Montreal Royals Season Preview

[jadacormier]

Viva le French! The RSL has arrived in Montreal. Freezing cold April evenings in our open-air stadium Mount Royal Park, feasting on warm cheese curds and cheap red wine, watching our slutty catholic-girl-stripper-mascot we call Youppi. Yes, fun for the whole family francophone style.

Here's what to expect from this inaugural 2023 season...

The Good:

Montreal native son and all-star SS Jean-Philippe Berube. Immediately named team captain Frenchy is expected to lead off, hit .300, steal 20+ bases, and spark the offense this season.

Our Italian stallions, or as the Quebecois locals call them the 'Smoked Meat Mafia'. That would be SP Gianni Galli and corner OFs Joseph Papi and Gauthier Gruppi. All three Italian born players are on the verge of turning into legitimate superstars. So much potential. And body hair. And tight pants, always with the friggin' tight leather pants.

We have a very deep, very strong bullpen... and with our rotation we're gonna need it. Jose Santos won the closer role coming out of spring training, but closing duties could have easily been handed over to Juan Canseco, Steve Powell, or even Alberto Garcia instead. All four of them were lights out during the spring. Add in former closer Mike Snow and rookie Adrian Bermudez and we're going to be *really* tough to beat in the late innings.

The Maybe:

2B Juan 'Ruby' Robles and that big-ass 1 year $34 million contract. He should be a force to be reckoned with, but there's never any guarantees with foreign imports. It could be arguably the most expensive bust in RSL history.

The Bad

We have no true ace, and the rotation gets pretty thin after Galli and Valentin Lopez. We signed Ferneehuff or whatever his name is to eat some innings in the middle. And we have a roster of AAAA fodder to flesh it out. Mon dieu!!!

Nobody in our lineup beside Robles (we hope) takes enough pitches, we've heavy with contact guys without plate discipline. Not sure that's going to serve us well over the long term.

1B is a suckhole of mediocrity. The most underwhelming platoon in RSL history.

The Weird:

Last year MR Alberto Garcia was a utility infielder for the Patriots, batting .260 and playing passable defense. Barely useful, mostly harmless. This year Garcia converted to pitching and was moved into the bullpen. In spring training Garcia had 12 IP, 20 Ks, and a 2.92 ERA. Should be interesting to follow this season, a great story if we can pull it off.

New Faces:

SS Berube, 2B Robles, 3B McPherson, C Ingrham (yes, we've turned over 80% of our infield) SP Ferneyhough, SP Walker in the rotation, and CL Santos, MR Canseco

Gone:

SS and fan favourite Bruce White, SP Larry Doyle, waste of space Bill Jackson

Predictions:

The surprise for us in spring training was our very strong pitching. If that's a sign of things to come we probably will challenge BAL and WAS for the division title. We also need to see growth from Galli, Gauthier, and Martinez to contend. Top prospect CF Troy Winters is ML ready now, so we will probably need to flip a good OF for a SP or 1B at some point, depending on what turns out to be our biggest need.

[Buane]

I would contend that Gianni Galli is a damn fine #1.

[jadacormier]

I would contend that Gianni Galli is a damn fine #1.

After my Bernardo Vazquez experience I just assume a sophomore slump from which you never recover is kind of like the standard RSL 'thing'.

[Felix]

See that Jerry Jones? Your old team didn't even mention in you the "Gone" section of their season preview. Shows how much they appreciated your .900+ OPS last season.

Now San Diego... we love a good Seaman when we see one, and you're exactly what we were looking for.

[jadacormier]

2024 Season Preview

It's the 'better late than never' edition of this year in Montreal Royals baseball.

2023 Season in review

Well, 2023 was an perfect year for baseball in Montreal... almost. We won a franchise record 106 games (going back 33 years!) and led the division from opening day to finish. Except for our loss in the playoffs to Philidelphia in the first round, it would have been THE perfect season. All of which means we expect a lot in 2024.

Our team just clicked all season long with exceptional performances all around. In our inaugural season we saw 6 all-stars make the team at 1B, SS, 3B, SP, CL and OF. We were well balanced with our offense, defense and pitching. We were hit by injuries, but had the depth to patch it up (especially in the outfield with Steve Bailey and Troy Winters). Journyman SP Abdul the terrorist was our team CY Young winner, though for most of the season journeyman SP Paul Walters was even better.

We are in a VERY easy division. Which is why I would say we were luckier than we were good... which is why we went out and strengthened the team this offseason.

The Good:

I'm happy to say there is lots to good stuff to profile in Montreal.

Last season hometown hero SS Jean-Philippe Berube hit 335/394/451, played his usual gold glove calibre defense, and stole 41 bases. This season we expect no different as he is currently playing in his prime years and has become unarguably one of the top 2 or 3 SS in the RSL. And most importantly, after living in his shadow JP is really, truly better than Goff. Well, the walking corpse that calls himself Matt Goff anyhow. I expect good things.

The 'Smoked Meat Mafia' (SMM) now have a clear leader, a primo, an Italian Stallion. Meet don Gruppi aka 'the Godfather'. He hit 324/409/560, stole 22 bases, played excellent OF defense, lead the EC in VORP. Those numbers are going to be very hard to match, but I'll play him almost every day in hopes he can.

3B Juan Robles was our third MVP candidate in 2024. His defense settled down once we moved him to 3B permanently, and he put up a lovely 273/393/537 line and took home rookie of the year honors.

1B Boring McBoringson now has a real, actual name that people might remember. Peter Joseph hit 326/434/500 and earned an all star berth. I'm still not convinced he's a full time bat (he struggled hard against lefties). But we'll see.

I love our bullpen. I expected good things last season, and got them. Jose Santos was solid and consistent closing all season, when healthy Santos and Powell formed a terrific L/R tandem, and this should continue. And former 2B Alberto Garcia converted well to the bullpen, and after a stunningly good 2nd half he finished with 9 wins and 100 Ks in 87 IP. While extremely valuable in MR, I see him as heir apparent to Santos.

We have plenty of depth in the minors. You can never have too much depth. Oh wait... yes you can! I still have too many OFs. Goddamn I wish they were easier to trade.

The Maybe:

Two new aces. Unproven imports from foreign leagues. More than $30 million bucks. That's a risky move! Did I mention I have a gambling addiction? Both Nando and Lyle had shitty spring training numbers too. Uh oh.

I am not encouraged by SP Go-Go Galli's progression in his second full year, producing a higher ERA, higher WHIP, lower K/BB ration and less innings pitched. But we did sign him to a nice cheap extension in hopes the trend is not really a trend. Did I mention my gambling addiction?

Too many OF. Though we're holding steady at the moment since fragile RF Joseph Papi is due to be injured... right... about... NOW!

The Bad

I have no 2B. (Sorry Ben Nolan, but you have to admit it's true.)

CF Hector Martinez just signed an extension, but will he ever live up to his ratings? Yeah yeah.. gambling addiction blah blah blah.

There is no way our backend starters Ferneyhough and Walters repeat what they did last season. We expect a regression to the norm, and then some.

SS Berube is in his walk season, and asking for a lot of your American dollars for an extension. Negotiations will continue during the season, but can we afford him?

New Faces:

SP Nando Marcovicci is an Italian import auditioning to become an official member of the SMM. Great potential, and possibly our first legitimate ace.

SP Ron Lyle is back! Formerly providing 'meh' numbers pitching in Toronto, the hope is the ballpark in Montreal and our improved defense picks him up. Plus it's that magical age 27 season. Another big risk, can he handle RSL??

Gone:

Nobody we actually care about. Which is part of why we're at a $130 million payroll.

My Predictions:

I'm excited to take a 106 win team and lose nothing of significance, yet add 2 potential aces. I reckon we're in a good position (barring any Felix-esque multiple injuries, fingers crossed) to win the division again. And we better damn well do it now, our window is slipping as the Cygnus division continues to improve (I'm looking at you and your orgasm inducing rotation Washington!) Plus, I can't let Matt win yet ANOTHER title with Pittsburgh again before I get one. So we're going for gold!!

[McExpos]

[B] Plus, I can't let Matt win yet ANOTHER title with Pittsburgh again before I get one. So we're going for gold!!

Hey, I took a year off, where I only won 81 games. I'm trying to be nice to those less fortunate than myself.

[Becks6]

2024 Season PreviewI reckon we're in a good position (barring any Felix-esque multiple injuries, fingers crossed) to win the division again.

Did Felix help write this column?

[jadacormier]

Did Felix help write this column?

I think Felix is in PR, isn't he? If he wrote something like this with my terrible grammar and spelling he'd be fired on the spot.

[jadacormier]

2025 Season Preview

Otherwise known as our 'what the hell else do we have to do to beat McExpos and win this friggin thing?' season.

2024 Season in review

104 wins, best in the RSL. A run differential over 200. 3B Juan Robles won an MVP, SP Nando won the rookie of the year. Pretty much everything went right. We swept the Cosmos in the first round of the playoffs and looked like favourites against those pesky Eagles. But then the dead rose from the grave, human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria... and BOOM we were out. Yeah, stuff happened. Maybe this year we'll finally make it.

The Good:

It's pretty much the same team as last year, and almost everyone is still in their prime... so if we can avoid injuries you would think we should be good again.

The Montreal 'Smoked Meat Mafia' continue to manage all clubhouse gambling, fried chicken, drugs and prostitution... otherwise known as team bonding exercises. Our Italians SP Nando Marcovicci, SP Gianni Galli, and RF Gauthier 'the Godfather' Gruppi were all deserving all-stars and we expect big numbers from all three again in 2025.

3B Juan Robles and 1B Peter Joseph are excellent middle of the order hitters. Robles is capable of a 30/30 season, should he ever stay off the DL for a full season.

Our bullpen remains a strength with top tier closer Jose Santos signed to an extension and setup ace Alberto Garcia (yes, the former utility infielder) looking just as sharp as ever, plus a right/left power pitching combo in Powell and Snow holding down the middle innings, so we should be tough if we have a lead.

Also worth noting, our defence is top notch across the diamond with gold glove calibre defenders at SS, 3B, LF, and RF plus above average gloves at 2B, 1B and CF, which always helps our pitchers.

I like our bench a lot. OF Curtis Case excelled as a pinch hitter, pinch runner and replacement CF when Troy Winters went down and ended up hitting .323 with 26 SB on the season. Backup middle IF Esteban Garcia hit .357 and backup corner IF Cesar Cantu popped 8 HR in 130 AB off the bench.

The Maybe:

SP Bubba Wilson took his game to another level last season and posted a 2.28 ERA and 1.06 WHIP over 186 IP, but is he for real? He did get a nice $5 million extension out of me, even if he's only 70% the pitcher he was last year that'll still be good value. Here's hoping he can finally get to 30+ starts and 200 IP for the first time in his career at age 29. Bubba might just be the ace that nobody noticed before.

SS Berube turned 30 and mailed in a really poor offensive season (actually his worst ever season) hitting just .263 and posting a .722 OPS. And that came on the heels of signing an early season 6 year extension. Doh!! But Berube was on fire in spring training this year, so we're pretty hopeful it was a blip. Yup, that's what I tell myself.

1B Joseph continues to outperform his ratings, and that always scares me. But if he can put up yet another .930+ OPS season with a 50+ VORP, I'll be willing to *finally* believe in the guy.

SP Ron Lyle. Does he really suck, or is he just really good at being British? If he can stay healthy, maybe this year we can find out. Sure he's got a monster contract but we've assured him we only expect him to eat up innings at the back of the rotation. Hopefully the lack of expectations help him do OK in a low pressure situation.

2B Ben Nolan stepped up in 2024 and hit .310 and stole 23 bases while playing very good defense. Now entering his age 26 season we should find out if his hitting ability is genuine.

The Bad

CF Troy Winters. We're all looking at you kid, are you gonna let yourself be Zuniga's bitch forever? Troy had a reasonable rookie campaign in 2023 showing plenty of promise in limited play (and a monster post season) but followed that up in 2024 with a terrible 219/273/375 line. The scouts aren't so high on him anymore, he's still only 25 but this really looks to be a make or break season for Troy.

LF Hector Martinez. Solid 8/7/7 potential and good minor league numbers, but last years regression to a 263/357/363 line just doesn't cut it for a corner OF. At age 27 this is *definitely* a make or break season for Hector.

Abdul 'the Terrorist' Ferneyhough turned 35 and his age is starting to show. We're hoping for is some crafty magic resulting in a 4.00-ish ERA and 200 serviceable innings, but he's had a few talent hits coming into this season so we don't expect much.

We're $20 million over budget, with the second highest payroll in the RSL, and only one decent prospect in our entire system. Age and lack of funds will catch up to us soon.

New Faces:

Nope. Not this season. Unless you count SP Fiorenzo Cardone, who came up in Sep last season and arrived drunk on awesome sauce. Cardone went 5-1 with a 2.57 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP in 6 starts. With SP Ron Lyle coming off the DL Cardone has been relegated to long relief to start the season. But on the other hand, with SP Ron Lyle coming off the DL there's a good chance Ron Lyle will suck.

Gone:

Nobody of note. Our team has had a pretty consistent roster for the last couple of seasons and I have to admit that it's getting a bit boring... if we don't do that well this season, I'm likely to start a fire sale just to make some trades and keep the game interesting.

My Predictions:

Gruppi wins MVP and Bubba wins Cy Young. Troy Winters goes 30/30 and Berube hits .370. Montreal wins 125 games, we sweep the Eagles in the playoffs and then win the World Series by mercilessly beating up San Diego. My boss decides I deserve a 200% raise and the blowjob fairy moves into my basement.

Anything less would be an abject failure.

[jadacormier]

2026 Season Preview

[norarnold]

I believe you meant to say "Exploser toutes les choses!" n'est-ce pas?

2026 Season Preview

[jadacormier]

I think I meant to say ASS-PLODE actually.

[jadacormier]

2027 Season Preview

AKA "How to kill baseball in Montreal through inept management"

2026 Season in review

Imagine you are a casual Montreal Royals fan who showed up at the ballpark in 2026 expecting to see hometown hero JP Berube play some dazzling SS and steal some bases. You're wearing your 'Smoked Meat Mafia' tee shirt featuring those adorable Italian goofballs Gauthier Gruppi and Gianni Galli. You've painted 'Le Bubba' across your forehead in a handsome Royals blue. And on your iPod you're listening to reigning MVP Juan Robles narrate his best selling motivational audio book "I'll Never Be Injured Again".

Yet when you arrive, you found out they've ALL been traded away. And not just the stars mind you. The whole damned division winning team! Nando is gone too. The entire bullpen is gone. Even quirky role players like 2B Ben Nolan and C Mark Rogers are gone. You find you even miss Ron Lyle who you never wanted in the first place.

Now instead of watching a championship calibre team play some baseball... you're forced to watch a fat dude named 'Ha-Ha' bat cleanup.

The end result shouldn't have been a surprise. 96 losses and a brutal 80% drop-off in attendance. (We drew under 300,000 fans all season. Philadelphia will draw that many in a single homestand.) A fan interest rating of 1. It's entirely possible this season may have killed the Royals in Montreal.

The Good:

Keep in mind the term 'Good' is entirely relative here.

Our pitching surprised everyone and wasn't nearly as terrible as expected. Our staff was primarily made up of AAAA journeymen and waiver wire castoffs, who all things considered managed to put up some respectable numbers. Formerly a top prospect for the Storm, Calvin Lucas became our version of an 'ace' at age 30 (12 wins, 3.23 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 197 IP) and rookie closer Orlando Flores (helped by a .206 BABIP) delivered 35 saves and a 2.63 ERA. Rookie SP Mochihito Ohayashi came up halfway through the season and put up a respectable 3.75 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 97/34 K/BB in 108 innings. Ohayashi who was acquired in the Berube trade with Detroit is our first 'reboot' player to arrive who looks good.

25 year old 1B Gustav Videk was a rookie of the year candidate after putting up a 279/362/434 line. As one of our few offensive bright spots, of course he was therefore traded.

Veteran OF Ricardo Vera was offered up to anyone via waivers to start the season, but he was ignored. The humiliation spurred Vera to finish with an excellent 308/421/539 line good for a .960 OPS... numbers as good as any he ever put up in his early 20s.

The Bad

Our offense outside of Videk and Vera was sad sack pathetic. We called up our AAA team who showed why they had been stuck in AAA until now. A bunch of no-names we've already forgotten.

Halfway through the season we thought we'd give some of the kids a shot, calling up future SS Darryl Ferneyh, C Roberto Avelardo, 1B Vinnie Bartolli, and OF PJ 'I'm not my brother so stop expecting me to be like him' Kaufmann. Unfortunately, they all performed so poorly that they had to be sent back down. We're praying that they haven't been too scarred by the experience, and in fact have taken the experience to heart and have matured enough to hold their own as starters in 2027.

But really, our offense will continue to struggle. The kids will have a long leash, but we're not expecting miraculous explosions of talent across the diamond. We simply haven't paid Greg enough money for that to happen.

The Future

Of course, the reason we traded away every single player of value was to rebuild on a scale never before seen in RSL history. As we enter the 2027 season our farm system is rated so high by Baseball America it's been scored 2.5 times as deep as the second best Reds system. Not all of those prospects are going to pan out (many have already taken big steps backwards) but with 20 prospects currently rated in the top 100 (20% of the talent is mine ALL MINE!) it's inevitable that many of the next generation of RSL stars will be coming out of Montreal.

Will we ever match the talent of those first few years in Montreal? Will it have been worth it trading away all those established stars? It'll be an interesting experiment to watch unfold.

So in 2027 you should watch the rookies closely. Montreal will be starting an all rookie infield with newcomers at 1B (Bartolli) 2B (Marcos Garcia) SS (Fernehy) 3B (Fareles) and C (Avelardo).

Plus an exciting rookie CF Ernest Jackson who came over from Denver.

And with two old, creaky lefties in RF and LF, righty hitting corner OF PJ Kaufmann should get plenty of ABs to spell them.

So yeah, rookies everywhere you look. It's likely to be a painful process watching them grow while having to perform in the spotlight, but if all goes to plan we'll have an affordable yet powerful lineup for years to come.

New Faces:

We opened our doors and wallets to accept a bunch of expensive, cast-off rejects that nobody else wanted. Welcome to the Royals SP Carl DeYoung (looking to prove he's not done yet) and OF Jon Bonner (a DH who plays the field, but will bat 3rd for us) and inured SP Brett Kingman (could end up closing for us later in the season to save wear and tear on his arm) and OF Dermot Ewart who at $12.5 million becomes the league's most expensive pinch runner. We took them on for the prospects and picks that came with them, and all of them will be candidates to be flipped at the trade deadline.

We have high hopes for former Denver prospect Ernest Jackson who will be patrolling CF for us on opening day. His spectacular defense will be needed to make up for the fact he's playing between a couple of stubby logs in LF and RF. His contact skills aren't there, but he walks and slugs and runs well so we're hoping for a .370 OBP and a 20/20 season.

SP Pat Scott came over from New Orleans with Jon Bonner, he's had terrific minor league numbers and did a great job in a tough ballpark last season. Scott is prone to giving up the taters, so Royals ballpark should suit him well.

Gone:

Auf wiedersehen Gustav Videk. We loved our Franco-German mannschaft but he was blocking future fan favourite Vinnie 'Bats' Bartolli who needed a place to play. Also we said goodbye to top 3B prospect Anthony Brandon (that boy should win a lot of gold gloves in his future) who we flipped to Denver in the Jackson trade.

My 2027 Predictions:

You know, if DeYoung and Bonner perform as well as they can, and Vera continues his resurgence, and if a couple of the rookie kids step up (3B Fareles is the most likely to exceed expectations) and CL Flores is as lucky again, and if SP Pat Scott is for real... well, we might actually have a decent team. We're aiming to play .500 ball and push for yet another high draft pick next season... before the next wave of rookies start to arrive in 2028 and we get ourselves back into playoff contention by 2029.

More likely though is another sub .500 season with a couple of our heralded rookies turning into big fat duds. SS Ferneyh has already taken a few talent hits, as has C Avelardo so they're both candidates to be the next Troy Winters for us. 2B Garcia is highly touted but still raw so we expect him to struggle somewhat. And even ace SP Ohayashi with a 3 endurance rating is just one talent hit away from becoming a reliever. Lots can go wrong, and some definitely will.

Also, our lack of attendance will continue to cripple us financially soon. If we don't start to grow fan interest, we might have no choice but to consider relocation. (Yeah, I'll hold the city hostage! That always works for the other billionaires!)

But otherwise, we hope that with more of the 'reboot' players starting to arrive in Montreal this season we're in line for the occasional burst of exciting - dare we say, good - baseball and entertainment.

[jadacormier]

More likely though is another sub .500 season with a couple of our heralded rookies turning into big fat duds. Lots can go wrong, and some definitely will.

Yup!

But otherwise, we hope that with more of the 'reboot' players starting to arrive in Montreal this season we're in line for the occasional burst of exciting - dare we say, good - baseball and entertainment.

Nope!

2027 Season in Review

Yeah, not so great. Somehow we managed to field am even worse team and take a step backwards. 98 losses which makes it the 2nd worst finish in the 37 year history of the franchise. Yowza!

The Good:

We actually started out hot with an above .500 April... SP Mochihito Ohayashi, 1B Vincent Bartolli, SP Carl DeYoung, and OF Jon Bonner were all MVP contenders for a brief, brilliant few weeks. But eventually they all crashed back to Earth. Or got traded.

Ohayashi finished the year poorly, but still managed to put up a solid 3.84 ERA and 1.32 WHIP at age 23, so it's very possible he takes his game to the next level soon. SP Pat Scott was a solid mid rotation starter, throwing a team high 221 IP and putting up totally league average stats... Which passes for ace material in Montreal.

And we managed to have one half decent bullpen arm in CL Orlando Flores who saved a handful of games and put up 3.27 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. So yeah, we had that going for us.

OF Ricardo Vera put up an .812 OPS, which was a pretty down year for him, but was enough to establish himself as the anchor of our rinky dink lineup. 3B Andres Fareles only hit 230/349/404, but with a solid walk rate and some pretty impressive hot streaks he showed some real promise with his bat at age 21. Like Ohayashi we're hoping he takes a big step forward this season.

And we got a nice surprise when 2027 1st round draftee OF James Congdon made it all the way to the bigs in his first season, he came up in September and hit a robust 332/432/613 to give us something to look forward to. 'King Cong' raked in spring training to lock down the starting RF job for 2028, so we're hopeful we'll see more of the same. It would be nice to have a Montreal rookie come up with a big season to start his career, that hasn't happened for a while. Or ever.

The Bad

The story of our season was how our rookies pretty much showed why they weren't ready for the limelight. Nope, not at all.

Middle infield let us down big time with SS Daryl Ferneyh and 2B Marcos Garcia failing to live up to our plans of the dawning of a brand new Whittaker/Trammel-esque combo for the RSL era. In retrospect, I can see now that we may have set our expectations a wee bit high. Both failed to crack a .700 OPS... Ferneyh has nothing left to prove in AAA at age 25 so he's up to stay, but the verdict is out on whether he'll ever be an offensive contributer or just a light hitting, average defensive SS from here on out. Garcia had a poor enough spring that he'll start back in AAA again at age 22. The scouts have always raved about Garcia, but he has yet to deliver. And with stud 2B prospect Stanley Ray just a few seasons away Garcia is running out of time to establish himself.

CF Ernest Jackson was just plain bad, with too many strikeouts showcasing holes in his swing, meaning he failed to crack the Mendoza line in the majors or in AAA. (Meanwhile the guy he was traded for won WC rookie of the year. Damn!) Jackson did have a nice spring though, so we'll see if he can take advantage of a fresh, clean start in AAA this year and work his way back up to starting CF in Montreal.

1B Vinnie Bats really stuggled in the 2nd half to finish with a disappointing .732 OPS, but he's also just 23 so he's still got some time. He'll have a long leash this season to play every day and hopefully step up and start delivering on his potential. However... highly rated 1B prospect Mulitin Zoric is knocking at the door in AAA, so hopefully the added pressure of some competition gives Vinnie a mental boost.

C Roberto Alvaredo is in totally danger of losing his staring job, he had moments lat season but overall his sub .700 OPS and mediocre defense won't cut it. Top C prospect Jayden Mortlock cant get here soon enough.

New Faces:

We spent money and signed a real, honest to goodness star player! Suck on that my so-called fans! Yup, Sammy Smith will be starting at 2B for us until Marcos Garcia proves he can actually hit. And it looks like zippy corner OF Jon O'Laughlin who came over from Minnesota late in the season will be faking it as our starting CF. With O'Laughlin's limited range playing between a couple of statues like Ricardo Vera and James Congdon, well... I expect a lot of balls are gonna drop.

We also traded for veteran setup man Will Crookes who at 32 gets his first shot at a regular closing gig in Montreal. And we signed a couple of veteran starters to pad out our rotation, 40 year old Domingo Bravo won the #5 spot in out rotation this spring, while veteran Carver Hollis has been stashed away at AAA just in case.

Gone:

Bonner, DeYoung, Kingman... you were nice to have around (although Kid K, you truly stunk) but you were always intended as trade fodder to be moved for picks. Of course moves like this have alienated the fan base even more. The fickle, short sighted, completely irrational fan base. Which I should have expected since it is actually a totally 100% accurate description of French Canada and not an unfair, sweeping generalization at all.

The Future

We're hoping to see some growth in last years batch of rookies, RF Congdon arrives this year, and CF Shawn Worden and SP Fernando Torres are starting in AAA so they could be ready by next year. We've got a raft of mid level SP prospects behind them, hopefully one or two take a big step forward this season. And 2B Stanley Ray and C Jayden Mortlock are in AA, so by 2030 or so we should have our solid, home grown core in place to build around.

Man, waiting sucks.

My 2028 Predictions:

Again, we're shooting for close to 500... lets say we aim for 80 wins? It's a tough division, Baltimore and Toronto look really strong, that Pittsburgh lineup is a killer, the St Louis rotation is rock solid, Philly is usually better than they look, Cincinnati have been improving steadily, Washington had an off year but could bounce back... there's just not much room for error. To get to 80 wins it will take clear improvements to Ohayashi, Scott, Farales, Bartolli, and that bastard tease Ferneyh. Congdon has to continue hitting like a monster and prove September wasn't a fluke. We need one more good mid rotation starter to fall out of the mix of Ted Saturday, Celio Lagas, or David Olvera.

I guess if all that breaks our way, I could see 80. Sure. Totally. The more I type it the more I almost convince myself.

[jadacormier]

2029 Season Preview

We've heard some people say that Montreal is a hot pick at the moment to make the playoffs for the first time in 4 years. I think people overestimate how far our young team has come... there's still lots of growing up to do. But we hope that by bringing in Old Man Georges some of that wisdom and experience rub off on the kids. But not in a dirty French way. That would be wrong.

2028 In Review

We didn't sniff .500 at all, though our pythag record was pretty close. And we played above .500 for September... the overall sense as we finished the season was that we we managed to give the fans something to actually look forward to. Ohayashi was a true ace and the POY runner up, Celio Lages suprised everyone and earned 15 wins, 1B Vinnie Bats pretty much established himself as an offensive force, 2B Marcos Garcia was inconsistent but showed enough promise to finally lock down a starting job.. and yeah, we brought superstar 3B Graham LeClair to town in a blockbuster trade. So despite the losing record, I would classify 2028 as a good year for the Royals.

The Offseason Plan

We were encouraged by what we saw. So we have a very clear, concise plan entering this recent offseason:

1. Sign SP Dominic Featherstone to compliment Ohayashi at the top of the rotation.
2. Sign OF Simon Rainaducci to be our fulltime DH and cleanup hitter.
3. Sign Bernardo Cruz to solidify our C needs for a few years until Mortlock is ready.
4. Sign right handed CF Alfonso Cremades to balance out our all lefty OF and to occasionally platoon with Worden.
5. Sign a lefty closer, someone like Rolando Meregalli to lock down the 9th.
6. Keep our league best farm system intact.

Well, that didn't work. So we were forced to sell off the farm to fill those gaps:

1. We traded for veteran ace and beloved Canucklehead Georges Lefebvre instead.
2. We traded for OF Mean Ron Jenkins to DH and hit cleanup instead.
3. We ended up with... ahem... Casey Maurer. Doh!!
4. We traded for OF Bill Treat who isn't exactly a true CF but seems like a nice enough fellow.
5. We traded for a kid named Terry Hyde with a nice curveball and anointed him our late inning saviour.
6. Gone baby gone.

2029 Good Stuff

Much heralded phenom CF Shawn Worden has finally arrived in Montreal. He held his own in a September callup last year, and with CF continuing to be a problem for us we figure he's ready enough to grab it. Worden represents a lot to the organisation... he was the 1st pick in the first draft to take place after the Royals rebooted, and as a result - fair or not - Worden has ended up personifying the new direction of the organisation. He is the first true blue Montreal player with no ties to the old New York establishment. Worden is the new Royals. So yeah... no pressure there kid... it's just the entire organisation you're carrying on your shoulders. Woot!

Last year our offense was a weakness for us. This year should be... completely different. We're excited about a full season of LeClair, hitting in front of Mean Ron, while knocking in Vinnie Bats and Shawn Worden. Plus young SS Vogler, 2B Garcia, RF Congdon, and LF Fareles all hopefully take more steps forward, it's not crazy to think that at least one of them blossoms and becomes a legit star. But even if they don't, I think our bats will be fine.

With the addition of Old Man Georges to pair with Ohayashi AND the triumphant return of Le Bubba we feel pretty good about the top half of our rotation. SP Ted Saturday performed admirably last season as a rookie and shows tremendous promise, but will start the season in AAA... for now. The first time one of Pat Scott or Celio Lages falters (and both pitched over their heads last season so it's almost inevitable) Ted the Saturday Night Special will be our go-to gun.

All hail fiscal responsibility!! Our payroll remains low (just under $75 mil after adding Lefebvre) leaving us plenty of room if we need it. Most of our core is under 30 and locked up for the next 3-5 years with very team friendly contracts.

2029 Scary Stuff

Old Man Georges is old, man. We've stocked up on Ben Gay and Viagra but what if this is the season he runs out of gas?

We continue to be a weak team behind the plate. I mean, seriously... Casey Maurer? Our primary catcher? That statement is ridiculous on so many levels I can't believe I just typed it. We couldn't even sign Paul Davis, sheesh! Jayden Mortlock is probably a season away still, but we'll have to make do with our blech-stop (new word!) until then.

Our bullpen is very average to poor and I expect it to be our biggest achilles heel. Our closer Hyde is entirely unproven... and those heartless Montreal beat reporters can't wait for the first blown save so they can run a "Jeckyl and Hyde" headline. Most relievers are notoriously inconsistent from year to year, so if (more like when) one or two of Millard Bond or Orlando Flores or Scott Baxter struggle there isn't really anyone to back them up.

Regrettably we've had to trade away most of our depth, our pitching and infield are extremely vulnerable to injuries. And it's not like we have anything left in the prospect cupboard to trade with if necessary.

2029 Predictions:

LeClair, LeBubba, Lefebvre bring LeRespectability back to LeBallpark.

I'm certainly not confident enough to predict a playoff appearance... I've been burned before when expecting the kids to mature and develop. Still, there is definitely a renewed sense of optimism that Royals fans haven't experienced in a while. So I'll say 85+ wins, and if we don't make the playoffs New Orleans should have a sweet pick next season.

EDIT: I have decided that Shawn Worden's nickname will from here on out be 'Woot!'. It just seems spunky enough.

[Nah-Lin]

I hope all these moves help the Royals make the playoffs......in 2030. Needless to say I'll be watching the Royals as closely as the Nighthawks this season (though not writing as much about them)

[jadacormier]

In a surprising move Montreal Royals GM Jason Cormier today announced the signing of former 8 time RSL All-Star and 2010 WC MVP Patrick Chapdelaine to manage the upstart young Montreal team. Former Royals manager Dave Austin was unavailable for comment, but is said to have been completely blindsided by the move. Austin had been at the helm for the previous 3 seasons in which the Royals had a combined record of 203-283, but was known as a popular manager with the players who was easy to work with. Nonetheless it had been widely assumed that the inexperienced and inexpensive Austin was always going to be nothing more than a stopgap.

The unusual timing of the managerial change - coming just 1 week into a season with high expectations - has sparked rumours that the signing is a carefully calculated PR move in an attempt to influence comissioner Greg Yale to reconsider Chapdelaine's Hall of Fame candidacy.

Chapdelaine has previously gone on record referring to himself as "the best player to never make it into the Hall of Fame" based on having received 63% of the vote, just short of the 65% required for acceptance. In the last few years there has been a surging campaign led by internet bloggers and statisticians to have Chapdelaine's candidacy reconsidered.

We have the first, exclusive interview with newly hired Royals manager Patrick Chapdelaine since the announcement.

Q: You have no previous managerial experience, so why now? Why here?
A: First off, I may not have managerial experience but I've been involved with the Royals in an unofficial coaching capacity since the team arrived in Montreal. I love this city! It's my home town, I speak the language, and I live here in the summers. When I found out the Pats were moving here of course I expected to follow them closely. The Patriots drafted me and now they were moving the club to Montreal, I thought it was a dream come true. I actually reached out to them... I figured I'd just see if they wanted me to meet and talk to some of the players, which they did, which turned into a bit of casual coaching and hitting advice, which turned into more of a regular thing. Then a few years ago they started bringing me down to spring training to work with all the young kids... And it just kid of snowballed and ended up here.

Q: Sure, but 1 week into the season? You have to admit the timing is odd. You know what people are saying...
A: Yeah, I know. It's all apparently some organised conspiracy to get me into the Hall of Fame. (He chuckles softly to himself.) Look, I'm grateful to those guys on the internet and their new, weird stats that somehow prove I was better than people think. It's... well, reassuring to know I'm not alone and crazy in thinking I really was that good. I mean all it would have taken is one more... a single vote to... to... (Chapdelaine looks away and clears his throat). But this isn't about me. This is about what's right for the Royals. And as for the timing, you'll have to ask Jason about that.

Q: How is your relationship with Jason Cormier? You do have a volatile history together.
A: A volatile history? Volatile? I know what you're getting at and you are way overstating it. I spent all of 4 months playing for his expansion team before I was traded away. I barely remember those days...

Q: Really? There were insults being fired back and forth in the press at the time. Most fans remember it, how could you not?
A: Sure, getting taken away from New Orleans, a winning club, a club I liked, a club I wanted to finish my career with... then taken late in an expansion draft only to be traded 5 months later for nothing of value... that stings. I mean, it uproots your life, your family, your kids lives... And playing for a first year expansion team? Well that's about as much fun as getting your teeth pulled. Honestly, what would you think? So yeah, OK... sure, I called him a dickhead after he wouldn't stop calling me Chappy... Look. I don't like nicknames. I hate 'em. And Jason, he gives EVERYONE a nickname, whether you like it or not. That's his little game. It's a weird power trip or ego thing for him, I guess. You saw those famous sexting photos that leaked out a few years ago, everyone did... and everyone who saw them knows the guy has a lot to compensate for. But that was all a long time ago. And Jason has done a lot for the city of Montreal since then, my home town, and I have to give him credit for that.

Q: So you're saying you're on good terms now?
A: I'll tell you a story. I was there the night they traded JP Berube, I was hanging around after the game to give a few of the kids a pep talk when Jason came to tell us, and... well... Look, see it's hard to hold a grudge against a guy when you see him bawling like that. Like it was embarassing almost, you'd think his wife had died or something. In fact, Thats what I thought had happened, someone had died or something, and then someone told me about the trade and it was, like... pathetic, you know? A grown man acting like that over a baseball player. Business is business, and in retrospect it was a good trade! You had to wonder what kind of relationship they had, Berube and Cormier, all those times they would hang out in the office late at night together just the two of them drinking scotch and smoking cigars. I know there were some stupid rumors and stuff, but in the end I guess he felt like he'd lost a best buddy or something. To keep thinking of him as a jerk when he was LITERALLY curled up in a ball in the floor, pants off again, holding on to JP's old jersey and sniffing it and sobbing... well, that would be like kicking a man when he's down

Q: Do you think Dave Austin got what he deserved? Was he really blindsided as they say?
A: C'mon, you can't ask me that. Dave is a friend, I was giving him a lot of advice these last few years. He's young, you know? Remember all the questions when he was hired about his lack of experience? Maybe being too young was a problem for Dave. He had a sense of loyalty to Jason that I never quite understood... he always loved the whole 'Heart and Soul' thing I think, so lets just say he probably trusted people too much... Yeah. Let's just leave it at that. (After an awkward 45 second silence Chapdelaine mumbles something almost inaudible to himself...) Not his fault he was given a s*** roster, poor bastard.

Q: Are you currently in any discussions with the commissioners office to have another Hall of Fame vote taken?
A: Me? No no... not me, no. But hey, if my old agent, or any of my old teammates, or any of those kids from the internet decide to email or call Mr. Yale on my behalf I certainly don't mind. It's up to him if he wants to reconsider.

[Buane]

It's not like I voted against Chaps :|

[jadacormier]

It's not like I voted against Chaps :|

Chappy! His name is Chappy, have some respect and get it right!

[jadacormier]

Of interest to probably just the two of us:

McExpos v Jada - An Abridged History
(or "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Nemesis" or "Yeah, That Whole Stockholm Syndrome is Totally a Real Thing")

Seasons with both GMs active in the RSL: 15
2012-2019 + 2023-2029

McExpos playoff appearances during this time: 12
Jada playoff appearances during this time: 7

McExpos championships won during this time: 5
Jada championships won during this time: 0

Head to Head Postseason Results

2015: TOR (94 wins) v PIT (98 wins)
PIT wins 4 games to 3
Eagles Magic: Pittsburgh comes back from a 3-1 series deficit to win three straight and take the EC title, going on to beat DEN for their first championship.

2016: TOR (104 wins) v PIT (106 wins)
We failed to meet in the EC title series after a NYC first round upset of TOR in 7 games (someone dropped a fly ball...)
Eagles Magic: Obviously there was some kind of evil hex put on Nitta from afar.

2017: TOR (103 wins) v PIT (108 wins)
PIT wins 4 games to 2
Eagles Magic: Elite closer Marcos Castillo - arguably the best in the game at the time - blows a 4 run lead in the 9th inning of game 6 (key 9th inning moment: bizarre intentional walk to extend the inning for no good reason) then the Eagles go on to beat Chicago for championship number 2.

2024: MON (104 wins) v PIT (93 wins)
PIT wins 4 games to 2
Eagles Magic: Nothing obvious, outside of the fact MON had a +240 run differential that season compared to the PIT +120 yet the Eagles rolled on as if it was any other year.

2025: MON (97 wins) v PIT (95 wins)
MON wins 4 games to 1
Eagles Magic: Voldemort must have been out of town that year. Montreal would go on to lose to Bill Oates and Minnesota in my only ever championship appearance.

2029: MON (86 wins) v PIT (98 wins)
PIT wins 4 games to 2
Eagles Magic: It was a closer matchup than it looks as our pythag records were almost identical during the regular season. Eagles manage to win a post season series in which they were outscored 47-35, including one freakish win which required three Montreal runners to be thrown out at home, including two of them on back to back plays in the same inning, in order for the Eagles to come out on top and eventually go on to win championship ring number 5.

Final Tally

McExpos 4 series wins v Jada 1 series win
McExpos up 17-13 head to head

[Buane]

Maybe it's just Canada that can't beat Matt?

[McExpos]

Four of my five championships have been won after you and I faced each other in the playoffs. You're my good luck charm!

I told Greg that if I was going to lose in the playoffs, then I hoped I lost against you, because I can stomach that but I cannot stomach losing to anyone else.

[jadacormier]

Montreal Royals 2030 Season Preview

Montreal just squeaked into the playoffs in 2029, but overall our stars struggled and our kids didn’t really progress… so this year is a Big Important Season for the Royals franchise. Will the kids finally start producing? We are not known for being patient and giving guys enough time to develop (see Winters & Ferneyh & our devastating history of rushed prospects) so if we fail to contend in 2030 there will likely be changes.

2029 In Review

You could call our 2029 season a success with 86 wins and the first Montreal playoff appearance in 4 seasons. However, on paper we were supposed to be a much more dominant force in the EC. The early pre-season projections had us leading the EC in runs scored off the back of 3B LeClair and new DH Jenkins while winning 94 games. Then we went out and added veteran ace SP Georges Lefebvre. Greatness was expected! Unfortunately, mostly mediocrity was delivered.

Our main issues last season:

1. Bad luck: the heart of the order in LeClair and Jenkins and 1B Bartolli all had extended slumps throughout the season and put up career worst numbers. What are the odds that happens again to a bunch of guys in their prime production years?

2. Injuries: we lost Lefebvre, Jenkins, CF Shawn Worden for extended periods, and SP Pat Scott and cleanup hitting RF James Congdon were out for most of the season.

3. Park factors: The home road splits were absolutely massive, LeClair and Jenkins in particular just *hated* hitting in Mount Royal Park.

The Offseason Plan

We were tempted to jump into free agency and go after some names, but we are committed to giving our young core a bit more time to mature. We’re hoping to see some serious growth from 1B Bartolli, LF Fareles, SS Vogler, RF Congdon, CF Worden, CL Hyde, and SP Ted Saturday... so combined with a weak FA class it meant the Royals weren’t very active.

We would have liked to improve our bullpen, but that proved difficult to do in a tight market where we were outbid by Denver and Atlanta.

That being said, we did manage to pull of one trade, sending C Roberto Alverado (possibly giving up on prospects too early?) going to St Louis for mid rotation starter Carl Trevenot to help bolster our rotation. Otherwise it’s pretty much the same bunch… just hopefully healthier, older, and wiser this time around.

2030 The Good

We didn’t lose anyone we wanted to keep (Jon Bonner you were a nice guy, but you were always a temporary fill in) and in fact our core team remains signed up to mostly reasonable contracts for another 2 or 3 seasons still. Although our payroll has topped $100 mil, our fan interest has increased dramatically which is great, and we’re still in a pretty healthy financial situation leaving us enough flexibility to make any necessary moves later on.

Overall our offense should bounce back somewhat. Ace SP Ohayashi continues to be a consistent performer for us. With SP Pat Scott and RF James Congdon coming off the DL we should get a better team than last year.

2B Marcos Garcia was the one young guy to have that breakout season we were hoping for, hitting 279/346/435 with 17 HR, 32 SB and playing excellent defense at 2B. For the love of all things Royal, be the role model the rest of the team so deperately needs!!

And after season long slumps that seriously depressed their season stats, 3B LeClair and DH Mean Ron both started to pick things up towards the end of the year, and were monsters in our (much too brief) playoff appearance… maybe this means they’re finally getting used to the park?

The upside of having a pitchers park is that your rotation makes mediocrity look pretty good (see every pitcher not named Ted Saturday).

2030 The Bad

Most of our much heralded “kids” (not sure how much longer I can call them that with a straight face) continue to stall in their development. The scouts love SS Larry Vogler, but the results don’t match. LF Andres Fareles has never taken that step up, and is running out of time. SP Ted Saturday… oh man, we’re still not quite sure what happened to him but he just walks around now looking stunned and acting like he’s got PTSD. 1B Bartolli was supposed to build on his breakout season from 2028, but instead he regressed massively.

Our bullpen lost a lot of late games for us last season, and we’re likely to see that happen again. Rookie CL Terry Hyde was incredible for the first few months last season up until his injury, but hasn’t been the same since (it’s almost like he’s two different people… the gentlemanly like Mr. Hyde, and some kind of horrible monster!)

Montreal continues to seek a top tier closer to anchor the late innings, something they haven’t had since they traded away Jose Santos, Alberto Garcia, Steve Powell, and Mike Snow during their infamous fire sale of 2025. Perhaps the Royals bullpen has been cursed by our own hubris. (Note to self: Next time you find you have 4 closers be sure to keep at least one for yourself)

2030 The Question Marks

Old Man Lefebvre is old. And coming off a serious injury that saw his velocity drop… an injury which happened just days after signing a sweet 4 year extension. Doh! Still, we’re hopping for some magic and at least one more decent season from the man. Will his arm hold up?

Will CF Shawn Worden stay healthy and develop? Even if he just manages to put up another 700 OPS his defense means he’ll still be a valuable asset, but he has the potential to be the face of the franchise. Is he ready for that?

Really, the whole rotation has the capacity to be great or implode. Le Bubba, Trevenot, Patt Scott, and Celio Lages all have the same chances of putting up a really strong season as they do of also pulling a Ted Saturday. Who is going to drag the rest of the rotation down this season?

2030 Predictions

I dunno… Pittsburgh is Pittsburgh, Atlanta is better, Washington remains strong, Toronto has a scary good offense, Cincinnati is making aggressive moves to compete, and Joe is an OOTP wizard so anything is possible with Philadelphia. It’s going to be tough. I reckon Montreal is better, but so is everyone else… so I predict a very similar result, with a dogfight for the last playoff spot.

Also, the injustice will continue for another year as Chappy is still not voted into the HOF.

[Buane]

The good news is I'm not picking Montreal as my Eastern Conference team this year.

The bad news is Chapdelaine is still not in the Hall of Fame.

[jadacormier]

Montreal Royals 2031 Season Preview

The Royals are a team coming into the 2031 season with some obvious holes and big question marks, but we are also a team coming off a 96 win season and the best team ERA the franchise has seen in 36 seasons (going all the way back to the Patriots 1997 season… the last time they/we won a Championship…) so the expectations are high.

2030 In Review

2030 was the year we finally learned to love our ballpark. By embracing the wide open spaces we saw SP Carl Trevenot win the ERA title and our mix-and-match castoffs turned out to be the best bullpen in the RSL. Pitching pitching pitching, rah rah rah!

On the other hand… boy do our hitters hate Montreal. The park suppresses offence, so hitting slumps are inevitable. And because "management" is ridiculously impatient, Royals hitters know they're always a 3 week slump away from being traded… to a better fresh start where they inevitably blossom into real hitters again (what psychologists now clinically refer to as the "Mean Ron Phenomenon").

There has been talk of moving the fences at Mount Royal Park in... but 6 months after being appointed, the committee that was created to investigate the need for a blue ribbon panel to research the economic impact of such a move has yet to issue their report outlining the criteria for panel selection. So... uhhhh... yeah... no decision has been made yet.

The Offseason Plan

Montreal came into the offseason looking for some infield depth, an upgrade at catcher, and a RF to replace Zeus. Despite appearances, confidence in our bullpen isn't actually all that high so a quality bullpen arm was the #1 free agent target.

Unfortunately, we failed to land free agent CL Alberto Garcia who we *really* wanted. But we did address our depth issues and traded for a new catcher.

Old Faces, New Faces

GONE:
We lost RF Zeus Antimisiaris to free agency. We traded (OK, dumped) the Old Man Lefebrves and his $18m salary. And in our most controversial and drastic offseason move… we shipped out so-called "professional hitter" Javier Garcia after a pathetic .676 OPS in 1/2 of a Montreal Season.

Letting Zeus walk was tough, he played well and contributed a lot to the overall success of our 2030 season. And Lefebrve, while expensive and terribly fragile, still has a gun for an arm and can pitch like a wiley veteran when he needs to. His 90 IP, 7 wins, and 2.39 ERA will be hard to replace.

ARRIVING:
The Garcia deal netted us C Jose Colon, a quality bat (.833 career OPS) with above average defense at a position we have struggled with for years. Sure, his contract is ridiculous and Colon had fallen out of favour in Seattle for still unknown reasons… but he's just 29 so he should contribute. One unnamed team official said Colon should have at least 20, maybe 25 games to show he can handle playing in Montreal before he gets traded.

And the Lefebrve deal brought back a potential Gold Glove RF in Gordon Jackson. He won't hit like Zeus did, but my-oh-my can he catch and throw. Plus, odds are he probably outhits Javy Garcia anyhow. Still… Jackson is probably nothing more than a strong backup OF considering his career .296 OBP and .699 OPS.

We also landed DH Curt Ross in a 3-way trade with Pittsburgh and Vancouver. Ross rates well, but has never really lived up to his potential. Basically a hitter who has struggled with his confidence who has been traded to Montreal. Royals fans have seen this movie before, and they know it usually doesn't end well. But at least he's reasonably priced and as a lefty he helps balance the lineup.

Rookie Watch

Somewhere someone is writing a country music song called "The Ballad of Roy Jr." because… well, because his name is that ridiculous. And because his transition from failed reliever to SS wizard is the stuff of country music dreams. And because "Roy Jr" can be rhymed with "Cooter". And because he once dated Taylor Swift (but really, who hasn't?)

Roy Jr. is definitely in the mix for starting SS in 2031. After putting up a 292/355/472 line in AA last season while playing excellent defense, Jr. will be pushing Gustavo Carranza this spring. If it goes well he could break north with the team, but most likely he starts in AAA and gets the call up during first half of the season.

2031 Good Things

If everyone remains healthy, we should have one heckuva rotation. Co-aces Ohayashi and Campbell should anchor the staff. Carl Trevenot will regress no doubt, as might knuckleballer Larry Lounsbury, but our park is so very generous and forgiving.

Our commitment to defense should also help make our pitchers look good. A Verberk/Worden/Jackson OF is arguably one of the best defensive groupings in the league and can cover a lot of ground. Our infield defense is well above average across the board too. We'll be turning hits into outs all season long.

And despite the whole "Montreal kills offense" meme… I know, I encourage it at times... really, our core hitters are still pretty good.

1B Graham "Chocolate" LeClair looks like he is finally adapting and settling in. Publicly we say our expectations have been tempered now, and another team leading .909 OPS is good enough… but secretly, we hope that LeClair has at least one more monster 1.000+ OPS season left in him somewhere.

Shawn Worden upped his OPS last season to .788 so we hope the 23 year old takes a big step forward this season. And we hope stays healthy dammit! Lots of regular rest should help.

3B Larry Vogler had his best season yet with a 289/369/456 line and 2B Marcos Garcia exploded onto the scene in 2030 hitting .293 with 20+ homers and 30 steals. These guys are all in their prime, so theres no rational reason to think this won't continue. (Though I feel I've been burned saying this many times before…)

2031 Scary Things

Our ever increasing payroll. We're gambling on RF Jackson suddenly becoming good. Dreamland is still on the roster. The quality of left handed middle relievers we're throwing out there. Our farm system. LF Brent Verberk whenever he has to face a lefty. CF Shawn Worden every time he coughs.

2031 Predictions

Some great pitching. Some frustrating hitting slumps. A playoff spot. A heartbreaking playoff series loss. Same old same old. After a while, this stuff kind of writes itself.