We continue our State of the Franchise series with the Alamo Short Stacks who broke their four year streak of cash finishes in 2023, limping to an 11th place finish in a season that started with hopes for repeating as Champions. The Stacks are tied with the Maltese Falcons with a RDBL-Record seven Cash Finishes and have eyes on returning to the Playoffs in 2024 with a revamped roster.
President of Baseball Operations: Greg Shelley
Headquarters: Alamo, CA
Seasons: 10
Cash Finishes: 7
Division Titles: 4
Lifetime Earnings: $3,760
Top Hitter: Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., 457.5 (2021)
Top Pitcher: Brandon Woodruff, 499.0 (2021)
2023 Season
The 2023 Season never got off on the right foot for GM Greg Shelley who lost middle infielders Brendan Rodgers and Gavin Lux within a span of 24-hours in Spring Training. The club never found their momentum, dumping $58 combined into flops Tim Anderson and Carlos Correa while underperformance from stars Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Manny Machado convinced the Front Office to pull the fire alarm.
The Stacks were the first to hit the seller's market, unloading every player owed more than $7 in 2024. The result was a prized Farm System to join Activation of the Year Corbin Carroll that should have the club back in the contention picture as soon as next season.
2024 Pending Free Agents
N/A
Current Projected Keeper Roster Ranked by Value
1. OF Corbin Carroll (2R/$3)
2. RHP Logan Gilbert (3R/$5)
3. OF Evan Carter (1R/$1)
4. C Logan O'Hoppe (2/$7)
5. RHP Walker Buehler (2D/$5)
6. 2B Jeff McNeil (3/$7)
7. OF Josh Outman (2/$7)
8. OF Josh Lowe (2R/$3)
9. 3B Junior Caminero (1R/$1)
10. IF/OF Gavin Lux (2D/$5)
11. RHP Brayan Bello (2FA/$5)
12. SS/2B/3B Jordan Westburg (1R/$1)
13. RP Tanner Scott (2FA/$5)
14. LHP Nick Lodolo (2R/$3)
15. C Luis Campusano (2R/$3)
The Stacks potential roster is filled with young and controllable assets that could leave the Front Office with as much as $200 for just six primary positions (excluding a pair of RP spots). That flexibility will depend on the faith the Front Office has in potential activations Junior Caminero, Masyn Winn and Tyler Soderstrom as well as injury returnees Nick Lodolo, Walker Buehler and Gavin Lux, giving the group as much volatility as any in the RDBL.
The Front Office is looking at the glass half full approach with 10 expected Keepers entering their second big league season with pillars of various success to build on. But expect plenty of changes to come this off-season as the club holds 16 prospects under contract in addition to six of the first 35 selections in the Reserve Draft, making them a key candidate for an active off-season.
Farm System
1. OF Evan Carter (Rangers)
2. 3B Junior Caminero (Rays)
3. SS Colson Montgomery (White Sox)
4. SS Marcelo Mayer (Red Sox)
5. OF Max Clark (Tigers)
6. SS Adael Amador (Rockies)
7. SS Masyn Winn (Cardinals)
8. 3B Jordan Westburg (Orioles)
9. C Tyler Soderstrom (Athletics)
10. OF Gabriel Gonzalez (Mariners)
Next Best: OF Miguel Bleis (BOS), OF Sammy Zavala (SD), SS Jacob Wilson (OAK), SS Jacob Gonzalez (CHW), 3B Brayden Taylor (TB), 3B Tommy White (LSU)
One year after Corbin Carroll made himself a slam-dunk outfield activation, Evan Carter has followed in his footsteps thanks to a breakout MLB Playoff run with a skillset that aligns perfectly to the RDBL scoring system. Carter is the only slam dunk Opening Day activation, but could easily be followed by breakout star Junior Caminero who made his big league debut late in 2023. Masyn Winn, Jordan Westburg and Tyler Soderstrom all spent time in the majors as well and will fight for activations in Spring.
The Farm is loaded in the middle infield and outfield with Colson Montgomery, Marcelo Mayer and Adael Amador looking like a special trio for 2025 while Max Clark, Gabriel Gonzalez and Sammy Zavala all shined in the Minors this season. A shoulder injury to Miguel Bleis cut his season short, but the Stacks remain sky-high on the outfielder with eyes on a 2024 breakout.
A crowded group and bevy of draft picks could make 2023 MLB 1st Rounders like Jacob Wilson, Jacob Gonzalez and Brayden Taylor available in off-season talks if Shelley looks to add salary to their big league roster for 2024.
Off-Season Questions
1. Are the kids outside of Carter ready?
The Stacks have a special asset in Corbin Carroll which will test the patience of GM Greg Shelley in 2024. Evan Carter certainly looks ready to contribute immediately, but their other top prospects (Winn, Westburg, Soderstrom) should likely be held in the Minors for one additional season to maximize their value. The squeeze of Farm System openings and early draft picks will certainly be an area to watch for the Stacks as something will need to give before Draft Day.
2. Will they stabilize the rotation volatility this off-season?
Between the Lake Merced Goutfish, Lunatic Fringe and Honolulu Hammerheads, plenty of starting pitching help is likely to be available on the trade market this off-season should the Stacks look to go in that direction. Few groups offer as much variance in expected performance than the Stacks with Nick Lodolo and Walker Buehler coming off lost seasons, yet retaining elite upside while young starters Bryan Woo and Brayan Bello look take their production to another level.
3. Keeping eyes on 2025?
The Stacks have a wave of high-end prospects expected to hit the big leagues next season, making 2025 a potentially special Activation Class for the Franchise. That certainly could make the appeal of using 2024 as a transition season appealing, making Jacob deGrom, Shane McClanahan and other injured arms a potential fit for the Stacks in Auction.
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