The shortened 2020 season was a mixed bag for the Alamo Short Stacks Front Office with expectations likely dropping as the club heads into 2021. The club saw much of their expected rotation depth chopped down while some of their perceived value assets saw substantial drops in their stock over the last 9 months.
Value Up
LHP Julio Urias
Urias' role in an always deep Dodgers rotation combined with the lefty's injury history but a 2020 activation up in the air for the Stacks. After dominating the playoffs with a return to elite form on the mound, Urias looks like a stable rotation piece in Los Angeles and is certain to have a spot on the Stacks Opening Day roster.
RHP Yu Darvish
The Stacks were hot after Darvish following his dominant second half of 2019, finalizing a deal with the Fightin' Fish just before the start of last season. While they weren't able to cash in on the right-hander's dominant 2020 campaign where he finished 2nd in Cy Young voting, Darvish looks primed for another stellar year that could get a boost if he's dealt to the San Diego Padres as rumored.
OF Trent Grisham
The Stacks landed Grisham from the Taters for a minor draft pick swap, a move that now looks like a boon for GM Greg Shelley. Grisham led off in a talented Padres lineup for most of the year and looks like a strong bet for a daily role in San Diego entering 2021 as an Opening Day activation.
Value Down
IF/OF Danny Santana
The Stacks didn't nail every deal last year as their acquisition of Santana was a flop. He was non-tendered by the Rangers in early December and is set to be cut by the Stacks this off-season. The 30-year-old appeared in only 15 games during the 2020 season before going down with the elbow injury, and he was given an eight-month recovery timeline after undergoing surgery in September. Santana played all over the field and had a .283/.324/.534 slash line with 28 homers and 21 stolen bases in 2019, but he crashed hard during his limited action in 2020.
RHP Josh James
James looked ready to turn the corner as he ripped through lineups in Spring Training and took a strangle hold of a spot in the Astros rotation before COVID shut down camp. When Spring Training 2.0 kicked off, he struggled to get his feet back under him and carried that poor performance over into 2020, posting a 7.27 ERA and 1.85 WHIP in 17 1/3 innings. He underwent off-season surgery for a labral tear and is unlikely to have a spot on a RDBL roster in 2021, a far drop from expectations heading into last season.
SS Amed Rosario
The Stacks might have whiffed on another deal with the acquisition of Rosario who flopped in a big way in 2020. The shortstop looked like a potential breakout star following a strong 2019 season but he limped to a .248/.268/.366 slash line. The Stacks haven't thrown in the towel on Rosario, especially given the unique circumstances and sample size of 2020, but all eyes will be on him entering 2021 as he enters his 2R/$3 year.
Early 2021 Keeper List Predictions
The offense is still set to be anchored by high-priced stars Nolan Arenado and Francisco Lindor as well as emerging stud Eloy Jimenez. The club remains committed to David Dahl who was unexpectedly cut by the Colorado Rockies before quickly being scooped up by the Texas Rangers.
The outfield should be a strength as the previously mentioned Grisham is also joined by Kyle Tucker who looks to finally have a stable spot in the Astros lineup.
The key to the club might be Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. who came into camp well overweight and scuffled throughout 2020. He looks committed to his conditioning this off-season with the tools to be the top producer on the roster at the plate.
Darvish will anchor the rotation with Urias, Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea behind him. The latter two had up and down 2020 seasons likely making the rotation an area of focus in the 2021 Auction Draft for the Stacks Front Office.
Remaining Farm System
Few Farm Systems can match the upside of the Stacks top prospects, even following the graduations of Guerrero, Jr., Urias, Grisham and Tucker. Outfielder Jarred Kelenic would likely hold down the top spot as a likely Top 5-10 prospect in all of baseball while young phenoms Marco Luciano and Jasson Dominguez continue to earn rave reviews despite their long ETA.
MacKenzie Gore lost an important year of development on the mound but still ranks as baseball's top left-handed pitching prospect and looks in line for a 2022 activation.
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