[SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to the baseball America fantasy baseball podcast.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm your host James Anderson and Jeff Pods is with me as we'll often be the case on this podcast going forward.

[SPEAKER_01]: This is my first pod, as a member of Baseball America.

[SPEAKER_01]: I've really exciting stuff, excited to work with Jeff, excited to work with Dylan and the rest of the great crew at Baseball America.

[SPEAKER_01]: And nothing's really going to change about the stuff I'm putting out there.

[SPEAKER_01]: Got a lot of questions about, like are you still going to be doing the top 400?

[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, definitely might even be a top 500.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to still be doing all of the,

[SPEAKER_01]: die-to-steerankings, redraft rankings, first-year player draft rankings, but I'm going to be able to do more of it because I'm not going to have some of the same responsibilities I had at Rotowire and like to that end, like the first thing I'm going to get going on is like a big FYPD set of rankings before the end of the season here and you know back at Rotowire and get to do that till

[SPEAKER_01]: January or so.

[SPEAKER_01]: So it's just a fun, fun change for me.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm really excited.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm really excited to be pond with Jeff, man.

[SPEAKER_01]: How are you doing?

[SPEAKER_00]: Doing good, man.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'm excited to have you on the team and kind of expand the fantasy footprint out there for baseball America.

[SPEAKER_00]: When I started here, it's just about five years ago now in a couple of weeks.

[SPEAKER_00]: And we didn't have any fantasy content whatsoever didn't do rankings.

[SPEAKER_00]: And it was a slow build, but you know, we built up to a point over the last couple years were able to take you on and

[SPEAKER_00]: have somebody full time who's dedicated to fantasy baseball.

[SPEAKER_00]: So it's exciting and I'm excited to jump into this seat now and not have to host every week.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's, it's really, it just couldn't feel like a better fit to me because like I said, I know like almost everyone on staff already and like I was already utilizing baseball America, you know, before you even got hired there just for

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, scouting grades on stuff that I couldn't find myself, you know, like I'm not able to scout minor leagueers defense, right?

[SPEAKER_01]: So until now, now I can because I have a synergy account, but like using baseball America's grades in my work was just something I've been doing for, you know, a decade at least.

[SPEAKER_01]: So now I'm

[SPEAKER_01]: Still going to be using all that stuff, but I'm like part of the crew just makes a ton of sense to me.

[SPEAKER_01]: And if you want to use code Anderson right now through the end of the week, you can get 30% off a full year baseball America.

[SPEAKER_01]: Really good deal.

[SPEAKER_01]: So make sure you use that code Anderson before the end of the week if you want to sign up.

[SPEAKER_01]: going to be putting up a ton of content to this offseason really excited about it.

[SPEAKER_01]: And like one thing I would say is like my process with with ranking players isn't going to change.

[SPEAKER_01]: Except that I think I'm going to have just better information, better data to work with.

[SPEAKER_01]: So like more information, more data, better data is always a good thing when you're ranking prospects and it's just going to be so much fun to not have to, you know, text, Dylan, like five names or text Jeff, like five names, like you get me something on this guy

[SPEAKER_01]: have access to all that stuff now.

[SPEAKER_01]: So, you know, the appearance of the rankings won't be the same, but I think the quality of the rankings will be better than ever.

[SPEAKER_01]: So, can't wait to get to work on all that.

[SPEAKER_01]: But for this first episode with Jeff and I, we're gonna cover a really important topic and a very fun topic, and we're gonna look at the top non-day viewed prospects.

[SPEAKER_01]: with an eye towards when we see them in 2027 as you know Jeff, once the regular season ends, the draft champions league start filling up, people start doing their slow drafts, they're 50 round drafts and holds.

[SPEAKER_01]: And so all the prospects we're going to discuss today are guys we're going to get drafted, you know, well within those 50 rounds.

[SPEAKER_01]: But last time at this year,

[SPEAKER_01]: I already knew that I was going to want a roster kind of griffin and Kevin McGonagall the following season like we obviously hadn't seen them in the big leagues.

[SPEAKER_01]: We didn't quite know exactly how those rosters were going to look on opening day of 2026.

[SPEAKER_01]: But I already knew at this point last year that Connor Griffin was going to be a player I wanted to roster.

[SPEAKER_01]: Kevin McGonagall was going to be a player I wanted to roster.

[SPEAKER_01]: And I certainly would roster all the players were going to talk about, but I haven't quite kind of figured out exactly

[SPEAKER_01]: who my priority targets are going to be.

[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know exactly how the market's going to treat these players.

[SPEAKER_01]: So we're going to start with Hazoo Somade of the Brewers.

[SPEAKER_01]: And then we're going to kind of work our way down and talk about aid of the best prospects in the miners who have not played in the big leagues yet.

[SPEAKER_01]: And try to kind of figure out when we think these guys are going to be up and how much success we think they're going to have next year.

[SPEAKER_01]: So Jeff,

[SPEAKER_01]: The brewers, you know, I tried to put together kind of rough lineups for for some of these teams based on who's still under contract.

[SPEAKER_01]: The brewers obviously have a ton of depth.

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, they could go into the season with like Joey Ortiz at third base.

[SPEAKER_01]: He's been perfectly capable there.

[SPEAKER_01]: But it does seem to me that there's just nothing standing in Haisu's modest way.

[SPEAKER_01]: Like if he, if he shows that he's ready.

[SPEAKER_01]: early next season maybe even in camp like I feel like that third base spot on the brewers is there for my day to take.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and I think, you know, especially for hitters, there is not, in these, this, this level of prospect in hitter in the miners.

[SPEAKER_00]: There's not a whole lot for them to necessarily prove in AAA.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's a good run environment.

[SPEAKER_00]: I do think for pitchers, and this is a whole other conversation that, you know, that stop off in AAA just because of getting acclimated to the Major League ball and the systems and how everything plays and just being able to get kind of instant feedback and make adjustments.

[SPEAKER_00]: is good for pitchers.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know that it has the same value for hitters.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think the other thing that, you know, Milwaukee has shown, you know, some precedence with is

[SPEAKER_00]: you know, it wouldn't shock me if they're already in the midst of a contract conversation, right?

[SPEAKER_00]: And if that's something that can take place within the first month going into May, I think ultimately that's what's going to drive the decision of, you know, mod a coming up to the big leagues.

[SPEAKER_00]: Typically they can get those deals done.

[SPEAKER_00]: We've seen them done almost universally across baseball over the last like five years.

[SPEAKER_00]: you know, Roman Anthony, obviously Jackson Churio, being other examples.

[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, top prospects signing these extension type deals and getting up to the big leagues a little bit earlier because of it.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's kind of good business.

[SPEAKER_00]: We don't know with the upcoming CBA, how things will change, of course.

[SPEAKER_00]: But it wouldn't shock me if, you know, things stay somewhat status quo, in terms of contracts and control and all those sort of things.

[SPEAKER_00]: It wouldn't shock me if, you know,

[SPEAKER_00]: Because I do think the skills are there.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I think we've said since he was 18 that he was probably going to move off a shortstop to third base, just the body type.

[SPEAKER_00]: And instead of bad shortstop, the hands and actions are good, the arm is excellent.

[SPEAKER_00]: Just more of a third baseman.

[SPEAKER_00]: When you kind of look at these guys and the miners that play shortstop, and then eventually move off of the position.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I think he could be above average or better even there.

[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I think

[SPEAKER_00]: Probably early, the biggest boost is probably in like OBP and points formats because he walks a lot.

[SPEAKER_00]: He will run a little bit.

[SPEAKER_00]: There's some power, but switch hitter and it's not sort of consistent angles on each side.

[SPEAKER_00]: So the power is going to be more of like a developing tool for him though.

[SPEAKER_00]: The EVs and the underlying raw is definitely there.

[SPEAKER_00]: And the left handed swing will show a little bit more pop than the right.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and that's something to keep in mind.

[SPEAKER_01]: So if you draft Hazard Somade in a league for 2027, he'll open the season eligible shortstop.

[SPEAKER_01]: He'll presumably pick up third base.

[SPEAKER_01]: So that he'll have that same Kevin McGonigal corner middle eligibility that's so handy to have eventually.

[SPEAKER_01]: We would assume Cooper Pratt very good defensively shortstop, a good compliment next to Made.

[SPEAKER_01]: So, it sounds like you're kind of thinking, you know, four or five weeks, you know, under the assumption they're probably working on some sort of deal.

[SPEAKER_01]: Like, do you see it as like unlikely or more kind of like TBD as to whether you think Madda is on the opening day roster?

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I would say that that's probably more unlikely.

[SPEAKER_00]: We just haven't seen a lot of these deals done before opening day.

[SPEAKER_00]: It tends to be in those first couple of weeks where they can still get them up and get some potential PPI eligibility.

[SPEAKER_00]: And once again, we'll see if that's still the case.

[SPEAKER_00]: There's so much like murkiness with the CBA that some of these levers and mechanisms that

[SPEAKER_00]: you know, either create leverage for the player or for the organization.

[SPEAKER_00]: We don't know if they're going to exist, right?

[SPEAKER_00]: Like all that could radically change.

[SPEAKER_00]: So that makes it a little bit harder to kind of predict this season.

[SPEAKER_00]: But I wouldn't expect it before opening day, especially knowing that we're probably going to have even if we have a full season and everything goes as, you know, well as it could with a labor negotiations this off season.

[SPEAKER_00]: I still think that we're probably looking at like,

[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe missing a week or two of ramp up and spring training so they're a little behind and yeah, I don't know if it's going to happen necessarily like right out the shoot, but could be a couple weeks into the season.

[SPEAKER_01]: Alright Jeff, Leo de Vries, we got some rough news on him.

[SPEAKER_01]: He's going to be out for around eight months, right, torn, labrum, very tough break for Leo de Vries and the athletics.

[SPEAKER_01]: And if I had to gas Jeff before this injury,

[SPEAKER_01]: I would have thought degrees would have had the highest ADP of all the players we're going to talk about today, just because he's so well-known, it's a very favorable offensive situation to be in, and it does seem to me like,

[SPEAKER_01]: a healthy leodobrease is clearly in the athletics starting line up sooner than later at the keystone.

[SPEAKER_01]: But this injury kind of clouds that maybe we should just kind of like let's just assume devries is makes like a full recovery.

[SPEAKER_01]: Do you kind of agree that that second base spot is sort of

[SPEAKER_00]: some of the names that you see kind of in the infields, I think are placeholders.

[SPEAKER_00]: Don't have in Walton, no disrespect to don't have in Walton or the Walton family.

[SPEAKER_00]: But, yeah, I think that ultimately that's, that's probably devries as spot.

[SPEAKER_00]: you know, and play alongside Jacob Wilson, and, you know, pretty decent and field.

[SPEAKER_00]: They've had so many injuries this year, just looking at this roster right now.

[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, you know, I think that whenever he's healthy, and it's just a ton of uncertainty, I mean, like, I don't know this severity of it, but I know that I think it was an author's

[SPEAKER_00]: Anthony Santander missed pretty much this entire season.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think he's rehabbing with Buffalo now, it might be back like next week.

[SPEAKER_00]: He pretty much missed a year with a labor injury.

[SPEAKER_00]: So there's just so much uncertainty now in terms of when he'll be back, the timeline with this is typically eight months.

[SPEAKER_00]: So it's likely he's going to miss some time, but I think maybe like a

[SPEAKER_00]: a second half surger is probably more likely this year, which should probably drastically impact his ADP.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, do you think like the incentives, like unless they reach an extension, would almost lead to him being down till like late August next year?

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I, you know, it wouldn't be a shock because he would be ready for baseball activities in like late May, early June.

[SPEAKER_00]: um probably would have to have a pretty extensive ramp up period because the other part too with like a labor injury with a guy like to freeze is he needed to add mass he needed to add muscle and weight you know he's a tall athletic high-waisted guy it's not like a bad body or anything but he's pretty thin like having freeze a couple of times at the all-star games you're a you're reminded of like how young he is

[SPEAKER_00]: So maybe some of that stuff comes, maybe it's more like just work on his lower half and he comes back with, you know, bruised our gratter all, you know, sort of like quads and hamstrings or something.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know, but I think that's another part of it.

[SPEAKER_00]: You kind of mix into this too is if there's some strength stuff that he's going to have to gain back over that first month or two and just see how everything reacts so it might be the kind of thing where we don't see him until the end of next next year now.

[SPEAKER_00]: Just simply because of what the timing is, I don't think the A's are gonna be in a, you never know what the ALS, but I don't think the A's will be in a position where they're knocking down the door, the playoffs and need that additional bad or player that could add some impact.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's not out of the realm of possibility that they are competing next year.

[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, they have a good, young core.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I think there's some things that have to happen, but I had to place my bets on it.

[SPEAKER_00]: I would say he might be a September callup.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, this is just a brutal blow and it's yeah, you're just terrible timing for degrees.

[SPEAKER_01]: That lineup, like that full strength is lineup.

[SPEAKER_01]: You mentioned how many injuries they've had, but like they could go Langolier's catcher, Kurt's, DeVries, Gallops had a nice breakout season.

[SPEAKER_01]: Jacob Wilson, Butler's obviously under contract, but then Henry Bolty, Tyler Sotersham, Brett Brooker, like just a really fun group of position players there, but we're gonna have to wait on DeVries.

[SPEAKER_01]: I don't really think,

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm interested to see what his ADP is.

[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I just don't really think he's a target at all, anymore.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's kind of a bummer.

[SPEAKER_01]: All right, the Rangers, I want to talk about Sebastian Walker, Jeff, the hottest hitter.

[SPEAKER_01]: We're going to discuss today, I think.

[SPEAKER_01]: He's in the same tier for me with guys like Maude and DeBries for Fantasy.

[SPEAKER_01]: And he look at the Rangers and the way

[SPEAKER_01]: Jack Peterson's got a mutual option that I think he will pick up and that's a a complication because

[SPEAKER_01]: You'd think maybe Cory Seager, Josh Young, those guys could use some DH opportunities, given how much time they miss.

[SPEAKER_01]: But I do just kind of think one way or another, given the fact that young's always hurt, Seager's always hurt.

[SPEAKER_01]: They're both kind of not really as productive as we would have hoped at this stage.

[SPEAKER_01]: I just think one way or another, there's gonna be a spot for Wolcott soon in 2027.

[SPEAKER_01]: But how soon do you think we could see work up?

[SPEAKER_00]: So I would actually place my bets on this being the top prospects come drafts like February March.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think you look at the current structure of the team, Jack Peterson is a mutual option.

[SPEAKER_00]: Next year, I don't think the team will pick that up.

[SPEAKER_00]: I might be wrong.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think the team will pick that up.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think he's going to end up going to free agency.

[SPEAKER_00]: You could move Sieger to DH and I think with Sieger's health history and the fact that you have somebody dynamic like Walcott, like it's like right into that third Bay, excuse me into that shortstop spot, you want to give Sieger some run it shortstop just to keep refined whatever if they want to do that.

[SPEAKER_00]: You could do that, you could play Sieger at third base, you know, you give, you know, Josh Young some days off or DHM.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think there's a way that you can make this work with those three guys, and I think it just comes down to Peter some kind of being out of the mix, which I would anticipate.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's a platoon bat for them.

[SPEAKER_00]: Doesn't hit versus lefties ever.

[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, it's a part-time player.

[SPEAKER_00]: They have an option on.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's mutual.

[SPEAKER_00]: Dollars are kind of what they are.

[SPEAKER_00]: I would expect that they don't pick that up, because I think Walcott is ready now.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think one of the reasons that, you know, he's obviously hasn't played the field.

[SPEAKER_00]: We have to see how, how all that progresses, a much worried.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's an outstanding athlete, even if his arm loses a little bit of arm strength, it was already a really good arm.

[SPEAKER_00]: So there's all these sort of elements with, with Walcott that I, I think just add up to him being their best shortstop on opening day and kind of answering all the questions.

[SPEAKER_00]: His bat looks tremendous.

[SPEAKER_00]: I would presume in a week.

[SPEAKER_00]: I have a check on the Texas League playoffs, but I don't think Fresco's in.

[SPEAKER_00]: I would presume in a week that he's up in Round Rock and, you know, playing in Triple A, won't see the majors this year, but should finish the season with a couple of weeks Triple A, and then maybe AFL wouldn't be a total shock.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think he's right on the cost of potentially getting called up, and I think of all the names that we've talked about.

[SPEAKER_00]: We don't really have to

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, this is kind of the guy that I was sort of, I was going to kind of say the same thing, like I think he's sort of the target for me among these guys.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think he's just, I think he's the better athlete than thick body and degrees.

[SPEAKER_01]: Just kind of a more explosive sort of super star type of body.

[SPEAKER_01]: And

[SPEAKER_01]: He was just kind of out of sight for so long, but still just 20 years old was 10% better than League average last year at Double A and 124 games.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, the AFL makes a ton of sense for Walcott.

[SPEAKER_01]: He was supposed to go there this past year.

[SPEAKER_01]: And yeah, I think that he's a target for me for redraft next year.

[SPEAKER_01]: There's speed, there's power.

[SPEAKER_01]: Like the power, like I think you have to kind of project a bit more with the game power for mod day.

[SPEAKER_01]: Like, you know, a couple of years from now, whereas I think like Walcott might be kind of closer to sort of actualizing it.

[SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, let's, let's say, well, actually, before we take a quick break, Walcott, like his ADP, like let's say you're doing like a draft right now for next year.

[SPEAKER_01]: Are you thinking like you wait to like pick 300 because it's always, it's always dicey like those first drafts because you don't want to set the ADP to high, but you also maybe want to get the player.

[SPEAKER_01]: So it's kind of like a game of chicken where like you won't walk out.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's kind of like where do I have to wait till like to get him in this first draft.

[SPEAKER_01]: Um, I guess I'd maybe be kind of thinking like around pick 300 like in a draft and hold.

[SPEAKER_01]: Is that that seem like a reasonable to you?

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think that's a, especially with like early early drafts, right?

[SPEAKER_00]: When you're talking about setting kind of the ADP standard on something like that, that would make sense for for that range.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, if I got a aggressive, I would think I'd have to look like.

[SPEAKER_00]: If you fill out your roster, like your first bench hitter, what number would that be?

[SPEAKER_00]: Would that be like 250 to 300?

[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, um, would that be more like, or we 300's more like a utilspot?

[SPEAKER_01]: So that'd be, you know, we'd be talking like more kind of mid 300s for like the first bench bet.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so I think that that makes sense.

[SPEAKER_00]: Cause I was going to think utility or like, you know, your middle infield spot kind of draft in it there.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so 300 then makes more sense to me.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think that that number makes sense.

[SPEAKER_00]: I just don't think in terms of like,

[SPEAKER_00]: at FEC-80PL that often?

[SPEAKER_01]: No, no, I mean, it's, especially if he goes to the AFL, I do think that their more buzz will kind of build on him with the ADP.

[SPEAKER_01]: So, Walcott, a target for 2027, lets it to a quick break and then when we come back, we're gonna take a look at Franklin Arias' chances to make the red socks opening day roster next year.

[SPEAKER_01]: All right, we are back and Jeff Franklanaris, I think, we talked before we started recording.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think his is almost like the sort of the most obvious, just plug him right into shortstop.

[SPEAKER_01]: He's ready, like he's the best defender there.

[SPEAKER_01]: Like it just kind of makes all the other pieces make sense.

[SPEAKER_01]: Is that kind of how you see it for Franklanaris next year?

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think when you look at this team and just how it's constituted,

[SPEAKER_00]: for him to be up this year.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I think if, you know, the labor situation was different because I think he's the guy that's been most impacted by, hey, he's not rule five eligible this year, is there really a reason to force him up when we have other big league players in the roster that are, you know, kind of a fringe average or better in terms of what they can contribute.

[SPEAKER_00]: This guy's young,

[SPEAKER_00]: doing well in AAA.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think in a lot of other years, he probably would have been up with the Big League team.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I think he has been impacted by that a little bit.

[SPEAKER_00]: But I think you also look at this team.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, there's a pretty easy spot to probably move Trevor's story.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's a DH long term, especially if you trade out one of their outfielders, whether that'd be like Jaren Durand, who they've been trying to trade.

[SPEAKER_00]: For a long time now, it seems.

[SPEAKER_00]: Don't think it will be a brave, you don't think it will be Raphaella, but I think long term that outfield is a brave Raphaella and Anthony, and they'd like to get him back into the field.

[SPEAKER_00]: Curtis, me, and I think you figure goes to second base.

[SPEAKER_00]: Like, there's a lot of things to figure out here.

[SPEAKER_00]: That would open up a spot at DH, if Anthony moves to the outfield, for Trevor's story where I think he's best.

[SPEAKER_00]: The bad is fine.

[SPEAKER_00]: He can still hit really can't defend any longer and the drop off from Frank and Ari's defense at shortstop to this to story is pretty substantial and I think Ranger Suarez and some of their other pictures would probably be pretty happy to have.

[SPEAKER_00]: a guy that's like a Hoover vacuum at shortstop versus versus story, that lineup looks really good too.

[SPEAKER_00]: So they don't have to go out to free agency and like upgrade any positions here.

[SPEAKER_00]: They've kind of acquired a lot of those guys.

[SPEAKER_00]: And they're pretty deep in pitching.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I think this lineup makes a lot of sense.

[SPEAKER_00]: And it gives a few options in terms of what they want to do with Duran, because they still have plenty of bets.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think they have another year on your sheet.

[SPEAKER_00]: So they do have some positional depth as well.

[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, I think it makes a lot of sense.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I think he's just plug and play because he is their best defender.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's their best answer at shortstop, just in the organization at present.

[SPEAKER_00]: Unless there's a trade and they go out and they acquire a big name, shortstop, I can't necessarily see him or anybody, anybody but him being a starting shortstop for the Red Sox next year.

[SPEAKER_00]: So there's another one that I would be pretty aggressive on in terms of acquiring.

[SPEAKER_00]: It wouldn't shock me if his ADP actually early is maybe even higher than wallcoats.

[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, so I want to look at the, like, so shortstops,

[SPEAKER_01]: Jeff, I did the two early meatball draft about a month ago, almost now.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'm looking at the available short stops that went in that, trying to figure out sort of where Frank and Ari is my fit.

[SPEAKER_01]: So I don't think he goes, he's not going to go in like that sort of Jeremy

[SPEAKER_01]: like boba shit or mooky bets or Cory Seeger for next year.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, on on the surface and maybe this is me prospect talking a little bit, I think I think that like are you a better than all those guys.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's not going to run a ton, but I think, you're, you know, those guys really, but that's it right is like I think you're getting similar production potentially with more ceiling right because he's young and twitchy and he's been growing into more power.

[SPEAKER_00]: We'll see if the power continues to play the way it has in the minors.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think there's a good chance that it does maybe it's not 25 or 30 home runs, but it might be more like 17 to 18.

[SPEAKER_00]: scores a lot of runs, hits for a really high average, gets on base, which is certainly something that the shed has never really done very well.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I think like just from projecting out what 27 would look like just in a redraft setting, I actually think I would almost prefer him to those guys.

[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously there's a little bit more risk because there's no

[SPEAKER_00]: MLB track record, but, you know, mookie is clearly on the back nine right now.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think for shit has ever been the same player that he was the first couple of years.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, he had that one outstanding fantasy season and really hasn't been, you know, top five at all, even close to it.

[SPEAKER_00]: Has even been top 10?

[SPEAKER_00]: Like second base over the last couple years, you know, um, I think that's that's a bit of a question mark.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then Seeger is just Seeger is a guy that I end up with in drafts because everybody else doesn't want to take the risk of like the injuries and then he falls to a spot that's like below his ADP and then I end up taking him that's what happened like every league I've ever had Seeger in so.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't feel like there's a lot of confidence in him playing 130 games either, so, you know, Arias might just outpace him because he's healthy and then the lineup.

[SPEAKER_00]: Poor frequently, then seeger is.

[SPEAKER_00]: So, yeah, I think I think I kind of prefer him to those three guys, but maybe that's just the prospect I talk in two.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, I think I definitely prefer him to beshit and seeger.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think that's would be, that's your story as I think is closer to me just because I think sure.

[SPEAKER_01]: That's is probably going to play.

[SPEAKER_01]: Like I think you at least can use the durability card to push them over seeger.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

[SPEAKER_01]: What about, what about like, Areas versus like Colson Montgomery, like a totally different type of player?

[SPEAKER_00]: And there's so much risk with Montgomery, too, right, just in terms of like when how long can he keep on doing this I would probably still prefer Montgomery because there's 30 home run upside and neither of them are going to, you know, run that much.

[SPEAKER_00]: We're talking like, Roto, I would prefer call some Montgomery.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think in a point sleeve, you could maybe sell me on Frank and Arias just because they deduct for strikeouts and boost for walks a little bit.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I think you got some trade off there.

[SPEAKER_00]: Even if I'm taking the batting average of the OBP hit with Montgomery, I think like the fact that he could hit 35 to 40 home runs in a season.

[SPEAKER_00]: And in the end field, it's kind of tough.

[SPEAKER_00]: I could see a good one the way on that one, but I think I would still prefer Montgomery, especially considering like the plate skills could get batteries very young at 24.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, Franklin Arias is like a classic guy where like he's going to be lower in my rankings than he is on the BA top 100 just because he is a really good defender of shortstop and he doesn't run so like.

[SPEAKER_01]: the not running part hurts him in my rankings.

[SPEAKER_01]: It doesn't really hurt him in the top 100.

[SPEAKER_01]: The short step doesn't really help him in my rankings, where it doesn't the top 100, but even though I don't think he's like an amazing fantasy superstar prospect, I think the lack of reliable depth that shortstop is going to lead to him potentially getting drafted as a top 15 shortstop next year.

[SPEAKER_01]: Cory, that's was the 14th shortstop taken in that draft.

[SPEAKER_01]: The shirt was the 13th shorts I've taken, her Aldo Perdomo was 12th, I don't lope as a 11th.

[SPEAKER_01]: So the fact he won't run might prevent him from getting into that lope as Perdomo range.

[SPEAKER_01]: But I think when you compare him to these other guys that probably aren't going to run and then you factor in that he gets to play half his games in Boston and what we think is going to be a pretty good lineup.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think R.S.

[SPEAKER_01]: may end up having the highest ADP just because of how confident we are in his role.

[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, Jeff, like the the Dodgers we got to talk about, um, uh, Hoastway to Paula Mike Seroda, um,

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, this Dodgers line up when you're looking ahead to next year, obviously Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, Tommy Edmund, Max Muncie, Mookie Betts, Shoheotani, all under contract, all going to be every day players, most likely, Kyle Tucker, also under contract, Teaskar Hernandez, also under contract.

[SPEAKER_01]: Those guys have been worth a combined, like 0.7 wins above replacement this year.

[SPEAKER_01]: Uh, I think we probably assume Cal Tucker is the opening day right field there.

[SPEAKER_01]: Um, to ask our Hernandez, probably the opening day left field there.

[SPEAKER_01]: Um, they don't really have a clear opening day center field.

[SPEAKER_01]: They're Tommy Edmunds been playing a lot of center field.

[SPEAKER_01]: They kind of mix a mix and match these these infielders at second base, but, um,

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I know I'm high on Miccerota relative to most people.

[SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, the whole story to Paul has had a ridiculous offensive season at AA.

[SPEAKER_01]: How do you sort of see Seroda and DePaul figuring into things for the Dodgers in 2027?

[SPEAKER_00]: It's a good question.

[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, DePaul doesn't fit the construct of the roster.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's a bad defender in the left field.

[SPEAKER_00]: you could never play him in center field, you know.

[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, chance, unless there's some sort of like, I mean, they did have Andy Pia's go from like a fringy, you know, pointer off field or to a center field or so.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, that's all part of it.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's obviously the center fielder.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think the big question is like, Tiosker, right?

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, does Tiosker,

[SPEAKER_00]: I almost feel like he'd get traded, you know, if he took on some money, there's another piece that Dodgers won, they're able to get, maybe they got to get money down with a salary cap, they get teoscuroff the books, somebody else that needs to take on salary, right?

[SPEAKER_00]: Like,

[SPEAKER_00]: Like an NBA trade, if we get this out, you know, this could be what's happening.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think that one of them fits into that equation quicker.

[SPEAKER_00]: Like the funny thing is to Paula has to be added to the 40-man roster this off season.

[SPEAKER_00]: And the declaration deadline to be added to the 40-man roster is prior to the end of the CBA.

[SPEAKER_00]: So teams are still going to do that.

[SPEAKER_00]: They're still going to add guys to the 40-man roster.

[SPEAKER_00]: labor dispute in 2022.

[SPEAKER_00]: So like he's still going to get out of the 40 man roster, so wrote a won't so that way he could play a minor league baseball.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's more likely to fill in it at center.

[SPEAKER_00]: They've had him playing a lot more center in in double A.

[SPEAKER_00]: But I think, you know, maybe it's, maybe it's to Paula.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's the one that's up next year, but it's gonna depend on what they do with Tiosker Hernandez because the DH spot for the Dodgers probably is going to open up for a very, very long time.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think next year is Freddie Freeman's last year.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, last year's Freeman's last year, so maybe DePaul takes over at first base for Freeman in 2028.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's been, I mean, we've heard him, you know, discussed as a potential first basements.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I don't think that would be a shock.

[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, I guess it would be sort of,

[SPEAKER_01]: DePaul is path to early 2027 at Bats, I already had to ask her Hernandez, off season, salary dump, basically.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yep.

[SPEAKER_01]: And then Sarota's path would basically be that they just think he's got nothing left to prove a AAA and like he would clearly help the Big League team at some point, but the fact that he will be a 40 man doesn't like accelerate any of that.

[SPEAKER_00]: major injury to Kyle Tucker would be like the hardest best path probably.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah Kyle Tucker man.

[SPEAKER_01]: I don't know.

[SPEAKER_01]: I don't think I'm buying the dip.

[SPEAKER_01]: People are not excited to buy.

[SPEAKER_01]: There's going to be other people too excited to buy the diff next year.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think it looks pretty bad.

[SPEAKER_00]: Like it's one of those things that's just

[SPEAKER_00]: This is about as bad as it could have bottomed out.

[SPEAKER_00]: And what's they have some explanation of like a major injury that he was playing through, but the Dodgers typically don't have guys play hurt because of the kind of depth that they have in the organization.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, if Tucker was hurt, I actually think there's a chance, you know, maybe it's not to Paula, but,

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's one of those those triple A guys that they haven't taken around, you know, they might even be willing to burn some time on James tips because the time to play areas.

[SPEAKER_00]: So like I don't, you know, they have enough options that if he wouldn't be playing like hurt.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it looks like everything just really dropped off.

[SPEAKER_00]: I expected the first two years to be okay.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then I figured he would taper off with time.

[SPEAKER_00]: But just the nature of these kind of weird swings, I think those guys are just more likely to have these real bottom out years.

[SPEAKER_00]: And it's not like he had an injury and was young like a, you know, Cody Bowinger where you could kind of count on the bounce back.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's gonna be 30 next year, you know?

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, he attempted, he's attempted 10 steal so far and 136 games is 10 for 10, but yes, worried about that for sure, let's see.

[SPEAKER_01]: All right.

[SPEAKER_01]: Oh, I did want to mention I love Zach Erhard as well, but he doesn't even have to be added to the 40 men.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, no, yeah, it's got a couple years left still.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so there's like some names there that could be in the

[SPEAKER_00]: fans with the Dodgers do.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's a very tough line of to break into.

[SPEAKER_01]: All right, Jeff, when I released my last top 400 update, had a couple people take issue with the fact that Reneo Rodriguez wasn't number one, looking at the Cardinals potential roster for next year, and a lot of their best young talent

[SPEAKER_01]: catcher eligible, Ivan Herrera is kind of moving off a catcher.

[SPEAKER_01]: He still will be eligible there next year, but mostly de-aging now, Leo Bernal is up.

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, they got Jimmy Crooks hanging around.

[SPEAKER_01]: There isn't a clear path, I don't think, for Raeniel, at least on the surface, unless they

[SPEAKER_01]: and Ivan Herrera, I don't think they would want to trade Bernal, but what do you sort of see 2027 playing out for Beringon Rodriguez?

[SPEAKER_00]: His catcher defense has really improved throughout the season too.

[SPEAKER_00]: Like, that's a big takeaway for me.

[SPEAKER_00]: I got to do the Cardinals list.

[SPEAKER_00]: And obviously that's more important from a real-life standpoint.

[SPEAKER_00]: But I think from a fantasy angle, the silver lining

[SPEAKER_00]: catch enough to keep catcher eligibility, but not have to endure like the daily rigors and wear and tear that catchers endure on their hands, et cetera, throughout the season.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's probably gonna be Bernal.

[SPEAKER_00]: Bernal's defensive chops are well noted.

[SPEAKER_00]: He had some blocking stuff that I didn't love last off season and he had to clean up.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's really done that in space.

[SPEAKER_00]: He looks great back there.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think that he's the catcher of the future.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's possible that Pahase may be stays in the roster as like they're back up extra catcher.

[SPEAKER_00]: Burlson's not going anywhere.

[SPEAKER_00]: If anything, the Cardinals end up extending Burlson frankly.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's been phenomenal this year.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think he's the first baseman long term.

[SPEAKER_00]: But I do think that, you know, there's some space there for Rod Riga's if Herrera is moved and

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that he could be moved and would be kind of attractive for a team because he can catch a little bit.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's not great, but there is some catching ability.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's still got another, he's got, he's pre-armed this year.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's got his three R-beers left.

[SPEAKER_00]: those dollars shouldn't be awful either.

[SPEAKER_00]: Um, so I would think that he'll be an attractive, you know, trade asset.

[SPEAKER_00]: They have a ton of prospects they could package with them.

[SPEAKER_00]: This is a rotation that kind of needs to be upgraded.

[SPEAKER_00]: I would not be shocked if this is a team that's that's shopping some of their major league players.

[SPEAKER_00]: It wouldn't shock me if they shop Mason Win.

[SPEAKER_00]: If somebody called, I think they would have some conversations about it because they have a lot of depth here in the upper minors, you know, that double 18 is stacked.

[SPEAKER_00]: There's some good young pitching, but I think this is a classic bloom roster where like he's gone through the acquisition period and acquired a ton of good players the last two years now he needs to formulate a major league roster and some of that might be trading out some of these big leagueers to open up spots for guys like Rodriguez I would guess that Rodriguez will spend a majority of his season with Memphis next year and we think it would be more like a June July.

[SPEAKER_00]: maybe even August sort of promotion.

[SPEAKER_00]: Just with the catching stuff, I think when you factor that in, there's just a lot more to learn and refine at that position versus others, because it's not just straight athleticism.

[SPEAKER_00]: There's a, you know, there's a mental component to that and just kind of organizing your pitching staff and all that sort of thing.

[SPEAKER_00]: So

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I think they won't necessarily rush him.

[SPEAKER_00]: He might force their hand though because Triple A next year and just, you know, another year stronger and a little bit better than he is this year.

[SPEAKER_00]: You could argue that he's the best bat in the minor leagues at the moment.

[SPEAKER_00]: But I don't think there's a clear pathway to first half a 27 playing time for Rodriguez.

[SPEAKER_00]: I love he comes to the camp and just blows everybody away.

[SPEAKER_01]: Do you do change that, like, do you change that ETA if they trade her hair before spring training?

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I could, I could see it.

[SPEAKER_00]: I could see it moving it up a little bit, especially if he comes into camp like I said, and looks excellent.

[SPEAKER_00]: And that's a division that, you know,

[SPEAKER_00]: The brewers have been dominant for a long time in your brewers fan.

[SPEAKER_00]: I still think it's for the taking, especially with the type of talent that they've acquired.

[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, I would think Rodriguez would probably be the next man up that would make the most sense.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I think he's used bias could be in the mix at third base as well.

[SPEAKER_00]: Um, that's another name.

[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe another sleeper on the outside would be like a Josiah Ragsdale or someone like that to potentially get up with a club.

[SPEAKER_00]: Um, but yeah, I think it's going to be Rod Regasman.

[SPEAKER_00]: If they do make that her error deal.

[SPEAKER_00]: And eventually at some point in the first half, it will end up being Rod Regasman, I think.

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, um, yeah, he's he's such a of the guys we've talked about.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think he's, um,

[SPEAKER_01]: Maybe the biggest wild card for fantasy next year because of just the upside and two catcher leagues.

[SPEAKER_01]: If he's up in like, with 80% of the season left or something like that, maybe he's like a borderline catcher one, like pretty early on.

[SPEAKER_01]: And then like he's playing a bunch because they want his bat in the lineup, like that could just be a big swing piece, but then if

[SPEAKER_01]: If they hold her era, if like they just are getting, you know, production at D age, they're getting production at catcher, there's stuff from the work on, like maybe you don't see him, but the part you said about like him just kind of forcing their hand, I kind of think like, I think it'd be tough to keep them down for like more than a couple months next year, but I don't know, I do think that

[SPEAKER_01]: They kind of have to organize the roster just a little bit more.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

[SPEAKER_01]: But Rodriguez, like once people start doing their prep and seeing how he translates with projections and stuff, I think there's going to be a lot of buy-in from the Regraph Cloud on Radio Rodriguez.

[SPEAKER_01]: Theo Gillin, Jeff, is one of my favorite prospects

[SPEAKER_01]: And it was kind of looking at the rays line up for next year.

[SPEAKER_01]: And I don't know who's going to play some of the infield spots for them.

[SPEAKER_01]: And they have a bunch of outfield bodies like, you know, Victor Maces had a nice little, you know, post-hype mini break out for them.

[SPEAKER_01]: I've always liked to Luke.

[SPEAKER_01]: Thanks, Patrick Mullins might pick up.

[SPEAKER_01]: I think he's maybe got a player option or something.

[SPEAKER_01]: Chandler Simpson has been playing a lot of left field.

[SPEAKER_01]: But how do you sort of see the raise handling Gillian in the short term?

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's an interesting question.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know they haven't historically been in a aggressive team.

[SPEAKER_00]: I would say he who shall not be named their former shortstop that no longer plays in the big woods.

[SPEAKER_00]: is probably, is probably the guy that they were most aggressive in kind of pushing.

[SPEAKER_00]: Even came in there and I had a weird injury.

[SPEAKER_00]: He spent a long time that last year in AAA.

[SPEAKER_00]: So it wouldn't shock me if killing is a guy that's in AAA for all of next year and then we see him in

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know, I mean, I just, I have so little faith that they've raised will aggressively promote a prospect of the big leagues when he's as young as Gillian is.

[SPEAKER_00]: But I do think like he's probably as good as a prospect that they've had on the position side since that guy that will not be named.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I mean, it's, it's that the rays, like they just, um, they don't really need Gillian like early next year, like they just, they're going to find a way to get value out of those outfield spots, um, whether he's there or not.

[SPEAKER_01]: So, um,

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's tough because it's like part of me thinks like he would almost help the team right now, but like you said, it's just not really in their DNA to be overly aggressive with a guy like this.

[SPEAKER_01]: So and and one last guy like we we're not going to go deep on him, but like I know I've got real people ask is ranked quite high, but

[SPEAKER_01]: like it's it's kind of almost like even for Alphi Velasquez was going to make the opening day roster next year.

[SPEAKER_01]: Like Vinnie Pasquantino was the 25th first basement taken in that two early ball drafts.

[SPEAKER_01]: So like I love Ralphie Velasquez, but you know he's he's

[SPEAKER_01]: going to be like a bench corner and feel there to stop the anyway.

[SPEAKER_01]: So, Jeff, it sounds like, you know, where we're diggin Sebastian Walker with the Rangers for next year.

[SPEAKER_01]: We like Hazard's Modays, chances of playing a good chunk of the season in the big leagues.

[SPEAKER_01]: You know, Franklin Ares, we definitely think will be up all year, and it's not the perfect fantasy shortstop profile, but after talking through all this with you, and then kind of reminding myself about the lack of sort of reliable depth of shortstop, I do kind of think Ares may end up having the highest ADP of these guys, even though he's not going to steal a ton of

[SPEAKER_00]: That's kind of where I'm at, too.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I think, you know, on the other side, like he runs well enough, we'll probably hit at the top of the lineup with the plate skills that he has that could really contribute and batting average OVP and then runs.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think he's a guy that could question me if, you know, that lineup, Robon Antti takes another step forward, et cetera.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, that lineup could, you know, potentially produce a lot of runs at the top and, you know, he could be a guy that's in that 80 to like high 90s, maybe even touch it's 100 runs in a season if he's hitting one two and that lineup, which I don't think would be.

[SPEAKER_00]: outrageous.

[SPEAKER_00]: One of the struggles with the Red Sox line up this year has been the lead-off spot.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think they have the 29th lowest OPS and the lead-off spot of all 30 major league teams.

[SPEAKER_00]: So it has been an area that's been a bit of trouble for them.

[SPEAKER_00]: And if they get a guy like that and they can move Anthony down some more of a run driving in kind of position, I think that would probably

[SPEAKER_00]: change the surface of the roster.

[SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, I think I, I think I lean on him, probably being the highest ADP guy at present.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think that could change if things accelerate with Sebastian Walcott and extension something like that happens.

[SPEAKER_00]: He would be the guy that I think is is the real gem of this class that could, you know, produce a top five round kind of value fantasy season pretty easily.

[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, Walcott, Walcott versus Arias versus, you know, Madda, a lot of stuff can happen between now and, you know, opening day, but I've got some ideas kind of formulating here Jeff now and sort of how I'm going to value these guys.

[SPEAKER_01]: So this is definitely helpful for me and for for the listeners, again, Anderson,

[SPEAKER_01]: is the code for 30% off your baseball America subscription for the year and my first article is up on the side if you want to go check it out.

[SPEAKER_01]: Anything else you want to add, Jeff?

[SPEAKER_00]: No, it's a great first pot.

[SPEAKER_01]: I agree.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's great to be a part of baseball America, great to be pond with you and hope you have a good rest of your weekman.