July got off to a terrible start and didn't get much better as the month progressed.
The Expos dropped the final two games of the series against the Nationals and got swept by the Cubs. Next I won 1 of 3 against the Reds.
After the all-star break The Expos won 3 of 4 against the Phillies as Drury won another player of the week award. Next, we won 1 of 3 against San Diego and 1 of 3 against Arizona.
With the month seemingly spiraling out of control, I decided to demote Magnifico and Jackson to AAA and promote Godfrey and Adams. This move actually moved Tate into the rotation and Adams to the bullpen. I also put Xu on the DL with an expected absence of two weeks and promoted 1B Rincon.
I also made my first trade since the beginning of the season sending insignificant minor league pieces to the White Sox for RP (with potential to start) Paddock and two young minor league starting pitchers. Paddock, 27, is above average in the three main pitching categories and has a solid four pitch mix. SP Jim Wilson, 19, has above average potential for four pitches and all of the three main pitching categories. SP Bob Caballero, 22, fits the same mold and is a bit more developed than Wilson, but not fully developed like Paddock.
To make room for Paddock, I placed Reid-Foley on the DL.
Next the Expos won 1 of 3 against the Cardinals. They then closed the month winning 1 of 3 versus Tampa Bay. This closed the month out with an abysmal 8-16 record.
The trade was a big positive, but unfortunately it was the only one I was able to swing as not many teams were biting on any of my players. Perhaps it will take another year to build up the value for some of my players as many of them have limited MLB success or track records.
Ceciliani and Drury put up a great month of July. Drury led the team with 7 HR, 18 RBI, and tied for first with 16 R. Massey also had 16 R. He and Dillard both performed above average for the month. Also worth noting, 1B Santiago Rincon was other-worldly, though in only 22 PA, with 4 HR and a 271 wRC+.
Kaprielian and Reid-Foley put up outstanding months in the rotation with Kaprielian 41.1 IP pitching more than twice as many innings as Reid-Foley. Tate struggled quite significantly after rating as my top pitcher last month.
Next up is the August recap. We will see once again if the Expos can rebound after another poor month...