The Cloverdale Clovers entered 2022 facing the most pressure of any club in the Roger Dorn Baseball League as the Front Office was staring at the expiring contracts of Juan Soto, Rafael Devers and Mookie Betts. While disappointment over just one Playoff berth over their contract term looms over the Franchise, GM Chris Shelley parlayed their expiring deals into one of the league's deepest and most cap friendly Keeper Rosters for 2023.
On paper, that should have the club right back in contention next season with multiple seasons of control and arguably the league's top Farm System ready to infuse even more talent into the Active Roster.
Catching
The duo of Tucker Barnhart and Jacob Stallings has been anything but a positive for the Clovers in 2022 as the duo has combined for just 127.5 points while posting sub .210 averages and on-base percentages under .270. Things are certain to improve at the position in 2023 as Adley Rutschman is torching the big leagues over the last month and might enter next season as the league's top producer at the position.
The Clovers will hold a 2FA/$5 option on their former prospect Francisco Mejia, but it is more likely the club will pair a fresh name with Rutschman for next year.
Infield
The infield group will be led by Xander Bogaerts (1/$44) who has been a steady force for the Clovers this season and is on pace for 445.5 points. Bogaerts has been a dependable asset, posting more than 400 points in all but one season since 2015, topping out with 537.0 points in 2019. The shortstop could have a new big league home in 2023 as he holds the right to opt-out at the conclusion of the season.
Jorge Polanco (2/$15) is another solid bet to return with eligibility at both second and shortstop. He's currently on pace for 330.0 points after posting 404.0 in 2021. The dip in production could but him on the edge for Shelley or push Polanco to the trade market if he doesn't have a strong finish this season.
The Minor League system could bear fruit as soon as 2023 as Oneil Cruz and Nick Pratto are cutting their teeth at the big league level to close out this season. 2022 first overall selection Anthony Volpe could make a push for a role in New York next season while Liover Peguero broke into the big leagues for a cup of coffee and looks to be a future piece of the middle infield in Pittsburgh.
Outfield
The Clovers will likely make a major investment in their outfield for 2023 with a potential reunion Juan Soto. The club is certain to bring back Alex Verdugo (2R/$3) with Alek Thomas (Minors) set for an activation, giving Shelley a pair of cheap assets to build around.
The Clovers will face a difficult decision on deadline addition Jarred Kelenic (1R/$1) who remains full of potential but has posted dreadful numbers to start his big league career. Kelenic is slashing just .131/.197/.280 in 107 at-bats this season, posting just 22.5 points with 43 strikeouts. With the Mariners in the race, Kelenic's playing time could be sporadic down the stretch further complicating the evaluation for the Clovers Front Office.
Pitching Staff
The Pitching Staff is shaping up to be the jewel of the RDBL entering 2023 on both talent and contract value. The group is headlined by 2022 breakout Miles Mikolas (1D/$5) who is on pace for a 600+ points season as a Top-10 scorer at his position.
The talent hardly stops with Mikolas as 2021 breakout Tyler Glasnow (1/$2) could make his return before the end of this season which would be a welcome sight for Shelley. Also bearing down on his return is acquisition Dustin May (1/$1) who has looked strong in his rehab starts and possesses elite upside over the next two seasons.
Michael Kopech (2R/$3) is also locked in as another significant young arm with two seasons of control while currently posting a 3.38 ERA over 98 innings of work.
The Clovers could bring back five starters with Jesus Luzardo (2R/$3) looking quite strong since his return from the IL last week. His performance down the stretch could lock in his spot or lead to him being a premium asset on the trade market this Winter.
Knocking down the door in the Minors is Edward Cabrera (Minors) who has posted a 2.61 ERA in 20.0 innings while working around a series of injuries. A healthy finish to this season could give Shelley even more options heading into next season.
Farm System
The Clovers hold one of the deeper Farm Systems in recent memory, boasting players with exceptionally high ceilings with a mix of immediately and future ETAs. While some clubs have steered away from investing in pitching prospects, the Clovers boast four elite arms in Edward Cabrera, Taj Bradley, Andrew Painter and Ricky Tiedemann to serve as reinforcements for what already projects to be the best rotation in the RDBL next season.
Adley Rutschman headlines the group overall while rivaling any prospect, including Julio Rodriguez, for the best player still under a Minor League contract.
Up the middle talent is plentiful as Anthony Volpe and Oneil Cruz are paired with the sky-high ceilings of Marco Luciano and Elly de la Cruz, the latter of which has been one of the biggest risers this season in prospect circles.
Current 2023 Clovers Projected Keepers
*With 2023 Contract Status, Ranked by Value
1. C Adley Rutschman (1R/$1)
2. RHP Tyler Glasnow (2/$2)
3. RHP Miles Mikolas (2D/$5)
4. RHP Dustin May (2/$1)
5. SS Xander Bogaerts (2/$44)
6. RHP Michael Kopech (2R/$3)
7. OF Alex Verdugo (3R/$5)
8. SS/2B Jorge Polanco (2/$15)
9. OF Alek Thomas (1R/$1)
10. RHP Edward Cabrera (1R/$1)
11. LHP Jesus Luzardo (3R/$5)
12. SS Oneil Cruz (1R/$1)
13. OF Jarred Kelenic (2R/$3)
2023 Draft Picks Moves
Acquired 1st Round Pick from Alamo Short Stacks
Acquired 3rd Round Pick from Mission Viejo Maulers
Acquired 4th Round Pick from Mission Viejo Maulers
Acquired 5th Round Pick from Lake Merced Goutfish
Dealt Away 5th Round Pick to Alamo Short Stacks
Comments