The Grapes were riding high in 2019 after capturing the Regular Season Title before things fell apart in the Playoffs. The 2020 season didn't do them any favors either and will challenge GM Terry Shelley and the Grapes Front Office to build upon their core in order to make a return to the Playoffs in 2021.
The top of the Grapes roster was as dominant as ever led by Freddie Freeman, Manny Machado and Clayton Kershaw but the depth of the club took a significant hit in the last 9 months. That figures to make the Grapes an active club in trade talks this Winter.
Value Up
Freddie Freeman (2/$48)
You can't ask for much more from your star than the season Freddie Freeman turned in as he was named the 2020 National League Most Valuable Player. Freeman was Atlanta's first MVP since 1999 as he received 28 of 30 first-place votes, while Mookie Betts received the other two votes and finished in second in the voting. Freeman appeared in all 60 games during the shortened 2020 season, slashing .341/.462/.640 with 13 home runs, 53 RBI, 45 walks and 37 strikeouts and will be in 2021 as the leader of the offense.
Manny Machado (2/$48)
With a matching contract to Freeman, Manny Machado was all but certain of a release heading into the 2020 season following a disappointing first year in San Diego. Nearly 12 months later, Machado has played himself back into solid footing in the Grapes organization after slashing .304/.370/580 with 16 home runs and 12 doubles and should anchor the other corner in Asti in 2021.
Clayton Kershaw (2/$31)
Kershaw continued to add on to his Hall of Fame resume in 2020 and looks like an absolute steal for the $31 contract the Grapes handed him 2019. The Dodgers lefty posted 497.0 points in 2019 and followed it up with a 2.16 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 2020. He will continue to serve as a dominant 1-2 punch with Walker Buehler for both the Dodgers and Grapes in 2021.
Value Down
Bryan Reynolds (2FA/$5)
The 2019 Free Agent Claim of the Year had a disastrous 2020 season that could put his Keeper potential in doubt for 2021. The former San Francisco Giants prospect hit just .189/.275/.357 with a pair of home runs. The Pirates are going nowhere this season so expect Reynolds to have a long leash to prove last season was an aberration but the pressure might be on in Spring Training for him to prove his worth to GM Terry Shelley.
Javier Baez (2/$37)
With $96 tied up between Freeman and Machado, a return in 2021 might not be in the cards for Baez due to his $37 option. The slugging shortstop hit just .203/.238/.360 in 222 at-bats in 2020 as plate discipline issues continued to limit his production. While Baez his .281 in 2019, his first season with the Grapes, it came with a .318 OBP and just 365.0 points overall which might be too little production for his salary commitment.
Jo Adell (Minors)
Adell was ranked as one of the top prospects in the sport entering 2020 and was pushing for an Opening Day role on the Angels, but 9 months later he looks to be another year away from activation for the Grapes. Manager Joe Maddon stated last week that Adell still has more developing to do in the minors, and it's hard to disagree with that assessment. The 21-year-old didn't have much success at the Triple-A level in 2019, posting a .264/.321/.355 slash line (good for just a 67 wRC+) in 27 games for Salt Lake, but he was called on nonetheless for his 38-game big-league debut last year. He had even less success at the highest level, hitting a miserable .161/.212/.266 while striking out in 41.7 percent of his plate appearances. Adell remains quite young and quite talented, but he might not get the chance to display that talent in the majors until later in the season with hopes for a 2022 activation for Shelley.
Shohei Ohtani (3R/$5)
It's been a rollercoaster of a career for Ohtani who is unquestionably talented but has yet to have his skillset translate to fantasy value. After recovering from Tommy John surgery, Ohtani was shut down again with elbow issues and limited to 10 subpar starts. The kicker for the Grapes is that he also regressed at the plate slashing just .190/.291/.366. He's expected to be a part of a six man rotation in Anaheim but will need to show much more durability than he's displayed so far with just 53 1/3 big league innings to date.
Early 2021 Keeper List Projections
The Grapes will face some tough choices this Winter, most notably the decision on Javier Baez's $37 option as well as $5 options on Shohei Ohtani and Bryan Reynolds.
The club's depth took a hit in 2020 with Ken Giles (Tommy John), Hunter Renfroe (.156/.252/.393) and Hansel Robles (10.26 ERA in 16 2/3 IP) all likely playing themselves off the roster after being penciled in entering 2020. In addition, Jo Adell's struggles at the big league level will have the Grapes waiting a full additional season for his activation.
All is not lost for the Grapes as the club will get a boost from Marcus Stroman (2/$6) after sitting out the 2020 season. He will slot in behind Kershaw and Buehler to form a nice and affordable trio while Domingo Germàn could make a push for a spot with a big camp.
The offense will also get a boost as Keston Hiura will be let loose on the RDBL. Following his Playoff activation in 2019, Hiura is locked into a 1R/$1 activation for 2021, the only likely Minor League addition to the big league roster this year for the Grapes. Joining 2019 breakout Ketal Marte (3/$9) and Joey Gallo (3R/$5), the trio will help ease the $96 combined commitment to Machado and Freeman on offense.
Farm System
The Grapes have just four prospects under contract following the Opening Day activation of Hiura. The group is led by elite prospect Bobby Witt, Jr., a 3rd Round pick by the Grapes in 2018. Witt is a consensus Top-10 prospect across baseball and despite being a high school draftee, he figures to fly through the Minors and should be in position for a 2023 activation.
The group is rounded out by Hunter Greene who's high ceiling is matched by considerable injury risk. 2021 should be an important year for his development and give the Grapes a good idea of just how valuable of an asset Greene, the former top overall pick in the RDBL Reserve Draft in 2017, will be moving forward.
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