The Mt. Diablo Devils left Draft Day widely regarded as a true Title contender following an excellent Auction Draft that landed them Jose Ramirez and Bryce Harper on a pair of reasonable contract. With a wave of activations and additional prospect talent closing in on the big leagues, GM Jason Watson looked well on his way to another cash finish.
Unfortunately things didn't pan out as planned as the Devils stayed on the frays of contention before injuries to Wander Franco and Harper put a nail in their coffin.
Watson, short on expiring contracts, was put in a difficult spot as the club didn't align with the normal sell-off strategy when things go south. There remains internal confidence that this existing core group can take them back to the Playoff contention in 2023.
Here's a look at how things are shaping up for Watson and the Devils for 2023.
Catching
The Devils might have missed the mark on 2021 Trade Deadline acquisition Luis Torrens who has totaled just 35.0 points on the season, but they hit a winner in Christian Vazquez (1/$10) who currently ranks seventh in scoring at the position and should be back for 2023. Vazquez, a career .261 hitter, has been a staple behind the plate since his breakout in 2019 and is a safe bet to finish in the Top-10 at his position again despite entering his age 32 season in 2023.
The Devils boast a pair of excellent catching prospects in Diego Cartaya and Tyler Soderstrom, but both have ETAs beyond 2023 at this point in their development.
Infield
While additional infield help will be an area to upgrade, the top end of their current group is exceptional which is led by Jose Ramirez (1/$47), Bo Bichette (2R/$3) and 2022 activation Wander Franco (1R/$1). All three are exceptional core pieces to build around while offering exceptional cap space value to address the club's remaining needs.
Pre-Draft addition Justin Turner (2/$16) will be an interesting decision for Watson. A rough start has stabilized for Turner, 37 years old, making his $16 contract more of an option for next season as he's currently on pace for 33.0 points.
It's been a rough season for Brandon Belt (2/$3) who has likely played his way out of a Keeper spot for 2023 despite his $3 contract. A strong finish could certainly change things or give the Devils a trade asset for this off-season.
Michael Busch, acquired from the Honolulu Hammerheads earlier this month, could push his way into an activation as he continues to mash at Triple-A. Much like Gavin Lux though, Busch might face difficulty in landing consistent at-bats in an always crowded Dodgers depth chart.
Outfield
The outfield group behind star Bryce Harper (1/$62) easily stands out as the biggest area of need for the Devils going into 2023 while representing the downfall of the club this season. The foursome of AJ Pollock (2/$10), Jesus Sanchez (1R/$1), Avisail Garcia (2/$9) and Eddie Rosario (1/$18) have all been significant busts with Rosario totaling just 8.0 points on the season while the remainder of the group hasn't eclipsed 110.5 points on the year as of late last week.
Josh Rojas (1/$11) has come on strong with a dominant July and could play his way into a 2023 role while offering exceptional positional flexibility in the infield as well.
The jewel of the Devils Farm System will certainly be ready to help as Riley Greene, ranked as the top prospect in all of baseball earlier this month, will be set to join the Opening Day roster for 2023.
Pitching Staff
Matching the offense, there are pieces to build upon in the starting rotation as the contract and performance of Merrill Kelly (1D/$5) and Cal Quantrill (1R/$1) make them bets to return. Additionally, the Devils will face decisions on Jameson Taillon (2/$16) and Adam Wainwright (2/$4) with the latter clearly carving out a spot for himself based purely on performance, but he will be entering his age 41 season.
The Devils found a gem in reliever Jorge Lopez (1FA/$5) who has been one of the league's top performers out of the bullpen and should be back for 2023.
The Devils pitching prospects might have been the biggest disappointment of the 2022 season for Watson. Luis Patino, James Kaprielian and Nick Lodolo were all fighting for Opening Day jobs but have combined for just 142.0 points with Kaprielian (and his 4.74 ERA) accounting for 122.0 of that sum. Deivi Garcia, another potential big league option, has yet to see the Majors thanks to a 10.38 ERA and 2.26 WHIP in 21 2/3 innings at Triple-A.
3rd Overall Reserve Draft pick Cade Cavalli has been a mixed bag at Triple-A, posting a 4.03 ERA and 1.17 WHIP over 16 starts while Brailyn Marquez is set for his second consecutive lost season due to shoulder surgery which will likely end his time with the Devils.
Farm System
The top end of the Devils Farm System remains strong with Riley Greene rivaling the value of any player under a Minors contract while the catching duo of Diego Cartaya and Tyler Soderstrom remains well regarded.
The addition of Michael Busch from the Honolulu Hammerheads could provide a big league boost as soon as next season which would be a big development for Watson given the disappointing season from expected activations in the pitching prospect group. Busch will be a player to watch before the MLB Trade Deadline as a move to another organization could lock in a 2023 Opening Day role.
2022 Reserve selection Geraldo Perdomo is getting baptized at the big league level with 268 at-bats for the Diamondbacks and just a .298 OBP and .265 SLG. He will need to show more juice at the plate to become a factor for the Devils in 2023, though the playing time figures to remain a positive for him.
Current 2023 Devils Projected Keepers
*With 2023 Contract Status, Ranked by Value
1. 3B Jose Ramirez (2/$47)
2. OF Bryce Harper (2/$62)
3. SS Wander Franco (2R/$3)
4. SS Bo Bichette (3R/$5)
5. OF Riley Greene (1R/$1)
6. RHP Merrill Kelly (2D/$5)
7. RHP Cal Quantrill (2R/$3)
8. RHP Adam Wainwright (3/$4)
9. RP Jorge Lopez (2FA/$5)
10. C Christian Vazquez (2/$10)
11 IF Michael Busch (Minors)
Current 2023 Draft Picks
Lost 3rd Round Pick to Jokers
Lost 4th Round Pick to Heads
Acquired 4th Round Pick from Maulers
Acquired 4th Round Pick from Maulers by way of Fightin' Fish
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