The Honolulu Hammerheads have been encouraged enough by right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (Minors) that he is firmly in GM Ross Horiuchi's plans for an Opening Day activation according to sources. That move would have ripple effects on clubs seeking pitching this Winter as the Heads have a strong group of starting options to pair down.
Tanner Bibee (2R/$3) and Sonny Gray (2/$1) are locks to return, but that leaves the fourth and fifth spots open between Reese Olsen (2FA/$5), Michael Wacha (2/$1), Chris Sale (3/$1) and Bailey Ober (2FA/$5), all likely battling for two spots with Horiuchi unlikely to carry a full rotation into Draft Day.
Despite taking the loss in Game 3 of the World Series Monday, Pfaadt has been excellent in the Playoffs with a 3.27 ERA in five starts and a dominant 26/5 K/BB ratio.
Around the RDBL
- While the Meinert Hops are currently projected to select Detroit Tigers third baseman Colt Keith in the first Mock Draft of the off-season, GM Garrett Shelley told reporters the evaluation is hardly complete. While Roki Sasaki and Anthony Volpe have been near locks to go first overall in each of the last two seasons, the 2024 Reserve Draft certainly has a more open candidate pool.
- The Hops received some strong news earlier this month as the Pittsburgh Pirates have informed former top overall MLB Draft pick Henry Davis to prepare for 2024 as a catcher. Davis was brought to the big leagues in the middle of 2023, but played almost exclusively in right field, first to get acclimated to big league pitching and then due to a thumb injury that ruled out playing catcher.
While he lost his catcher eligibility entering 2024, Davis can quickly earn it back with just five games at the position next year.
- The Lake Merced Goutfish figure to be the talk of the off-season, and not just because they are coming off their second RDBL Championship. GM Ryan Atkinson will need to work around a pitching rotation crunch that should make him a busy man on the trade market this Winter.
The club holds options on likely National League Cy Young Winner Blake Snell (3/$10), George Kirby (3R/$5), Kodai Senga (2/$12), Framber Valdez (2/$48), Dylan Cease (3R/$5), Marcus Stroman (2/$5) and Christopher Sanchez (2FA/$5). Further complicating plans is the strong Rookie campaign of activation-ready right-hander Bobby Miller (Minors) and impending arrival of Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Minors) who is expected to receive a $150M+ deal this Winter.
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