The Las Vegas Aristocrats are reportedly leaning towards retaining Max Scherzer (3/$68) for the 2022 season. The issue the 'Crats Front Office is working through is that their 12 best players would leave the club just $14 for 11 players which has the club analyzing potential trade scenarios.
In addition to Scherzer's contract, the 'Crats hold manageable options on Nolan Arenado (2/$38), Starling Marte (3/$31), Randy Arozarena (2/$25), Joe Musgrove (2/$23) and Nelson Cruz (2/$20). If Scherzer does return, you have to imagine one of those contracts will be on the way out. The club could have an additional opening as well to fill as Will Smith (2/$4) lost much of his value with Kenley Jansen taking over as the closer in Atlanta.
A logical fit could be the Idaho Taters who hold significant cap space and could use some additional veteran bats on offense. While it might not be the key piece in return, the 'Crats are without a catcher currently and could ask for Mike Zunino (2FA/$5) as part of a return.
Around the RDBL
- The Meinert Hops aren't the only ones chasing the excess of keepers on the Spokane Fightin' Fish. According to league sources, the Mission Viejo Maulers are making a big push and have floated activation-ready shortstop Willy Adames (Minors) as a potential key piece to a deal.
- The Grapes remain undecided on the fate of star infield prospect Bobby Witt, Jr. (Minors) who is penciled in as the starting third baseman for Kansas City as things stand today. Witt was named the 2021 RDBL Hitting Prospect of the Year.
- The Honolulu Hammerheads have Championship aspirations in 2022 behind the arms of Corbin Burnes and Jacob deGrom, both entering the final year of team control. That could push GM Ross Horiuchi to active Alex Kirilloff (Minors) for Opening Day, despite plans to wait until 2023. Without Kirilloff, the Heads hold the 13th spot in cap space per opening with $101 to spend on 10 openings.
- The Cloverdale Clovers have poked around for starting pitching with Jack Flaherty (3R/$5) set to miss the start of the season due to a shoulder injury. Without a great deal of faith in Yuascar Ynoa (2FA/$5) according to sources, GM Chris Shelley has inquired about Mission Viejo Maulers right-hander Aaron Civale (2/$14) but was turned away.
The news on Flaherty is hardly encouraging as the 2019 RDBL Playoff MVP has been diagnosed with “a small tear” in his ailing right shoulder, according to team president John Mozeliak, and the club plans to shut down the right-hander for two weeks before deciding on a course of action for his return.
Flaherty has been diagnosed with “a small tear” in his ailing right shoulder, according to team president John Mozeliak, and the club plans to shut down the right-hander for two weeks before deciding on a course of action for his return.
The tear is in the superior labrum anterior and posterior, or SLAP, which is described as a ring of cartilage-like tissue surrounding the shoulder socket. The good news is that doctors believe that Flaherty -- the Cardinals’ Opening Day starter in 2020 and ’21 -- will be able to pitch again this season for a St. Louis team that has designs on being a World Series contender. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his shoulder on Friday in Los Angeles. The team’s plan now is to rest him for two weeks before deciding on a course of action to get him back on the mound.
“They still think this is something that he can pitch through, and our fingers are crossed that that’s true,” Mozeliak said, referring to a shoulder tear Flaherty has pitched through in the past. “In terms of how to feel good about something, I guess this is probably better than what we could have been told, because he still has a chance. But any time you are dealing with this, it’s not great news. We’ve got to see if we [can] manage through this from a physical therapy standpoint and see if we can get him back on the mound.”