While the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings have been quiet, thanks in large part to clubs waiting for Shohei Ohtani's destination, news continues to flow out of Nashville that will change values across the Roger Dorn Baseball League. The big winner over the last week are the Las Vegas Aristocrats who look to be building quite a strong foundation heading into 2024, sweeping the 3 Up category with positive news up and down their roster.
Here's the latest 3 Up, 3 Down as we start Day 2 of the Winter Meetings.
OF Jackson Chourio (Minors), Las Vegas Aristocrats
The Brewers have officially announced that they have signed outfield prospect Jackson Chourio to an eight-year extension that runs through 2031 plus two club options for 2032 and 2033. Previous reporting has indicated the guarantee is $82MM, with the options each valued at $25MM. There are also some unknown incentives, which could allow him to max out at $142.5MM if he hits them all and both options are picked up. The options come with $2MM buyouts.
The deal is the largest ever offered to a player prior to their major league debut, surpassing the six-year, $50MM guarantee the White Sox gave to Luis Robert Jr. prior to the 2020 season. While Chourio, 19, has played just six games above the Double-A level to this point in his young career, it’s easy to see why this level of confidence in the youngster. Chourio is a consensus top-three prospect in the sport, with only Orioles shortstop Jackson Holliday ranked above him consistently by prospect outlets. The deal will keep Chourio under contract through at least 2030 while extending his potential window of team control through 2032, his age-29 season.
Chourio signed with Milwaukee out of Venezuela for a $1.8MM bonus back in 2021 and immediately made an impression during his professional debut with a .286/.386/.447 slash line in 45 Dominican Summer League games at just 17 years old. His stateside debut the following season went even better as the youngster slashed a phenomenal .288/.342/.538 in 439 trips to the plate split between the Single-A, High-A, and Double-A levels. That performance already made Chourio a consensus top-10 prospect in the sport prior to the 2023 season, and he did little to disprove his status among the game’s elite prospect talents, slashing .280/.336/.467 in 559 plate appearances in his return to Double-A before his aforementioned cup of coffee in Triple-A. While he received just 24 plate appearances at the minors’ highest level, Chourio did not look overmatched with a slash line of .333/.375/.476.
With Chourio entering the 2024 season under guaranteed contract, there will be little incentive for the Brewers to send him back to Triple-A to start the regular season so long as he doesn’t look overmatched during big league camp this spring. That could create an interesting call for the Las Vegas Aristocrats who made Chourio the second overall pick in the 2023 Reserve Draft behind Roki Sasaki.
RHP Mason Miller (2FA/$5), Las Vegas Aristocrats
In meeting with the media Monday, General Manager David Forst suggested the A’s were planning to move 'Crats right-hander to the bullpen, potentially as a closer, for the ’24 season (via Gallegos). One of the hardest throwers in the sport, Miller has been limited by injuries as a professional. He pitched only 39 1/3 innings over parts of three minor league seasons and was limited to 33 1/3 frames during his MLB debut this year, missing a good chunk of time with forearm tightness. A relief role will allow the A’s to keep a close watch on his workload next season, although Forst left open the possibility of stretching him back out as a starter in 2025. Miller appeared out of the bullpen in 2023, allowing the 'Crats to use him as a RP Keeper with higher upside later in the year if he indeed returns to the rotation.
RHP Hurston Waldrep (Minors), Las Vegas Aristocrats
President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos, speaking to MLB Network Radio, had high praise and lofty expectations for one of Atlanta's pitching prospects - 2023 1st rounder Hurston Waldrep. Speaking to MLB Network Radio, he expressed confidence in Waldrep's stuff being able to contribute next season.
Waldrep, 21, was Atlanta's 1st round selection last year, coming in at #24 overall out of the University of Florida and was selected by the 'Crats in the third round of the 2023 Reserve Draft. He had the fastest progression through the minor leagues of any pitcher drafted in 2023, finishing his season in AAA after eight starts and a 1.53 ERA. When you combine his college production last season with his time in the minors, he pitched 131 innings with 197 strikeouts and 73 walks in 2023.
2B Luis Garcia (2R/$3), Burlingame Blue Ducks
Other news being reported is that Luis García is not guaranteed the starting 2B job despite being just 23 years old with the team not playing to compete right away. That could put his potential spot on the Ducks Keeper Roster in limbo. Here is a quote from Dave Martinez (per Andrew Golden on X)
“Yeah, look, my message to him was are no guarantees in Spring Training. You got to come and fight for a job. I think I sent the message to him when we sent him down. And it hurt me because I love the kid. But he’s got to get better. He’s going on his fourth year now with us, and I know what the upside is with Luis, but we got to get it out of him. He’s got to be consistent.” Per Nationals manager Dave Martinez
Luis García was sent down for part of 2023. Before he was sent down he hit .259 with a lackluster .656 OPS in 407 PA. The ability to limit strikeouts was there (12.5% K%). After coming back up he rounded out the season hitting .304 with a notable gain in OPS (up to .867). It was a very small sample of just 75 PA but at least it was an improvement.
C Luis Campusano (2R/$3), Alamo Short Stacks
The Padres and representatives for free agent catcher Gary Sánchez are engaged in discussions about a potential new contract, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. There’s no indication a deal is imminent, although Acee suggests a potential contract could land in the $6-8MM range on an annual basis. That would be tough news for the Stacks as the leash for 2R/$3 backstop Luis Campusano would tighten.
San Diego needs to add a second catcher in some capacity. The Padres have made clear they’re going to turn the primary job to 24-year-old Campusano, who’s coming off a .319/.356/.491 showing through 49 games. Campusano and Brett Sullivan are the only catchers on the 40-man roster. In addition to Sánchez’s free agency, the club non-tendered Opening Day starter Austin Nola after a rough 2023 campaign.
Mets Third Base Options (Mauricio, Baty)
Despite the position’s relative uncertainty, Stearns made clear that the Mets are comfortable with their internal options at the hot corner and do not plan on adding additional options to the club’s mix, which currently includes youngsters Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, and Ronny Mauricio as well as recent addition Joey Wendle. Sherman suggests that the club views Wendle as a utility man, suggesting he’s more likely to be ticketed for a bench role with the club than the opening day job at third base. That would leave Baty, Vientos, and Mauricio headed into spring training with a shot at taking over as the club’s regular third baseman. For his part, Stearns suggested that there’s no internal favorite between that trio for the position which might leave each of their RDBL General Managers stuck without an activation.
Baty (Las Vegas Aristocrats) was the club’s starting third baseman for much of the 2023 season but struggled to a .216/.281/.331 slash line in 318 trips to the plate before the club decided to option him back to Triple-A in early August. Baty returned to the big league club in September but saw his struggles continue as he slashed an anemic .194/.216/.292 during the season’s final month. Still, as a former first-round pick and consensus top-30 prospect in the game with a career .981 OPS at the Triple-A level, it’s easy to see why the club could be willing to give Baty another shot as the regular third baseman in his age-24 season next year. That’s especially true given Baty’s .300 xwOBA in 2023, which greatly outstripped his actual production this season, which left him with a meager .266 wOBA.
Mauricio (Lake Merced Goutfish), who won’t celebrate his 23rd birthday until April, is both the youngest of the trio and the most inexperienced at the big league level. Once considered a top-50 prospect in the league, Mauricio’s star lost some of its shine after a rough 2022 season where he posted an OBP of just .296 at the Double-A level. Fortunately for Mauricio, his 2023 performance helped to quell doubts about his ability as he slashed a much stronger .292/.346/.506 in 116 games with Syracuse this season. That earned him a brief call-up to the big leagues this season, though he struggled to a .248/.296/.347 slash line in his first 108 trips to the plate against big league pitching. One advantage Mauricio could have in a camp battle against Baty and Vientos is his glove, as Mauricio has more than 3,000 innings of experience at shortstop in the minor leagues and sports an excellent throwing arm that should allow him to handle a transition to regular time at the hot corner without much issue.
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