Greater Chicago Strat League Newsletter

August 04, 2023

KEY DATES:

1. 8/9/2023 (Wednesday) – 26-man rosters and pitching rotations (Starter Schedule) due.

2. 8/21/2023 (Monday) – Final player settings and manager tendencies, along with default lineup number specifications for each game due.

FINES & FINANCES:

NO CHANGE

Bank Balance: $1638.98

Outstanding Credits: $140 total - BUR ($20), COL ($20), HMA ($40), JAM ($60)

League Balance: $1498.98

DIVISION RACES: TRADE IMPACTS

A quick look at trade summaries and how division races are impacted:

CAPITOL

WRK: 71-43 - 1st (17-7 July), 13 Game Lead

● .248 (13th), 152 HR (7th), 3.31 (2nd)

● .257/.458 vL, .244/.415 vR, 3.42 Starter ERA, 3.13 Bullpen ERA

● Total Additions: None

● Total Subtractions: None

● A strong month and everyone else in the division in sell mode, I guess nothing was needed. Currently the #1 seed, can they hold on to a first round bye?

HUC: 58-56 - 2nd (13-11 July), 7 back in WC

● Total Additions: DYE-5

● Total Subtractions: Eric Haase, Santiago Espinal, Brandon Hughes*, Jose Leclerc, HUC-13

● 1 trade this month, moving anyone he planned to cut who still had any value with their current cards. Might result in a few more losses over the final 48 games.

VRN: 54-60 - 3rd (13-11 July), 11 back in WC

● Total Additions: Garrett Hill, David Peterson, DUB-3, CRC-8, OAK-9, NYY-12

● Total Subtractions: Livan Soto, Edmundo Sosa, Tyler O’Neill, Daniel Hudson, Collin McHugh, VRN-12, VRN-13, VRN-15, VRN-16

● 4 trades - again moving anyone he planned to cut who still had any value with their current cards. No keepers here - some picks help.

COL: 50-64 - 4th (9-15 July), 15 back in WC

● Total Additions: None

● Total Subtractions: None

● He sold less than others in the division, so maybe a strong final stretch?

JAM: 49-65 - 5th (5-19 July), 16 back in WC

● Total Additions: Riley Greene*, Kyle Freeland, HOH-3

● Total Subtractions: Manny Machado, Lance Lynn, JAM-10

● 2 trades this month, 1 big one: bye bye Manny! He is putting up bad numbers for him, but similar to 2017 and 2019 which he followed with great years - but he is 31 now. Riley is a 22 year old CF hitting .306/.371/.475. Is it sustainable? Lynn and Freeland will both likely be available in the draft.

CAPITOL

DYE: 64-50 - 1st (15-9 July), 3 Game Lead

● .259 (7th), 157 HR (6th), 4.16 (10th)

● .288/.519 vL, .249/.423 vR, 4.13 Starter ERA, 4.26 Bullpen ERA

● Total Additions: Gio Urshela, Eric Haase, Santiago Espinal, Alek Manoah, Hector Neris, Brandon Hughes*, Jose Leclerc, AAR-13, HUC-13

● Total Subtractions: Nolan Gorman, Josiah Gray, Andy Ashby, Gavin Williams, DYE-2, DYE-5

● A great pitching month recaptured the division lead, but didn’t slow down the front office from pulling off 3 big deals. Manoah is a new #1, and * rated to go with 2 other * rated starters in this rotation. Down year, but a bounceback candidate. Neris will join the setup crew with Hughes and Leclerc middle relief depth. Urshela fills a big hole at 3B (both ways) and Espinal brings a slick glove to 2B/SS with a good bat vs L. Haase is a backup C for the playoffs and maybe a couple series down the stretch (22 PAs remain). Nothing he gave up hurts him this year, but Gorman and Williams are young players already producing at the MLB level and will be missed. Gray and Ashby are replaceable prospects.

CHI: 61-53 - 2nd (12-12 July), 3 back in Division, 4 back in WC

● .261 (6th), 181 HR (3rd), 4.42 (15th)

● .275/.492 vL, .255/.460 vR, 4.67 Starter ERA, 4.24 Bullpen ERA

● Total Additions: JP Feyereisen, Pete Fairbanks, SRD-11

● Total Subtractions: Angel Martinez, Chris Flexen, Luis Cessa, CHI-4

● 1 trade for a team still trying to stay alive - but not trying too hard… Martinez is a solid prospect to lose, but Fairbanks is a really good closer for TB. This may be more about next year, although it could make for an interesting stretch run as well.

TAM: 57-57 - 3rd (13-11 July), 8 back in WC

● Total Additions: HMA-5

● Total Subtractions: Luis Gonzalez*, TAM-10

● 1 trade - Gonzalez just coming back from an injury with an unclear future value, but a 5th isn’t exactly an impact deal. This is about changing the team chemistry.

GGG: 49-65 - 4th (13-11 July), 16 back in WC

● Total Additions: None

● Total Subtractions: None

● Nothing to see here.

SRD: 47-67 - 5th (7-17 July), 18 back in WC

● Total Additions: Angel Martinez, Chris Flexen, Luis Cessa, Kyle Garlick, CHI-4, DUB-7

● Total Subtractions: Sam Haggerty+, JP Feyereisen, Pete Fairbanks, SRD-11, SRD-16

● A couple deals to get the team looking to next year. Martinez is a good, but not great, SS prospect, but they could miss Fairbanks at the back of their pen next year (although limited innings).

COASTAL

CRC: 70-44 - 1st (15-9 July), 5 Game Lead

● .262 (3rd), 171 HR (5th), 3.62 (5th)

● .266/.441 vL, .261/.451 vR, 3.70 Starter ERA, 3.48 Bullpen ERA

● Total Additions: Manny Machado, Jacob deGrom, Collin McHugh, AAR-10, VRN-12

● Total Subtractions: Riley Greene*, Mitch White, CRC-2, CRC-8

● 1 game back of the top seed drove management to 3 deals and a statement to the league. In comes another power right handed bat and elite defense 3B in Machado to go with Judge and Trout - a scary (albeit all right handed) middle of the order. deGrom may only have 1 playoff start in him (a great one), but all 64 innings are left for the final 2 months. McHugh should settle in as a top setup option. McHugh and deGrom may be approaching retirement, but MAchado likely has a resurgence left in him and another 5 good-to-great years. Riley Greene is a great young CF, but the haul seems worth it.

DUB: 65-49 - 2nd (15-9 July), tied 1st WC

● .264 (2nd), 192 HR (2nd), 3.98 (9th)

● .275/.470 vL, .260/.487 vR, 4.45 Starter ERA, 3.09 Bullpen ERA

● Total Additions: Sam Haggerty+, Trayce Thompson, Livan Soto, Ryan Helsey, Daniel Hudson, VRN-16, AAR-16, SRD-16

● Total Subtractions: Kyle Garlick, David Robertson, Edward Olivares, Garrett Hill, DUB-2, DUB-3, DUB-7

● 3 nice complimentary trades to last month’s bid moves. Halsey and Hudson will combine to provide an improved closing option the last 2 months and for the playoffs. Thompson will start as a corner OF and probably bat 3rd, with Haggerty another lefty killer and Soto a scary bat for 55 PAs vs R down the stretch and a PH in the playoffs. Should be enough to lock down a wild card, but not sure he can keep pace with Division leader CRC.

CUB: 59-55 - 3rd (14-10 July), 6 back in WC

● Total Additions: Nolan Gorman, Ji-Man Choi, Josiah Gray, Andy Ashby, NYY-11

● Total Subtractions: Alek Manoah, Hector Neris, CUB-8

● 2 deals - 1 of significance to get a jump start on next year. Manoah may be missed in the future, but not next year. Gorman steps in as a great young 2B option ready to immediately contribute - although with a high K rate and work to do with his patience. Gray provides some back of the rotation help with some upside - at least some quality innings. Ashby’s prospect status is questionable as he can’t seem to stay healthy.

BUR: 46-68 - 4th (9-15 July), 19 back in WC

● Total Additions: Ken Waldichuk*, Taylor Clarke, HMA-8, NYY-10

● Total Subtractions: AJ Pollock, BUR-7, BUR-13

● I guess he needed innings? 2 deals - not a lot of impact.

DAL: 40-74 - 5th (7-17 July), 25 back in WC

● Total Additions: None

● Total Subtractions: None

● Nothing to see here.

SOUTH CENTRAL

OAK: 66-48 - 1st (15-9 July), 1 Game Lead

● .255 (8th), 100 HR (19th), 3.31 (3rd)

● .241/.387 vL, .260/.407 vR, 3.33 Starter ERA, 3.29 Bullpen ERA

● Total Additions: Tyler O’Neill, Tomas Nido, VRN-13, VRN-15

● Total Subtractions: Yadier Molina, Michael Fulmer, David Peterson, OAK-9, OAK-13

● Power is still a gap and not sure these 2 minor deals did much to address that. They did what they could, but didn’t have much to give up and thus didn’t add anything more than some bench depth at C and LF. This is going to be a nail-biter!

HOH: 65-49 - 2nd (16-8 July), tied 1st WC, 1 back in Division

● .238 (17th), 194 HR (1st), 3.58 (4th)

● .233/.439 vL, .240/.457 vR, 4.07 Starter ERA, 2.99 Bullpen ERA

● Total Additions: Jean Segura, Lance Lynn, JAM-10, NYY-16

● Total Subtractions: Kyle Freeland, HOH-3, HOH-11

● Don’t count them out yet… A strong month has them in a good position, but these 2 deals are not going to change too much. Lynn is a nice addition to the middle of his rotation and Segura will help the lineup a little vs L. On the bright side, he gave up almost nothing for those nice pieces - and his division rivals did even less.

HMA: 61-53 - 3rd (10-14 July), 5 back in Division, 4 back in WC

● 245 (14th), 105 HR (18th), 3.71 (6th)

● .235/.403 vL, .249/.398 vR, 3.80 Starter ERA, 3.57 Bullpen ERA

● Total Additions: Luis Gonzalez, AJ Pollock, TAM-10, BUR-13

● Total Subtractions: Ken Waldichuk*, HMA-5, HMA-8

● A rough month seems to have kept their attention on next year. They are not giving up though and did make a couple minor deals to add a left handed bat and a lefty killer to their OF. They seem more likely to grab the #1 pick than the Wild Card, but this division is still up for grabs with a lot of H2H games, anything can happen.

NYY: 59-55 - 4th (11-13 July), 6 back in WC

● Total Additions: Yadier Molina, Jose Iglesias, Michael Fulmer, David Robertson, Edward Olivares, DUB-2, BUR-7, CUB-8, HOH-11, OAK-13

● Total Subtractions: Trayce Thompson, Ji-Man Choi, Jean Segura, Tomas Nido, Ryan Helsey, Taylor Clarke, NYY-10, NYY-11, NYY-12, NYY-13, NYY-16

● Seems like the 11-13 month killed their morale and they went crazy in the front office, first buying and then selling. The amount of traffic here is unbelievable: 7 deals! I am not sure they gained much as they just seemed to want to turn things over. A 10th, 12th and 16th upgraded to a 2nd, 7th and 8th and Robertson should be a decent closer option for next year.

AAR: 49-65 - 5th (11-13 July), 16 back in WC

● Total Additions: Edmundo Sosa, Mitch White, Gavin Williams, DYE-2, CRC-2, NYY-13

● Total Subtractions: Gio Urshela, Jose Iglesias, Jacob deGrom, AAR-10, AAR-13, AAR-16

● 3 deals, moving some injured players they are giving up on. 2 seconds is nice, but 24 year old pitching prospect Gavin Williams is the one guy he could be excited about - ready to step into the back of the rotation (with limited innings) next year and some upside around the corner.

TRADE SUMMARY (since 7/3/23):

To BUR: Ken Waldichuk*, HMA-8

To HMA: AJ Pollock, BUR-13

To DUB: Livan Soto, Daniel Hudson, VRN-16

To VRN: Garrett Hill, DUB-3

To HOH: Lance Lynn, JAM-10

To JAM: Kyle Freeland, HOH-3

To DYE: Gio Urshela, AAR-13

To AAR: Gavin Williams, DYE-2

To NYY: Edmundo Sosa, VRN-15

To VRN: NYY-12

To VRN: David Peterson, OAK-9

To OAK: Tyler O’Neill, VRN-13

To AAR: Edmundo Sosa, NYY-13

To NYY: Jose Iglesias, AAR-16

To NYY: Yadier Molina, Michael Fulmer, OAK-13

To OAK: Tomas Nido, VRN-15

To BUR: Taylor Clarke, NYY-10

To NYY: BUR-7

To CHI: JP Feyereisen, Pete Fairbanks, SRD-11

To SRD: Angel Martinez, Chris Flexen, Luis Cessa, CHI-4

To CRC: Collin McHugh, VRN-12

To VRN: CRC-8

To TAM: HMA-5

To HMA: Luis Gonzalez, TAM-10

To CRC: Jacob deGrom, AAR-10

To AAR: Mitch White, CRC-2

To HUC: DYE-5

To DYE: Eric Haase, Santiago Espinal, Brandon Hughes*, Jose Leclerc, HUC-13

To DUB: Sam Haggerty+, SRD-16

To SRD: Kyle Garlick, DUB-7

To CRC: Manny Machado

To JAM: Riley Greene*

To CUB: Ji-Man Choi, NYY-11

To NYY: CUB-8

To DYE: Alek Manoah, Hector Neris

To CUB: Josiah Gray, Nolan Gorman, Andy Ashby

To DUB: Ryan Helsey, Trayce Thompson, AAR-16

To NYY: David Robertson, Edward Olivares, DUB-2

To NYY: HOH-11

To HOH: Jean Segura, NYY-16