87 Days remain until the 2023 Roger Dorn Baseball League Draft as off-season coverage is getting set to ramp up. MLB activity has been fast and furious over the last few weeks, leading to many value changes across the RDBL.
Here are some of those changes as clubs evaluate their options for 2023 Keeper Rosters.
'Crats Catchers
The ultimate winner of the 3-Team trade headlined by Sean Murphy last week was the Las Vegas Aristocrats as both of their activation-ready catchers took considerable leaps in value. William Contreras exits a crowded backstop position in Atlanta and joins a Milwaukee Brewers where he can be set for 140+ games of action across DH and catcher. With Murphy out the door, Shea Langeliers steps into the starting role in Oakland a full slate of games ahead of him in 2023. A catching duo for a combined $2 that could produce 600+ points next season is not a bad start to building a roster for the 'Crats Front Office trio.
OF Estuery Ruiz (2FA/$5), Asti Grape Stompers
Part of the package the Brewers received from San Diego in the Josh Hader trade at the deadline and then flipped again to Oakland this offseason, Esteury Ruiz had an eye-popping statistical season between Double-A and Triple-A. He hit .332/.447/.526 with 16 home runs and 85 steals on 99 attempts in 114 games while hitting .171 with one steal on three attempts in 36 MLB plate appearances. It was a post-hype breakout for the 23-year-old outfielder, who was a top-100 fantasy prospect back in 2018 before an unimpressive 2019 and 2021 in the middle levels of the minors. His elite speed could make him a fantasy standout, even if he is less valuable in real life. He doesn't have debilitating swing-and-miss issues, but he makes too much weak contact against premium pitching. While Ruiz has three double-digit homer campaigns under his belt in the minors, he shouldn't be expected to showcase double-digit homer power as a rookie in the big leagues.
Having now been flipped to the rebuilding A's in the three-team trade that sent Sean Murphy to Atlanta, Ruiz should have a chance to start Opening Day in Oakland with even a mediocre Spring Training and could emerge as a legitimate Keeper option for Grapes GM Terry Shelley who is currently short on offense.
Jokers Options
The St. Joseph Jokers already own the keys to the 2023 Off-Season and have even more options available following Gabriel Moreno's trade to the Arizona Diamondbacks. GM Rick Steen now has three strong activation options behind the plate with Moreno, Joey Bart and MJ Melendez, making one a viable trade option with a very thin Free Agent group at catcher.
OF Bryce Harper (2/$62), Mt. Diablo Devils
The Devils did an exceptional job locking up Jose Ramirez and Bryce Harper for a combined $109 in the 2022 Auction Draft. While both looked certain to return, Harper's exploratory elbow surgery this off-season resulted in Tommy John surgery with Phillies manager Rob Thompson indicating the plan is for an All-Star Break return to a DH role with a hopeful return to the outfield later in the year.
Missing half of the season and over 65% of the RDBL Regular Season makes a $62 contract difficult to swallow, especially for GM Jason Watson who is looking to reach the Playoffs for the first time since 2017 with young assets Wander Franco, Bo Bichette and Cal Quantrill inching closer to Free Agency.
C Travis d'Arnaud (2/$7), Lunatic Fringe
D’Arnaud was a first-time All-Star in his age-33 season in 2022, producing a career-high 18 homers, .791 OPS and 119 OPS+ in 107 games, including 99 starts at catcher and expected to return on his 2/$7 option for Fringe GM Tony Guglielmi. With Sean Murphy now the lead dog in Atlanta, could that push d'Arnaud into RDBL Free Agency? It is certainly possible the Braves now shop d'Arnaud to fill another hole, but with Manny Pina and William Contreras out the door, the more likely scenario is a limited share of the catching duties for 2023.
RHP Chris Bassitt (2/$27), Lake Merced Goutfish
The Lake Merced Goutfish have a number of difficult decisions to make on their 2023 Keeper Roster, but Chris Bassitt's move to the American League East might have forced GM Ryan Atkinson's hand at $27. Bassitt, acquired from the Cloverdale Clovers last season, posted a 3.42 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over 181.2 innings spanning a career-high 30 starts. Bassitt is not the type of pitcher that typically wows you with his stuff, but he does a good job keeping hitters off balance and limiting hard contact with his diverse pitch arsenal (sinker, cutter, slider, curveball, four-seam, changeup). He also rarely shoots himself in the foot with walks. While he lacks the dominance of a frontline fantasy arm, there is a lot to like here with the late bloomer. New York liked what it saw enough to extend Bassitt the $19.65 million qualifying offer for 2023, which he wisely declined. He ended up getting three years and $63 million from Toronto, where he slots in as the No. 3 starter. He could have a trade market with two years of control remaining.
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