The Offseason

I meant for this series to be an entire exercise in showing off that I knew more than a major league GM. Since I waited so long to post an actual offseason... well... there is the opportunity for a TON of (unfair) hindsighting. As such, I'm only going to claim credit for moves I can prove I was going to make... which means moves I either made in my fantasy baseball league or my Strat league (after all... if it is actually written in the interweb's ink, it has to count, amirite?).

For starters, my Padres team isn't going to make any of the deals that AJ Preller made. He was bold, but I'm going to be reserved.

I have a team with quality pitching, and a few gaps on offense.

I need help on the left side of the infield, so as you can imagine.... I'm starting HERE.

Once I've got Jed Lowrie, I'm going to finish up the left side of the diamond, picking up Nori Aoki.*

The starting lineup vs RHP is:

• C- Grandal
• 1b- Alonso
• 2b- Gyorko
• 3b- Lowrie
• SS- Kang
• LF Aoki
• CF- Venable
• RF- Smith

It is lefty heavy, but that's OK. Based on the roster, there is also a very good chance that Cabrera could have bee the starter at SS or 2b, Lowrie at one of 3 spots, and well, there was versatility built in. Lots of it.

It is also a team that will need to carry at least 3 platoons.

A pair of them are in the OF, where Maybin is a RHH half of a platoon with Venable (and also a offence/defense portion/defensive sub).

Sean Rodriguez or Jeff Baker would have been ideal partners, but I can't prove that was my thinking, so I end up with a whole to fill.

In the IF, Alonso is an easy guy to platoon, but based on depth, a RHH needs to play multiple positions.

I need a bench, so that means:

• C- Austin Hedges
• CI-
• MI- Everth Cabrera
• OF- Cameron Maybin

On the pitching front:

I came into the season with:

• Andrew Cashner
• Ian Kennedy
• Tyson Ross
• Odrisimar Despagne
• EMPTY Spot

For my 5th starter, I love both the Josh Johnson signing and the Brandon Morrow signing, so both of those guys will be on my 40 man roster and/or in my minor league system.

In the bullpen:

I'm making the deal to add Shawn Kelley (He was on my strat team previously, and I'm a sucker for a BP arm with a high K rate). It means I have:

• Joaquin Benoit
• Dale Thayer
• Shawn Kelley
• Brandon Maurer
• Kevin Quackenbush
• Frank Garces
• LHP to be determined later (Note... I'm kind of a fan of WTF is his name....

In terms of players I want to have on my roster... I see a few gaps, so my minor league invites are:

• Jake Fox- can play all over the field, and hit HR's
• Jake Elmore- Literally players every position except catcher
• OF TBD- I wanted this to be Nolan Reimold, but he resigned with Baltimore, so I'll assume he wasn't an option
• SP- I love me some Casey kelly

*I said I wouldn't pick up a player I couldn't prove I was excited about... here is what my 3rd grade math teacher would call "showing my work":

• I blogged about Lowrie
• Aoki is on my fantasy team, signed to a 2 year deal.
• I drafted Kang in my Strat League.
• Everth Cabrera is on my fantasy team
• Jake Fox has been on my strat team for 2 years.
• Elmore was on my strat team last year.
• Casey Kelly is on my fantast team
• Nolan Reimold in on my fantasy team

There is more to come here in future years, but since the draft is coming up, I really felt like I needed to post this.