With the turn of the calendar to 2024, the countdown to the new season is on with just 84 days remaining until Draft Day. Some activity across Major League Baseball led by a big Red Sox and Braves trade as well as some injury news has spurned the latest 3 Up, 3 Down.
The 11th Annual Roger Dorn Baseball League Draft is set for Tuesday, 3/26.
IF Vaughn Grissom (2D/$5), Mission Viejo Maulers
Grissom struggled to carve out a permanent role in Atlanta over the last two seasons, but will get a fresh start in Boston as a potential long-term building block, most likely at second base. The 22-year-old former top prospect still needs to find a long-term defensive home, but he’s shown some serious promise at the dish, posting a .746 OPS with five homers and five steals in 236 plate appearances in the majors since 2022. He tore the cover off the ball this past season for Triple-A Gwinnett, compiling a stratospheric .330/.419/.501 triple-slash line with eight homers and 13 steals in 468 plate appearances. It’s a fantastic landing spot for fantasy purposes as Grissom should benefit tremendously from Fenway Park’s hitter-friendly dimensions.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Saturday that the team views Grissom as its everyday second baseman, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports, a further boost to his value following the deal.
Grissom is part of a crowded Maulers Roster that could make him a potential trade candidate before Draft Day. With control through 2025, he should have a healthy market across the RDBL if GM Chris Ferraro decides to go that route.
LHP Chris Sale (3/$1), Honolulu Hammerheads
Chris Sale departs the Red Sox, who are paying the majority ($17 million, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe) of the $27.5 million left on the final year of his contract, to fortify Atlanta’s formidable starting rotation. The 34-year-old southpaw has been plagued by injuries the last few years, but has been an effective starter, when healthy. He was limited to just 20 starts this past season in Boston, finishing with a 4.30 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 125/29 K/BB ratio across 102 2/3 innings of work, and has made just 31 starts total since 2019. Despite his durability concerns, it's hard to pass on a $1 pitcher with the upside of Sale which makes him a solid bet to return to the Hammerheads in 2024.
RHP Max Meyer (Minors), Las Vegas Aristocrats
Earlier this month during the Winter Meetings, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker namedropped a player he is looking forward to seeing in 2024: Max Meyer.Â
As Schumaker put it, Miami’s path to success lies in its rotation -- and in the starters on the way. Meyer, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the organization’s No. 3 prospect, was just six innings into his Major League career when he tore the UCL in his right elbow on July 23, 2022. He hasn’t pitched in a game since then while he’s been recovering from Tommy John surgery.Â
While Meyer might not open the season in the Marlins rotation, he figures to make an impact quickly in 2024 and could emerge as a mid-season option for a talented 'Crats roster.
Max Scherzer (2/$50), Spokane Fightin' Fish
Scherzer will be sidelined until June or July after undergoing surgery Thursday to repair a herniated disc in his back, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports. Scherzer was limited to 152.2 innings during the regular season and just 9.2 frames in the postseason in 2023 while dealing with a shoulder/back problem. He and the Rangers attempted several conservative treatments earlier this offseason, but the pain persisted so the decision to have surgery was made. As a 39-year-old who will miss at least a couple months following a back operation, Scherzer might slip all the way to the Reserve Draft.
C Endy Rodriguez (Minors), St. Joseph Jokers
Jokers catcher and top prospect Endy RodrÃguez underwent reconstructive surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament and flexor tendon Tuesday, the team announced. The Pirates added he is expected to return to baseball activity in 10-12 months and will thus miss the entire 2024 season.
RodrÃguez suffered the injury taking a swing in winter ball on Nov. 13, the Pirates said. He appeared in only seven games in the Dominican Winter League before being shut down with the injury.
The 23-year-old RodrÃguez made his MLB debut this past season, authoring a .220/.284/.328 batting line with three home runs in 57 games, including 52 at catcher. He took over as Pittsburgh's No. 1 catcher after being called up in mid July. RodrÃguez entered 2023 as one of the 50 best prospects in baseball and was expected to be the team's starting catcher in 2024. While ready for activation, Rodriguez was a potential trade candidate in the RDBL this off-season with MJ Melendez and Gabriel Moreno already holding down the catcher spot for GM Rick Steen.
SS Wander Franco (3R/$5), Mt. Diablo Devils
Jose Dicen of the Listin Diario reports that authorities in the Dominican Republic raided two homes on Tuesday in an effort to find Wander Franco. The news sparked further outrage from Devils fans who have called for GM Jason Watson to release the shortstop.
Franco was not found during the raids. Dicen notes that the Office of the Attorney for Children and Adolescents in Santo Domingo is looking for the 22-year-old infielder for allegedly having a relationship with an underage woman in Puerto Plata. There had been some speculation that Franco may avoid charges altogether after he opted to return to the Dominican Republic in early December — as it’s unlikely he would’ve returned there if there was threat of arrest or other legal entanglement. Franco remains on administrative leave and is still under investigation by Major League Baseball.
Franco also failed to show for questioning Thursday after being summoned by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Children and Adolescent in Santo Domingo.