward Cabrera, SS Oneil Cruz

Adley Rutschman will step into a starting role and could enter 2023 as the highest projected player behind the plate with 400+ point seasons well within reach for the young star.

GM Chris Shelley will face some difficult decisions for the remainder of the group, but the expectation is for the Clovers to be aggressive with promotions while freeing up cap space to add star-level talent in Auction. Shortstop Oneil Cruz is a safe bet to be activated. While he's a human highlight reel, he will need to improve on his .294 on base percentage to be a plus starter in the infield. But with 600 at-bats expected in 2023, he'll be given that chance on the Active Roster.

Alek Thomas faces some outfield depth in the Arizona Diamondbacks lineup and didn't set the world on fire in 2022 with a .275 OBP in 381 big league at-bats. He currently is viewed as an activation but that could change depending on the remainder of the D'backs off-season plans.

Edward Cabrera has been electric at the big league level but has struggled to stay healthy. The Clovers are staring at five exceptional options in the rotation already and could leverage Cabrera as a mid-season shot in the arm if they elect to keep the current group together.

While the group above is all but locked into Opening Day roles for their respective big league clubs, the Clovers possess the best "next in line" group in the RDBL with Elly De La Cruz, Andrew Painter, Taj Bradley, Ricky Tiedemann, Nick Pratto and Liover Peguero all knocking on the door soon with some potentially jumping into early season roles for Shelley.

Honolulu Hammerheads (3)

OF Jarren Duran, RHP Drew Jameson, RHP Ryne Nelson

While many RDBL Organizations have shied away from selecting pitching prospects, GM Ross Horiuchi is hoarding them with half of their Farm System devoted to arms. That group should start to help at the Active Roster level in 2023 but much will depend on the direction of the Arizona Diamondbacks. While Quinn Priester is likely the top pitching prospect of the group, the three arms most ready to help this season for the Heads will all be fighting for spots in the Diamondbacks rotation. Ryne Nelson and Drey Jameson both finished 2022 in the big leagues with strong results while Brandon Pfaadt led the Minor Leagues in strikeouts and finished the year at Triple-A.

Duran will need a strong Spring Training to secure a starting spot for the Hammerheads after producing just a .645 OPS in 223 big league at-bats last season.

Idaho Taters (5)

3B Josh Jung, 2B Nolan Gorman, RHP Matt Manning, LHP Matt Liberatore, RP Nate Pearson

The Taters will again face some difficult decisions on activations as they did entering 2022. The club elected to aggressively promote Jo Addel and Spencer Torkelson to rough results while Casey Mize went down with Tommy John surgery. A breakout season from Sean Murphy prevented the activation class from being a complete mess for GM Mike Friedrich.

They enter 2023 with a number of young options yet again as Josh Jung, Nolan Gorman, Matthew Liberatore, Matt Manning and Nate Pearson are all projected to have big league roles to start the season. Jung is likely the safest bet for activation followed closely behind by Manning who posted a strong 3.43 ERA but was limited by multiple injuries over 2022.

Lake Merced Goutfish (3)

SS Oswald Peraza, RHP Bobby Miller, RHP Roansy Contreras

The Goutfish have annually activated elite-level contributors in recent years but are expected to take a step back in that space this season. Right-hander Roansy Contreras is the safest bet for an uninterrupted big league season in 2023 after a long look in Pittsburgh last year.

Both Oswald Peraza and Bobby Miller have substantial upside, but playing in New York and Los Angeles could make their big league roles in 2023 less stable.

Las Vegas Aristocrats (4)

C William Contreras, C Shea Langeliers, SS/2B Bryson Stott, OF Garrett Mitchell

The addition of Russ Colburn to the 'Crats Front Office has placed an increased emphasis on the development of the club's Farm System. They will start to see the fruit of those efforts in 2023 as the club could add four activations to their Active Roster for Opening Day led by slugging backstop William Contreras, a 2022 mid-season acquisition from the Mission Viejo Maulers.

The club is carefully monitoring the potential trade of Sean Murphy of the Oakland Athletics with hopes Shea Langeliers can take over the starting role and leave both catching spots full for the 'Crats. Bryson Stott will make the move over to second base for the Phillies following the Trea Turner signing and will look to continue his ascent into a strong middle infield contributor.

Garrett Mitchell currently projects as a starter in Milwaukee in could get a look at an Opening Day role for the 'Crats while Austin Martin will be another name to watch following a strong Arizona Fall League appearance.

Lunatic Fringe (6)

RHP Triston McKenzie, OF Brandon Marsh, LHP Reid Detmers, RHP Josiah Gray, RHP Grayson Rodriguez, RHP Clarke Schmidt

GM Tony Guglielmi will be feeling the pressure from the Fringe fanbase following their patient approach with prospects last season. It's not a stretch to assume that an activation of Triston McKenzie on Opening Day last season would have resulted in a Playoff berth. McKenzie, the 2022 Pitching Prospect of the Year in the RDBL, is a lock to added to an already potentially dominant rotation led by Pitching of the Year Sandy Alcantara.

The options at pitcher hardly stop at McKenzie as Josiah Gray, Reid Detmers and potentially Grayson Rodriguez could all make a case for Opening Day spots while Clarke Schmidt could emerge as a potentially activation at RP.

Brandon Marsh had a disappointing season at the plate but came on strong during the Playoffs and looks to be set for another starting role in Philadelphia next season.

Maltese Falcons (3)

*1B Jose Miranda, 1B Triston Casas, SS Royce Lewis

The Falcons have a wave of elite upside talent on the way with Daniel Espino, Eury Perez, Druw Jones and Zac Veen ranking among the best prospects in baseball, but each carrying ETAs of 2024 or later. That puts Jose Miranda and Triston Casas on the front-line of the 2023 Activation class for the Falcons. Miranda is already locked into his activation after joining the Active Roster for the 2023 Playoffs. With Eric Hosmer still in Boston, there's some risk with an Opening Day activation for Casas if the slugger gets off to a slow start.

The timeline for Royce Lewis' return from his second major knee surgery will likely leak into the middle part of 2023, but he could immediately be an activation candidate based on his strong sample last season.

Meinert Hops (3)

SS CJ Abrams, 3B Brett Baty, LHP Daniel Lynch

The Hops are fresh off their best season in Franchise History and looking to ride the wave of Shohei Ohtani, Shane McClanahan and Zac Gallen along with the final years of control for Andrew Vaughn and Luis Robert. The hope is that middle infielder CJ Abrams can live up to the high expectations that have been placed on him as he's set to hold down an every day spot in Washington while bringing dual eligibility at second and shortstop.

Brett Baty and Daniel Lynch are stretches, but big Spring Trainings could place them right in the mix for Opening Day roles.

Mission Viejo Maulers (3)

*SS Nico Hoerner, OF Josh Lowe, OF Drew Waters

The Maulers will at least add shortstop Nico Hoerner to the fold entering 2023 after adding him to their Active Roster for last year's Playoffs. That leaves outfielders Josh Lowe and Drew Waters as players to watch in Spring Training as they try and fight for a starting spot on their respective clubs. While Lowe has more proven track record, Waters impressed in September and has an easier path to consistent playing time with the rebuilding Royals.

Mt. Diablo Devils (6)

OF Riley Greene, LHP Nick Lodolo, RHP Cade Cavalli, RHP James Kaprielian, SS Geraldo Perdomo, IF Michael Busch

The Devils received a strong season out of 2022 activation Cal Quantrill, but Wander Franco failed to live up to expectations in his first full season in the big leagues. While a bounceback is expected, it will be interesting to see how aggressive GM Jason Watson is this season with six potential options to consider for Opening Day activations.

The group is led by Riley Greene who comes with major prospect pedigree and cut his teeth with 376 big league at-bats last season. The results were mixed for the 22-year-old, giving Watson a lot to think about for how to plan for 2023.

Nick Lodolo's dominant second half has likely earned him a safe spot in the rotation with Cade Cavalli being an arm to watch in Spring Training with an expected spot in the Nationals rotation to open 2023.

The Dodgers continue to be a team to watch with Michael Busch who has proven all he needs to in the Minor Leagues and could fulfill a super-utility role at the big league level to open the season.

Spokane Fightin' Fish (2)

*OF Julio Rodriguez, *1B Vinnie Pasquantino

GM Michael Tirabassi played the Julio Rodriguez situation perfectly, riding their talented core to a 3rd place finish while leveraging Julio Rodriguez in the Playoffs and earning extra time on his three year contract. Rodriguez enters 2023 as the top prospect and activation in the RDBL after a 388.5 point Rookie season and looks primed to take over as the face of the Fightin' Fish for the next three seasons as one of the league's best values.

While Rodriguez was an obvious activation for the Playoffs, Vinnie Pasquantino earned his nod with an excellent year at the plate. Despite posting a .391/.440/.739 line in the spring, Pasquantino opened the season with Triple-A Omaha, but a .932 OPS with 40 walks to just 39 strikeouts in 73 games earned him a late June promotion. Pasquantino began just 4-for-30 with six walks, but the Royals patience was rewarded as Pasquantino hit .316/.392/.478 the rest of the way, with a two-week interruption for shoulder discomfort. Pasquantino's discipline translated to the majors as he walked 35 times with just 34 strikeouts in 298 plate appearances and he looks set for a full plate of at-bats in 2023.

St. Joseph Jokers (8)

RHP Kyle Wright, IF Gunnar Henderson, C Joey Bart, OF Trevor Larnach, C Gabriel Moreno, C/OF MJ Melendez, OF JJ Bleday, LHP DL Hall

The Jokers are on tap for the most interesting off-season of any Franchise in the RDBL. The club has a pair of front-line players in Trea Turner and Jose Abreu to pair with as many as eight activations for the 2023 season and nine of top 44 selections in the Reserve Draft. The group is led by Kyle Wright and Gunnar Henderson, two 400+ point potential players for 2023 while the trio of Joey Bart, Gabriel Moreno and/or MJ Melendez could cover both catching spots.

Outfielders Trevor Larnach and JJ Bleday will be ones to watch in Spring Training while DL Hall will need to show improvement in command in order to step into a stable role in the Orioles rotation.

Value Updates for Latest MLB Signings

In one of the most memorable Winter Meeting weeks in MLB History, several more high-profile Free Agents struck deals led by Aaron Judge's return to the Bronx.

Here's the latest on value changes across the RDBL:

OF Aaron Judge (3/$31), Mission Viejo Maulers

Judge's return to New York keeps the outfielder positioned as the highest projected offensive player entering 2023 following his record-breaking American League MVP season in 2022. The 2022 Roger Dorn Baseball League Hitter of the Year broke Mike Trout's RDBL Record for single season points with 652.5, a mark that could stand for quite a while.

Judge will be back in the outfield for the Mission Viejo Maulers in 2023 in the final year of his $31 contract.

SS Xander Bogaerts (2/$44), Cloverdale Clovers

The Padres closed out the Winter Meetings with a stunner, reportedly agreeing to an 11-year, $280MM contract with Xander Bogaerts. The deal does not contain any options or opt-out provisions, although it does include a full no-trade clause.

Momentum on a deal looked to be the hands of the Boston Red Sox Wednesday afternoon, but the eye-opening commitment from the Padres sealed the deal late Wednesday. Bogaerts will likely call shortstop home for the duration of 2023 but could find some opportunities at third base in the event of Manny Machado missing time. The looming factor in San Diego is Machado's opt-out at the end of 2023 which could open up a full-time move to the hot corner in 2024 for Bogaerts.

Bogaerts is a lock to return to the Clovers on a 2/$44 deal after a 425.0 point output in 2022, ranking third in scoring at his position.

C Willson Contreras (3/$23), Asti Grape Stompers

Contreras inked a five year pact for $87.5M with the St. Louis Cardinals to replace Yadier Molina behind the plate. Contreras is one of the game’s more consistent offensive threats behind the plate. He’s been an average or better hitter in every season of his career. Over parts of seven MLB seasons, he carries a .256/.349/.459 line. While he’s never topped 25 home runs, he’s eclipsed the 20-homer mark on four separate occasions. With only a half-season of action in 2016 and the truncated schedule in 2020, Contreras only once failed to reach 20 longballs over a full year of playing time (back during a 2018 campaign that proved his worst year to date).

Contreras performed as well as he ever has during his platform year, putting up a .243/.349/.466 line with 22 homers across 487 trips to the plate in his final season as a Cub. Those slash stats are about par for the course for Contreras’ career, but they become increasingly valuable in a league where offense was down significantly. By measure of wRC+, his production was 32 percentage points above league average, the highest such mark of his career.

That offense is even rarer when compared to his positional peers. On the whole, catchers mustered just a .228/.295/.368 line this past season. Of the 29 backstops with 300+ plate appearances, Contreras trailed only Alejandro Kirk, Adley Rutschman and his younger brother William Contreras in on-base percentage. Only William Contreras, Cal Raleigh, J.T. Realmuto and Travis d’Arnaud had a higher slugging mark.

Contreras posted 295.5 points, finishing fifth in catcher scoring and is a strong bet to return on his 3/$23 to the Asti Grape Stompers.

OF Masataka Yoshida (Free Agent)

The Red Sox have made a big addition to their lineup, agreeing to terms with outfielder Masataka Yoshida. It’s reportedly a five-year, $90MM guarantee, and the deal does not contain any option provisions or opt-out clauses. The Japanese star had just been made available via the posting system this week, but the Sox struck quickly with a record-setting contract offer.

Yoshida has been one of the more accomplished hitters in Japan for the past few seasons. He’s appeared in NPB for the last seven years and carries a career .327/.421/.539 line. The left-handed hitter has reached base in more than 40% of his plate appearances in each of the past six seasons, and he topped a 1.000 OPS for the first time in 2022. Yoshida hit .335/.447/.561 through 508 trips to the dish this year.

RDBL Front Offices are certain to have a close eye on Yoshida who topped Seiya Suzuki's $85M commitment from the Chicago Cubs last season. Suzuki received $22 in Auction, a ballpark that Yoshida is likely to approach in 2023.

LHP Andrew Heaney (2D/$5), Burlingame Blue Ducks

Despite just 72 2/3 inning of work, Heaney had a strong market this Winter and inked a 2-year, 27M deal with incentives that could take it up to $37M. He will also hold the option to opt-out following the 2023 season.

For 2022, Heaney seemed to take a step forward performance wise, but without completely eliminating those concerning tendencies. The Dodgers signed him to a one-year, $8.5MM deal and then changed his pitch repertoire. His curveball and sinker were eliminated in favor of a new slider to pair with his four-seamer and the occasional changeup. The results were excellent as Heaney struck out an incredible 35.5% of batters faced, well beyond his own track record and second to only Spencer Strider among pitchers with at least 70 innings pitched on the year.

However, injuries were once again a problem, with Heaney making multiple trips to the IL due to shoulder issues throughout the year. In the end, he made 14 starts and two relief appearances, getting to 72 2/3 innings pitched for the whole season, with three more added in the playoffs. The long ball was still present as well, as he allowed 14 homers in that sample, leading to a HR/FB rate of 17.9%. Despite the massive strikeout rate, those home runs bumped his ERA up to 3.10.

The Ducks are loaded with pitching options for the 2023 Keeper Roster making Heaney a potential trade candidate before Draft Day. With control through 2024 on the new 3D/$15 contract, Heaney is certain to have a market if GM Ryan Walsh moves in that direction.

RP Kenley Jansen (3/$6), Alamo Short Stacks

Jansen finished 2022 ranked as the seventh best reliever with 41 saves, lining him up for a Keeper spot somewhere entering 2023. The Alamo Short Stacks are pressed for Keeper spots with Emmanuel Clase a lock to already return in one of the reliever spots, making Jansen a potential trade candidate this Winter.

LHP Jose Quintana (2FA/$5), Asti Grape Stompers

DFA'd in 2021 and pitching on a one-year, 2M deal in 2022, Quintana was one of the surprises of last season. The Asti Grape Stompers scooped him off Waivers and they were rewarded with a 420.0 point season that got better as it went on. The southpaw made 20 starts for the Bucs, posting a 3.50 ERA. His 20.6% strikeout rate was a bit below average, but he paired that with strong walk and ground ball rates of 7.2% and 45%, respectively. He and Chris Stratton were dealt to the Cardinals at the deadline and Quintana continued his strong campaign in St. Louis. He made another 12 starts with a 2.01 ERA, finishing the year with a 2.93 mark across 32 starts and 165 2/3 innings.

The Grapes are starving for offense, making Quintana or one of their other Keeper-worthy starting pitchers potential trade candidates this Winter.

RHP Jameson Taillon (3/$16), Mt. Diablo Devils

The Cubs agreed to a four-year, $68M deal with Jameson Taillon this week, setting him up for a potential return to the Mt. Diablo Devils for 2023.

Over his two-year run in pinstripes, he worked to a 4.08 ERA across 321 2/3 innings. The Texas native posted a 21.9% strikeout rate that’s right around league average and walked fewer than 6% of his opponents. His ground-ball and hard contact rates allowed were middle-of-the-pack, but he pounded the strike zone and handled hitters from both sides of the dish reasonably well. His stuff also returned to just under pre-surgery levels. Taillon’s fastball has checked in right around 94 MPH in each of the past two seasons, while he relies on a mid-80s slider and a low-80s curveball as his secondary pitches.

Taillon posted a strong 383.0 points in 2022, well worth the $16 investment. GM Jason Watson does have a number of options in the rotation and with the expected drop of Bryce Harper, they could look to shed an arm for some additional help on offense.

RHP Taijuan Walker (2D/$5), Lunatic Fringe

One day after landing Trea Turner on a stunning 11-year contract, the Phillies bolstered their rotation by agreeing to a four-year deal with free-agent right-hander Taijuan Walker, guaranteeing $72MM on the deal.

Walker, a once-elite pitching prospect who pitched just 14 innings from 2017-18 due to shoulder surgery and Tommy John surgery, has quickly shaken the “injury-prone” label once associated with his name. Since signing a one-year deal to return to the Mariners in advance of the 2020 season, the 6’4″, 235-pound righty has made a nearly full slate of starts: 11 games in the 60-game 2020 season followed by consecutive seasons of 29 starts with the Mets in 2021-22.

Along the way, Walker has pitched to a 3.80 ERA with a 21.5% strikeout rate, a 7.8% walk rate and 43.4% ground-ball rate in a total of 369 2/3 innings. While he’s hardly a flamethrower, Walker sits 93-94 mph with his four-seamer and complements that heater with a four-pitch mix of secondary offerings: splitter, sinker, slider and a more seldom-used curveball. He’s only averaged a bit more than 5 1/3 innings per start in recent years, but some of that could well be a function of the Mets preferring to keep him healthy.

A frequent late off-season trade candidate throughout his RDBL career, Walker could be on the move yet again this Winter. The Fringe are deep in rotation options but could use a jolt on offense after ranking 12th in hitter scoring last season.

OF Mitch Haniger (3/$11), Maltese Falcons

The Giants filled one of two openings in the outfield this week, landing Mitch Haniger on a 3-year deal for $43.5M with the option to opt-out following the 2024 season.

Earlier in his career, the Cal Poly product paired that with strong on-base marks. He reached base at a .366 clip during a 2018 season that arguably stands as his best to date, when he posted a .285/.366/.493 line over 683 plate appearances. That showing earned him an All-Star nod and an 11th-place finish in AL MVP balloting.

Injuries prevented Haniger from following up with another full season. He was off to a slower start in 2019, carrying a .220/.314/.463 line into the first week of June. An unfortunately-placed foul ball resulted in a ruptured testicle which required season-ending surgery, and the health concerns carried into 2020. He underwent core surgery over the 2019-20 offseason and ended up missing the entirety of the abbreviated season. The series of brutal health luck cost him more than 18 months of action, but he returned with an excellent 2021 campaign.

This past season again saw Haniger battle injury concerns. A high ankle sprain cost him a few months and he managed just a .246/.308/.429 line in 57 games. That was a disappointing platform season to be sure, but it doesn’t seem to have seriously changed the Giants’ projection of his long-term outlook. Haniger’s batted ball data in that limited look remained strong, as he posted a career-best 91.9 MPH average exit velocity and 47.2% hard contact rate. Over the past two seasons, he owns a .251/.316/.470 line.

The Falcons are loaded with offensive Keeper options, but Haniger is strong bet to make the cut on an affordable $11 deal, his final season of control.