Cubs & Rays
Submitted by: TrevorBarciszewski
Cubs
| Name | Age | Level | P1 | P2 | Availability | Years | AFV | Salary | Surplus | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edwin Uceta | 27 | Majors | RP | Medium | 3.8 | 5.8 | 4.1 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2 | |
| Ryan Pepiot | 27 | Majors | SP | LRP | Medium | 3.8 | 33.1 | 18.5 | 14.5 | 11.6 | 14.5 | 17.4 |
Total Value:
16.2
Rays
| Name | Age | Level | P1 | P2 | Availability | Years | AFV | Salary | Surplus | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Alcantara | 22 | Majors | OF | 5.8 | 15.3 | 0 | 15.3 | 12.3 | 15.3 | 18.4 | ||
| Keegan Thompson | 30 | Majors | LRP | Medium | 2.8 | 5 | 4.1 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.1 |
Total Value:
16.2
Comments
6Uceta has a lot more value than that, he probably takes over the closer role once Fairbanks is traded, I like the main characters of Pepoit and Alcantara but the other pieces would need tweaking cause I don't see TB being all that interested in Thompson IMO
I can’t see the Rays making a significant midseason trade FOR an outfielder this year. Not with J.Lowe expected back in 2-3 weeks and 3 others good outfielders coming back in May/June. Rays are more likely to trade an outfielder than acquire an outfielder.
NEWSLETTER? SURE, SIGN ME UP!
Well the trade deadline is still 2 months away so plenty of variables can happen especially in the OF, I'm not a big Simpson believer but they called him up so I think he should be the permanent CF and leadoff hitter, by default Morel has to be the LF for now, DeLuca and Misner have played themselves onto the roster but then you still have J Lowe, Palacios, and Mangum so it's a lot of potential driven values than as much as current performance. Mangum is a great story but at his peak he'd be a Sam Fuld type, Palacios has the ceiling of a bench role player, and J Lowe has really only had 1 good season mixed with staying healthy concerns, of all those parts I'd rather have Alcantara going forward cause he'd be the most likely complete player, someone that can play the OF that won't get PH for with Mead if they change pitchers plus I'd like to get back to a more athletic type of OF like the old days of Crawford and Upton where not much dropped, Alcantara, Simpson, DeLuca/Misner/J Lowe would definitely help out the pitchers.
Not me. Simpson is here for good. Unless he’s a bust, CF is his for now. One position down. Josh Lowe is easily the next lock in the outfield. You say he has only had 1 good season and I say that’s one more than everyone else. I also say that good season was very very good and probably better than many of the others are even capable of. Lowe has only had one season that wasn’t good (and he still played above replacement level in a year with multiple injuries and his mom fighting brain cancer). He’s a lock for one of the COF spots in my opinion. That leaves one more everyday position and 4 guys to play it (Morel, Mangum, DeLuca and Palacios). I can easily see Mangum, DeLuca and Palacios all hitting around 100 wRC+ and putting up very good defense, while hitting 2 fWAR each. Outfield help isn’t a need this year. No Alcantara, no Robert, no Astros/Dodgers rejects, no no no…. Rays are set.
I think part of it is we are looking at different time frames, if it was 5 yrs ago I'd be fine with this OF but I'm thinking more about 2026 and beyond than so much about this year, at some point in 2026 TB will have pretty much a top 100 prospect infield with Caminero, Williams, Taylor, Morgan, Isaac, Keegan plus no telling who else they get in trade, possibly the greatest infield in team history, and that's being supported by... Mangum and Palacios in the OF, lol not to be down on those type of guys but they really need some high-end OF prospects to go with that infield and pitching staff, TB is married to their system that generally holds them back more than it helps, the only way to get around that is you have to have a lineup of 9 superstars where they can't do their "well the computer says..." stupid bs. Everyone knows to beat the Rays you just have to have a RHP go through the first two times of the lineup, 3rd time you mix in some LHP and TB will trip over themselves to PH weaker RHH to replace the LHH so that by the 4th time through the lineup it's weak RHH vs elite RHBP and game over, it's the Joyce/Rodriguez syndrome as I call it. Tonight was a good example, Aranda is the hottest hitter in baseball but they're starting a LHP with a 50 grade FB so let's sit him to start the 2nd worse hitter on the team, late innings role around and TB starts diving to PH guys, Aranda finally gets in, the big offseason $8M splurge with 2 walks already gets PH for by a guy that couldn't even make the WS roster with the outcome you'd expect, the bench gets emptied and the 9th comes and the worse hitter in the league is up with 2 runners on and Walls does Walls, game over and TB squeaked out 4 hits vs a debuting rookie and are about to get sweeped by the freaking Royals, 2 of the 4 hits come from Aranda and Misner, the guys that couldn't start the game cause the somehow got all the way to the majors without facing a same handed pitcher before. So here's the point I'm making, with Simpson in CF, if they could find a way to pick up 2 top 100 premier OF to go along with that INF they won't be able to get away with their stupid lineup bs, we've seen J Lowe hit LHP before but they'll still PH or bench him if one is pitching, but if you have superstar players then that's not going to happen plus that would hopefully bring a more consistent lineup so that guys can get into a rhythm, this OF is okay but to have an Elite OF of tomorrow the planning and moving needs to start today
I wish I could disagree with any of your Rays analysis but I can’t. LBV and I even discussed it some last night in the GDT (starting Aranda over Mead, to hell with the pitching handedness). That said, if the Rays are going to play that game with Lowe, they will play it with Alcantara. He’s not a needle mover at the plate, which is not a dig at him but a recognition the Rays ain’t changing their ways unless we are talking about an elite bat. I do think the Rays recognize their problem, which is why they’ve acquired a lot of bat first players lately. Unfortunately, the outfield types (Gillen and Guerrero) are so injury prone that I’m not sure we ever see them in the Show. Anyway, I’m all for looking to the future but Alcantara is ready to go now and the Rays don’t need him. He also doesn’t look like a “can’t take me off the field” player. He’s a good player and I hoped the Rays would add him prior to this year, but for now I am content with Misner and Mangum and Deluca and Palacios.