The St. Joseph Jokers and GM Rick Steen are focused on landing an ace this off-season according to sources after the club posted a 4.30 ERA and ranked 14th in pitching scoring. The Jokers only trip to the RDBL Playoffs came in 2018 with Jacob deGrom leading the way and the pitching staff posting the fifth most points in Regular Season League History and they believe a focus back on the mound is required for them to move back into contention.
Looking ahead at the Trade Market, the Fightin' Fish have the three of the four highest paid pitchers in all of the RDBL which will certainly lead to some moves this off-season. Trevor Bauer (2/$55) will be entering the final year of his contract in 2022, but his future is highly in doubt as he continues to sit on administrative leave without facing MLB's own penalty yet.
That leaves Gerrit Cole (1/$73) and Shane Bieber (1/$72) as potential options for the Jokers to land the front of the rotation starter they seek. Cole has been as advertised, but retaining a $73 player is not in the interest of all teams. Bieber has been sidelined with shoulder issues and is the more likely one to be moved, though his value against his production in 2021 could lead to a lower contract in Auction.
Around the RDBL
- The Honolulu Hammerheads activation of catcher Tyler Stephenson signals that Willson Contreras (1/$23) could be the odd man out at catcher heading into 2022. With Sal Perez (1/$16) currently locked in following a record-breaking season with the bat, Stephenson cost saving will likely land Contreras on the trade market where he should have plenty of suitors.
Contreras has slashed .226/.333/.417 with 17 home runs and despite missing time due to a knee injury, still ranks 6th in scoring behind the plate.
- The Cloverdale Clovers are expected to cut ties with Kyle Hendricks (2/$29) and Jeff McNeil (1/$30) on October 4th, the first day of the RDBL off-season according to sources. Hendricks, a major off-season addition from the Las Vegas Aristocrats, shouldered significant internal blame for the Clovers coming up short in their pursuit of their first Playoff berth. The right-hander posted a 4.43 ERA and 1.34 WHIP, a significant rise from his 2.88/1.00 marks in 2020.
McNeil received equal internal angst as a $30 Auction purchase who posted a .247/.320/.358 line with just 21 extra base hits on the season. With each available in the 2022 Auction Draft, it's fair to assume GM Chris Shelley can be ruled out of the bidding for both players.
- The Mission Viejo Maulers have tried to play the long game with prospect Victor Robles (Minors), once considered one of the top assets in the RDBL. Robles could be looking at the end of his time in Mission Viejo after he was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday. For all his athleticism and prospect pedigree, Robles simply hasn't hit the ball well enough to be a big-league regular. His 68 wRC+ this season (the product of a .203/.310/.295 slash line) isn't meaningfully better than his 65 mark from last year.
He'd already been losing at-bats to Lane Thomas in center and will now head to the minors in search of regular playing time. Robles has made far too much weak contact in the air this season, a recipe which doesn't usually lead to success. Among hitters with at least 350 plate appearances, his 19.9 degree average launch angle ties Nolan Arenado for ninth-highest, but his 84.1 mph average exit velocity is the third-lowest. It's likely Robles will get another long look in Spring Training, but based on today's value, he could be at risk of being cut.
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