Nashville Stars (MLB Expansion - est 2025)

[WeagleWeagle]

Hello there fellow OOTP junkies! It's multiple failed dynasty writer WeagleWeagle back with another attempt at "reporting" on another journey in this crazy virtual world.

This go around I am taking a stab at expansion something I have thought about playing with for years but never have gotten around too before now.

My plan is to sim through the first 3 years before adding 2 new teams and taking over one as GM. Off we go!

[WeagleWeagle]

There would be no title defense in the 2022 playoffs as the defending world champs Atlanta battled to stay close to .500 all season long. Instead, the NL East was won in a major upset with the Washington National putting together a 91-71 campaign to win their first pennant since 2017. The Nats were carried by one of the best offenses in baseball. The trio of RF Juan Soto (.294, 42 HR, 107 RB), 1B Josh Bell (.275, 34 HR, 102 RBI) and DH Nelson Cruz (.238, 21 HR, 84 RBI) powered this club to the playoffs.

Another surprise emerged in the NL Central where the Chicago Cubs bounced back from a 71 win 2021 season to capture the pennant. Seiya Suzuki lived up to the hype slashing .279/.373/.545 while smashing 36 long balls and driving in 101 runs. They were able to hold off a Reds team no one expected to compete in 2022. Despite injuries mounting up and a suspect offense, Cincy was able to return to the playoffs for the 2nd time in 3 seasons.

The best race took place in the NL West where the Dodgers took home the crown once again but almost faltered down the stretch following a 12-16 September. You have to imagine fans in Atlanta had a hard time watching former beloved superstar 1B Freddie Freeman (.289, 38 HR, 139 RBI) power this Dodgers lineup to another pennant title. Both San Diego and San Francisco came close to upending LA but both were able to earn trips to the postseason.

In the AL, the Yankees looked liked the Yankees of old coming just a game shy of 100 wins. Their rotation was the best in the American League led by a devastating 1-2 punch of Gerrit Cole (19-6, 2.83 ERA) and Luis Severino (18-4, 3.17 ERA). Aaron Judge slugged 53 HRs to help pace a New York offense that spent a lot of time striking out.

For the 3rd straight year the White Sox are headed to the postseason. They posted the 3rd best record in all of baseball this past fall in large part due to one of the best pitching staffs and bullpens in all of the MLB. Lucas Giolito (18-7, 3.67 ERA) provided ace stuff at the top of the rotation while Liam Hendricks (42 SV, 3.27 ERA) shut things down in the late innings.

It wasn’t easy but the Angels FINALLY found their way back into the playoffs for the first time since 2014 winning the AL West pennant. Mike Trout struggled with strikeouts in 2022 but still posted a ridiculous 8.1 WAR thanks to a .399 OBP, 41 HRs and 86 RBIs. Finally baseball fans would get to see Trout and Shohei Otani play some October baseball!

[WeagleWeagle]

So about the Angels finally making the playoffs...

The Guardians were able to capture the Wildcard taking down the Angels before falling to the White Sox. An epic AL East showdown in the ALDS resulted in the Yankees with their big payroll edging out the plucky, low budget Rays. Anthony Rizzo carried the New York offense through a hard fought ALCS series.

Awaiting the Yankees were the Dodgers. An organization gunning for their 2nd WS title in 3 seasons. They easily swept the Padres before outlasting a Cubs club who had swept their way to the NLCS. However, LA ran into a red hot Yankees team who leaned on great pitching and an MVP performance from LF Joey Gallo who smashed 3 homers during the series while batting .333. One of those HRs was an 11th inning walk off to take Game 1.

For the 28th time in franchise history the New York Yankees were World Series champions. Hooray....



A number of organizations decided to shake up leadership and two clubs transferred ownership following the start of the off-season. Toronto elected to part ways with Ross Adkins while Seattle finally pushed Jerry Dipoto out after 7 seasons. In even bigger news, Robert Castelinni sold the Reds to Zion Dizer who is hoping to build on a strong playoff appearance in 2022. Arizona also saw ownership change hands with real estate mogul Sergio Andrade buying the D-Backs from Ken Kendrick.

[WeagleWeagle]

No team made more noise this off-season than the Cleveland Guardians. GM Mike Chernoff has assembled one of the best staffs in all of baseball as the 2023 season quickly approaches. The Guardians added two of the best free agent starting pitchers in Sonny Gray (13-7, 3.55 ERA) & Brad Keller (13-9, 3.79 ERA). These 2 join a staff that already includes ace Shane Bieber (15-10, 3.72 ERA) and youngster Triston McKenzie (6-7, 3.77 ERA). But that wasn’t it. Cleveland also beefed up its bullpen adding 2022 AL Reliever of the Year Aroldis Chapman to pair with closer Emmanuel Clase. Assuming Cleveland can score a few runs this fall, they have a chance to make some serious noise.

Unsurprisingly, the Los Angeles Dodgers were extremely busy during the off-season. The Dodgers let former ace Clayton Kershaw walk and replaced him with Carlos Rodon (13-7, 2.15 ERA) coming off an NL Cy Young season. They also signed SS Carlos Correa to a massive 7 year $230 million deal. It didn’t stop there as LA decided to completely overturn the middle of its infield adding former Philadelphia 2B Jean Segura as well with a 5 year $86 million deal.

Other major moves of note

• Boston Red Sox beefed up middle of its order signing Josh Bell to hit DH and Anthony Rizzo to man first base. The 2 combined to smash 60 HRs last fall.
• Astros traded away some of their top prospects including SP Jaime Melendez (#35 per OSA) for Pirates CF Bryan Reynolds (.242, 18 HR, 77 RBI).
• The Brewers traded away stud closer Josh Haden to the White Sox but then made 2 big moves in free agency signing a pair of starters in Mike Clevinger and Clayton Kershaw
• Minnesota added a pair of sluggers in C Mike Zunino and 1B Jesus Aguilar giving them a very potent looking lineup heading into 2023 despite the loss of Carlos Correa.
• Jacob deGrom remains in New York but not in a Mets uniform. The long time ace inked a 4 year $98 million deal with the defending world champs. Needless to say that generated some controversy in the Big Apple
• Philadelphia saw a major roster overturn with SP Zach Wheeler traded away to the Nationals, SP Zach Eflin also sent away to NL East rival Atlanta while Jean Segura, Didi Gregorius and P Corey Knebel headed to free agency. In their place, the Phillies brought in P Dallas Keuchel, P Frankie Montas and P Charlie Morton along with 3B Evan Longoria and 1B Max Muncy. Fascinating season ahead for the Phillies
• The other big mover were the Giants who lost their Cy Young winner in Carlos Rodon to rival Dodgers and long time 3B Evan Longoria to free agency. However, they had 2 of the splashiest free agent pickups snagging former Dodger 3B Justin Turner and former Red Sox SS Xander Bogaerts. The NL West should continue to be one of the most entertaining divisions in baseball.

[WeagleWeagle]

It turns out adding a Cy Young award winner to your pitching staff and an MVP caliber SS to your lineup can take an already loaded team to another level. That’s what happened in Los Angeles as the Dodgers added Carlos Rodon and Carlos Correa via free agency this past off-season. Rodon put together a 20 win season while Correa earned MVP honors behind a .306, 40 HR, 123 RBI season. The Dodgers featured the best lineup in baseball backed by the best pitching staff in the NL. Life is good when you got money.

Things were once again hotly contested in the NL Central where the Brewers were able to rundown the Reds to take the pennant. Cincinnati entered September as the leader but put together a miserable 8-16 month opening the door for Milwaukee to close strong. Milwaukee was paced by their top notch starting rotation led by ace Corbin Burnes (17-7, 2.85 ERA) and free agent addition Mike Clevinger (11-10, 3.79 ERA).

Atlanta restored order to the NL East recapturing the pennant despite a strong campaign by the rebuilt Phillies. Ronald Acuna mashed 52 HRs while hitting .304 and driving in 123 runs. Michael Harris continues to ascend as a star seeing his HR numbers climb to 26 while hitting for .281. Dropping $72 million on Max Muncy this off-season proved wise for the Phillies as he led the NL in home runs at 55.

The defending champs look poised to defend their title as Aaron Judge continues to assert himself as the best hitter in baseball. The big man lead the MLB in both HRs (56), batting average (.329), slugging % (.660) and OPS (1.082). If you were wondering what Jacob deGrom could do with a real offense behind him it turns out he can go 21-8 while leading the MLB in innings pitched and strikeouts allowing him to post his best WAR (7.6) since 2018.

It took some time for the Guardians to find their flow but boy did they find it during the summer. The Guardians posted a 19-7 June to take control of the NL Central and never looked back. They also stayed aggressive making two big moves during the trade deadline snagging LF Teoscar Hernandez from Toronto and RF Mitch Haniger from Texas. Both ended up hitting over 30 HRs in 2023 giving the Guardians five sluggers to reach that number in 2023.

Life continues to be good for the Angels as it appears they have conquered their regular season demons. Now the question is can they find some postseason success? Meanwhile, former world champion Houston were able to just edge out Tampa Bay and Minnesota take the wild card spot. They had to lean heavily on their bullpen this fall which proved to be one of the best in the major leagues.

[WeagleWeagle]

The Yankees were unable to defend their title getting bounced in the Wild Card series by the Rays. Tampa kept things going by jumping all over Cleveland ace Shane Bieber before winning two very close contests. That’s when they ran into the freight train that is the Angles who FINALLY got a chance to let that star studded roster show what it can do in October earning their first trip to the World Series since 2002.

It was no surprise who awaited them in the World Series. The Dodgers juggernaught got blanked in Game 2 against the Padres before running off 6 straight wins to return to the World Series for 3rd time in 4 seasons. Unfortunately for the Angels there was no slowing down this freight train. After being swept by the Yankees in 2023, the Dodgers were determined to acquit themselves better this go around and that’s exactly what they did. Lead by WS MVP Gavin Lux, the Dodgers swept the Angels in 4 to take home their 8th title.

Immediately following the season, Justin Verlander announced his intentions to retire. The 2x CY Young Award winner and 8 time All-Star selection finished his career 242-143 with a 3.44 ERA and a total WAR of 69.6 (nice). In his retirement announcement he also made it known how he plans to start the next chapter of his life. By running for Congress….

Two more GMs were shown the door this off-season. Oakland’s Dave Forst was sent packing following a very disappointing 63 win season. Another .500 season resulted in D-Backs GM Mike Hazen being shown the door as well.

[WeagleWeagle]

It’s been 8 seasons since the New York Mets earned a postseason bid. 9 since they have one a pennant. And a depressing 38 years since they have hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy. Mets GM Billy Eppler is hoping to change all that in 2024 starting with the signing of LF Jesse Winker. Winker is coming off a World Series winning season with the Dodgers where he slashed .292/.382/.546 and hammered 36 HRs while driving in 109 runs. The Mets are hoping between with his bat and championship experience the 30 year old Florida native can help propel the long suffering franchise towards that ultimate prize.

The Mets also bolstered the top of their rotation signing Eduardo Rodgriguez and Zach Eflin to provide a much needed 1-2 punch. Rodriguez suffered some rough BABIP luck last fall but the underlying numbers are still solid. Eflin dealt with injuries in 2023 but before going down with a rotator cuff injury he was off to a blistering start for Atlanta with a 7-1 record and a 3.04 ERA. Assuming he’s fully recovered, Eflin should serve as the ace of the Mets staff.

San Diego probably saw the most roster churn with P Dinelson Lamet, CF Manuel Margot, C Austin Nola and LF Jurickson Profar all departing. But the Padres GM AJ Preller was unsuprisingly aggressive landing SP Tanner Rourk from Boston on the Austin Nola deal while signing LF Teoscar Hernandez and SP Alex Wood. The Padres have made the playoffs in 3 of the last 4 years but are hoping to breakthrough in 2024 and push for some real postseason success.

Some other moves of note:

• Yasmani Grandal signed a 3 year $64.8 million deal with the Braves. Atlanta will slot him in behind a dangerous middle order featuring Ronald Acuna, Matt Olson and Austin Riley.
• Javier Baez has returned home to Chicago inking a massive 7 year $152.2 million deal with the club that he started his major league career with back in 2014. He’s coming off a solid 2023 campaign that saw him slug 25 HRs and slash .285/.333/.499.
• The A’s made a splash this off-season signing 3B Freddy Galvis to a 2 year deal. Galvis spent a season over in Japan in 2022 before returning to the states where he had a nice season for the Milwaukee Brewers.
• Philadelphia underwent a major roster overturn last off-season and it lead to a playoff appearance. This season there’s been less moves but still one big splash as they snagged former Red Sox 3B Rafael Devers. Devers agreed to a 4 year $98.2 contract in hopes of bolstering an already strong offense this fall. Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Devers, Rhys Hoskins and Max Muncy present as scary a middle order as you will see in the NL this season.

[WeagleWeagle]

No one started the 2024 campaign hotter than the Arizona Diamondbacks who raced out to a 22-8 record after the first month of baseball. But 162 games is a long grind and over time the usual suspects showed their quality. For the 12th straight season the Los Angeles Dodgers captured the NL West pennant. But that was no small feat given how loaded that division was this fall with four of the five members earning playoff bids (poor Colorado).

Speaking of usual suspects, the Atlanta Braves are once again king of the NL East. Ronald Acuna came close to capturing a triple crown finishing 2nd in batting average and RBIs. The Braves never really faced much competition in 2024 and look to be the most dangerous postseason threat to the Dodgers chances at repeating out of the National League.

In the central. Cincinnati did what they had to do to come out with the pennant. They weren’t necessarily elite at any one things but they weren’t awful at anything either. 2022 free agent signee Joey Gallo continues to mash HRs (44) while also striking out at a ridiculously high rate (186). Nick Lodolo (13-9, 3.61 ERA) and Luis Castillo (15-11, 3.52 ERA) make a formidable top of the rotation. Something that could make the Reds a tough out in the postseason.

On the other side of the standings, the Los Angeles Angels easily captured their 3rd straight pennant. A franchise that once consistently underperformed given the talent has now become a juggernaught in hopes of capturing that elusive 2nd World Series title. Unfortunatley for the Angels, they enter the postseason without superstar Shohei Otani who is out with a high ankle sprain. He hit 37 HRs in 2024 while also putting up a 3.24 ERA. A definite blow to the Angles World Series chances.

The AL Central was its usual slugfest of a division. That race went into the final week with the Twins edging out both Cleveland and Kansas City. Byron Buxton continues to be a star in this league while former 8th overall pick Cooper Hjerpe seems to be blossoming into a legit ace.

In the AL East it was a bloodbath with Boston winning the pennant with a 1 game advantage over Tampa Bay. New York hung in for much of the season and were able to earn a wildcard berth. For Boston it’s all about offense with long time veteran JD Martinez (.323, 30 HR, 87 RBI) leading the way. RF Ernesto Galindo though is an emerging star slugging 43 homers in only his 2nd season in the big leagues.

[WeagleWeagle]

For the 2nd time in 4 years and the 5th in franchise history, the Atlanta Braves are World Champions.

It was a dominant performance with the Braves dropping Game 2 of the NLDS to the Reds before ripping off 10 straight wins. It all culminated with a sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays. Yoan Moncada, a trading deadline pickup from the White Sox, earned MVP honors after batting .353 while hitting 3 HRs and driving in 10 runs.

The Rays continue to just hang around and this year came oh so close to taking home the Commisioner’s Trophy. They spoiled a dream of a season for the Angles to earn an ALCS bid where they were able to overthrow the Red Sox who had stolen the pennant from them just a few months earlier.



It was a bloody Saturday following the Braves World Series title. Four well known managers were sent packing. A.J. Hinch was fired from Detroit after an awful 60-102 campaign. Just a year after winning 90 games, Joe Girardi was sent packing by the Phillies. David Ross’s name was added to the departed list following his first losing season as manager since 2021. The biggest news though came from the nation’s capital where the Nats officially parted ways with Dave Martinez following Washington’s 2nd straight losing season. The World Series winning manager will likely find a home somewhere before too long.

Guardians GM Mike Chernoff was the only general manager to be sent to the chopping block this off-season. What an honor.

[WeagleWeagle]

On Thursday, November 10th, 2024, Major League Baseball confirmed what had been long rumored, that the league is officially expanding. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the league will be adding 2 new franchises for the 2025 season.

Reportedly, six applicants were considered: Portland, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Nashville, Austin and Montreal. Manfred announced on Thursday that Las Vegas and Nashville had been chosen as host cities.

The two organizations subsequently announced their team names and minor league affiliates. Las Vegas chose the moniker Vipers, specifically adopting the organization name “Vegas Vipers”. Fresno (AAA), Oklahoma City (AA), Tulsa (A+), Virginia Beach (A), and El Paso (R) were announced as the locations of Vegas’s minor league system.

Nashville elected to pay tribute to its former semi-pro Negro league team from the 1930s choosing the name Stars as its nickname. San Antonio (AAA), Albuquerque (AA), Memphis (A+), Jacksonville (A), and New Orleans (R) were confirmed as Nashville’s minor league locations.

With the 2 new additions there would be a restructuring of the league with both the AL and NL moving to 4 team divisions. A fourth “South” division would be added to each league. MLB announced that Nashville would join the American League and play in the new South division while Vegas would head to the NL. Here’s how the new MLB structure is expected to look for 2025.

AL East

• Baltimore Orioles
• Boston Red Sox
• New York Yankees
• Toronto Blue Jays

AL Central

• Chicago White Sox
• Cleveland Guardians
• Detroit Tigers
• Minnesota Twins

AL West

• Los Angeles Angels
• Oakland Athletics
• Seattle Mariners
• Texas Rangers

AL South

• Tampa Bay Rays
• Nasvhille Stars
• Kansas City Royals
• Houston Astros

NL East

• New York Mets
• Philadelphia Phillies
• Washington Nationals
• Pittsburgh Pirates

NL Central

• Chicago Cubs
• Cincinnati Reds
• Milwaukee Brewers
• St. Louis Cardinals

NL West

• Colorado Rockies
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• San Francisco Giants
• Vegas Vipers

NL South

• Atlanta Braves
• Miami Marlins
• Arizona Diamondbacks
• San Diego Padres

As for the playoffs, Manfred confirmed that the amount of wildcard teams would expand from 3 to 4 resulting in a true Wild Card series that will feature non divisional winners. This series will be a best of 3. The winners would move to the Divisional round to play in a 5 game series against the pennant winners. From there the current League Championship and World Series would stick to the same 7 game format.

[WeagleWeagle]

Now that things are official it’s time to get to work.

The first order of business is building the core of my staff starting with the scouting director. The expansion draft is only a week away so finding a scout is top priority. I immediately focused on Roberto Mejia, a player with MLB experience on an expansion team. He made his MLB debut as a player with the Colorado Rockies in 1993. He only lasted 4 seasons in the big leagues before playing overseas professionally. Now he’s interested in working in front offices and comes with extremely high ratings as a scout. I was able to lock him down with a 3 year $650K deal.

First piece in place.



The 2nd piece would be the assistant GM. My plan is to let that position handle the day to day operations of the minor league system while I focus on handling the careers of our top prospects. I am also looking for a sounding board when it comes to making deals. Spoke with a number of candidates including multiple former MLB GMs. Ultimately landed on former Philadelphia GM Matt Klentak due to his high value as a scout and alignment on building a dominant offensive roster.



Finally, I was on the hunt for a manager. I wanted someone who was aligned with me on lineup construction and bullpen usage while also having a proven track record of success. I quickly landed on Blake Butera who just won Manager of the Year in the Carolina League where he led the Tampa Bay affiliate Charleston Riverdogs to a 92-40 season. Every year at Charleston that team got better and my hope is that he can get the most out of the roster we are able to build in these early years.



After those hires, I focused on building out the rest of the major league staff plus finding the managers for each minor league affiliate. I leave the rest of the staff hiring to Klentak and those specific managers. Did want to highlight that former Milwaukee Brewer star Prince Fielder has agreed to manage our High A club the Memphis Ramblers. If he has success down there don’t be surprised if I start moving him up the org.



Now it’s time to assemble a team.

[WeagleWeagle]

Well it’s done. We have taken our first real step towards building a team for the 2025 season.

It wasn't a surprise but the draft pool wasn’t necessarily loaded with big time talent. Every other franchise got to protect 25 members on their roster from being selected plus any player with under 4 years of MLB service time was automatically protected. As a result, there weren’t a ton of clear studs to choose.

We had the honor of selecting first and I used that pick on former Los Angeles Angels 2B Jeremiah Jackson. Jackson has only had 68 plate appearances in the major leagues, all coming in 2023 and they didn’t go well. But he’s coming off an outstanding 2024 campaign in AAA where he slashed .301/.360/.527 while slugging 30 HRs and driving in 114 runs. Can play 2B, SS or 3B at a high level. Only 24 years old to boot. Unlikely to grow into a superstar but hopefully can be a quality ball player for us.



In the 2nd round, we went looking for pitching. Jacob Nix has thrown a grand total of 42 innings in the MLB and posted a rough 7+ ERA in that limited work. Doesn’t necessarily scream ace but he was solid in triple A last season, sports 5 pitches and generates a lot of groundballs. My plan is to build a strong defensive roster so looking for folks who will throw strikes, keep the ball in the park and let the defense make plays. Nix checks all those boxes.



We snagged our most proven MLB player in round 3 when I decided to pull the trigger on former Guardian Josh Naylor. The right fielder sports the 2nd highest salary on the team at $3.1 million and is one of the few bats in this lineup that knows what it’s like to face major league pitching day in and day out. Injuries have been a problem but when healthy Naylor has been effective. Last season was one of his best where he hit 19 HRs, drove in 67 runs and had an OBP of .326. He will be a guy that hits near the top of the order for us in 2025. He will likely be someone I ship off near the trading deadline for hopefully some young talent.



Some other bigger names that you readers might know:

• 2B Sergio Alcantara (D-Backs) - Elite defender who will likely start at 3B for us in 2025
• IF Jose Miranda (Twins) - Been bouncing around the minor leagues since seeing time with the Twins in 2022. Very good defensive 1B who won’t strikeout much
• RP Cal Quantrill (D-Backs) - Lots of good bullpen arms were available but many carried stupid high salaries for an expansion team. Quantrill was one of the cheaper options. Hoping to flip later this year
• SP Anthony Escobar (A’s) - One of the best prospects available. Ranked #55 right now by OSA. Don’t see ace potential but could develop into a decent back end of the rotation guy or at worst another bullpen arm
• CL Andre Munoz (Mariners) - Most expensive player on the roster right now with a $3.96 million salary. Had 38 saves last year for Seattle. Another hopeful trade bait player come July.
• RP Justin Bruihl (Dodgers) - Experienced reliever who is one of the few lefties in the bullpen

[olympia]

I really liked your quick recaps of the seasons preceding the expansion draft. Now I look forward to watching you build my hometown Stars into a powerhouse. good luck

[WeagleWeagle]

Originally Posted by olympia

I really liked your quick recaps of the seasons preceding the expansion draft. Now I look forward to watching you build my hometown Stars into a powerhouse. good luck

Much appreciated! Long road ahead lol

[WeagleWeagle]

The Winter Meetings have just wrapped up and despite our limited resources it was a productive time. We don’t have the cash to splurge on big named free agents nor are we loaded with assets to pull off blockbuster trades. However, we were able to go bargain bin hunting on the trading block to find a pair of moves that inch us closer to our goals.

Nashville Trades

The trading block is loaded with names but most are attempted salary dumps. We aren’t in a position just yet to eat salary on deadweight in exchange for some high level prospects. But there were a few players who were either out of options and the front offices new they wouldn’t make their active roster or they were blocking an exciting young prospect. Those teams were more than willing to eat the remaining salary on their players in exchange for a useful bullpen arm. That opened the door for us to make 2 moves.

The first was sending over RP Jake Cousins to Kansas City for C Cam Gallagher and 3B Angel Pierre. We took Cousins late in the expansion draft (round 30) along with a handful of other proven MLB relievers specifically for this reason. Teams are always looking to bolster their bullpens.

In exchange we added 2 important pieces. First, we needed another catcher on our MLB roster as we only took 2 in the expansion draft with 1 of those players not ready for the big leagues. Gallagher is a solid defensive catcher with a career line of .266/.327/.381. He’s also slugged 7 HRs and 47 RBIs in his 500+ MLB plate appearances. No superstar by any means but a functional piece for our inagurual roster.

Second and more importantly we snagged Angel Pierre. Pierre is a 21 year old out of the Dominican with excellent upside as a power hitter. He’s coming off a big season in Rookie ball where he put up 2.3 WAR thanks in large part to his .872 slugging percentage. Defensively he’s ok so long term his future is probably at the DH. All about adding as much young talent to the org as possible right now.



The 2nd move involved bolstering our starting rotation while again adding another young talent. We sent Baltimore reliever Jonathan Loasiga in exchange for SP Austin Gomber and 1B Esteban Rosa. Loasiga, like Cousins, was a late selection in the expansion draft (round 34). The former Yankee would have been one of our best bullpen arms but given our circumstances that doesn’t really matter right now. Baltimore is expected to use him as a closer.

While Austin Gomber is far from a stud, we are in desperate need of MLB caliber arms in the starting rotation. He also gives us a southpaw to throw out there every once in awhile. He split his time between Baltimore and AAA last fall. The 5.29 ERA is a bit misleading as he was dealt with some rotten BABIP luck but not expecting him to be All-Star caliber. Hopefully just competent enough to be moved later this season.

The real prize was Rosa. He's an extremely raw prospect but someone Meija believes can develop into a slugging first baseman. Only 18, he just finished his first season of professional baseball where there were some understandable struggles. His timeline is a long ways off but hopefully when we are gearing up to make our first pennant run he’s someone that can be close to contributing.



MLB Updates

• 10/31/24 - Yankees ship off Luis Severino to the Angels in exchange for 1B Jared Walsh and the #159 prospect per OSA in SS Alexander Vargas
• 11/29/24 - Braves make the first big free agent splash of the off-season signing former Dodger starter Walker Buehler to a $168.8 million deal. Buehler is coming off a 14-6 campaign where he posted a 3.23 ERA. The top of Atlanta’s rotation is now Max Fried, Mike Soroka and Walker Buehler. Not bad….
• 11/29/24 - Just hours later former NL East rival Philadelphia also made a big move. 34 year old SP Zack Wheeler is returning to the Phillies after inking a deal just north of $97 million.
• 11/29/24 - One of the biggest prizes this free agency is headed to the Yankees as New York and former White Sox star SS Tim Anderson agreed to a 6 year $25 million deal.
• 12/03/24 - Julio Urias is headed to the AL. The former Dodger has agreed to a 5 year deal worth an estimated $106 million with the Twins. The rotation in Minnesota is very quickly becoming one of the better ones in baseball.
• 12/04/24 - Frequent baseball crusher and strike out victim Joey Gallo is taking his fun brand of ball west to the Los Angeles Dodgers who absolutely needed ANOTHER slugger in that lineup
• 12/06/24 - Yoan Moncada was able to parlay that World Series MVP with the Braves into a 4 year $22.4 million deal with the Boston Red Sox
• 12/11/24 - One of the biggest international free agents is off the market. Japanese import 2B Junji Takata inked with St. Louis today where he’s expected to immediately give a boost to the middle of that redbird lineup
• 12/15/24 - The White Sox are looking to bolster the middle of their order and are willing to pay top dollar to do it as evidenced by the ridiculous deal they just gave former Twin 3B Gio Urshela. The 33 year old signed a 5 year $96 million deal with the club. Seems risky…

Rule 5 Draft up next!

[WeagleWeagle]

The Rule 5 Draft is probably one of the best opportunities for us to add some real talent to the org in the early years of this new franchise. So I had to resist the urge of drafting 6+ players all whom Meija think have upside. Instead, I limited myself to 3 selections to add some young talent to the active roster but not any prospects that are truly 2-3 years from being ready to contribute in the majors.

IF Tyler Black (Milwaukee Brewers - Rd 1, 2nd OVR Pick)

Black does a lot of things well at the plate. At 6’2” 200 lbs he’s got enough muscle to hit for some power but also sports an excellent eye. Over the last 2 seasons in the minors he’s been excellent slashing .267/.393/.451 with 23 HRs and 83 RBIs in AA back in 2023 before continuing to stay hot in AAA with 21 more HRs and 80 RBIs. He’s yet to see any time in the majors but it’s clear he’s ready for a shot. Where he fits defensively is the big question. Meija thinks he can develop into an elite first basemen so that’s where we will start him.

LHP SP Jesus Gonzalez (San Diego Padres - Rd 2, 34th OVR Pick)

Like Black, Gonzalez has spent all of his time down in the minors. In fact, he hasn’t played above double A ball yet in his career but that’s not his fault. With the numbers he’s put up since 2022, he’s clearly ready to take the next step. A southpaw sinkerballer with 3 effective off speed pitches, Gonzalez’s style should fit in well with our club which leans heavily on defense this season. Don’t expect him to become an All-Star caliber arm or anything but should be effective for us as we get this organization off the ground.

3B Willy Vasquez (Tampa Bay Rays - Rd 3, 66th OVR Pick)

The final pick might have been my favorite. Again no MLB experience but he oozes potential. Vazquez is an excellent defender at the hot corner and has a balanced profile at the plate. He posted a 142 OPS+ in AA back in 2023 and then slugged 22 home runs the following year. I like Vazquez’s upside a lot moving forward.

[WeagleWeagle]

Right before the start of Spring Training, Nashville owner Dave Cocci informed me the budget was rising $20 million. Which is awesome! But also… WHERE WAS THIS EARLIER??!!

The free agent pool is pretty thin right now but I did put that cash to some use with 2 acquisitions. The first was signing CF Michael A. Taylor a 1 year $5 million “show me what ya got” deal. Taylor is one of the best defensive outfielders in the game but lacks much at the plate these days. He was solid off the bench last year for Philadelphia and he provides us some flexibility in the outfield. Maybe he will start the season hot and I can flip him for some prospects but worse case scenario he gives us a gold glove caliber outfielder. Never a bad thing.

The other pickup was Eugene Suarez who has been consistently solid his whole career. Specifically he provides some power from the right side of the plate having hit 85 home runs over the last 2 seasons. He’s also a solid defender at 3rd. Again, the hope is he can have a solid start to 2025 and we can move him for young talent.

As for spring training, the biggest news was the injury to RF Josh Naylor. The 27 year old was considered our most proven player on the roster so this is a pretty big blow. His injury history was a concern for us during the expansion draft but we decided to take the risk in hopes he’d stay healthy enough to be moved at the trade deadline. Instead, he will spend 60 days on the DL rehabbing a strained hamstring…

There wasn’t much to be excited about on the field. Unsurprisingly, we finished with the worst record in spring ball at 8-21. Unfortunately, Vegas went 16-14 leading to some mumblings both from the fans and the media about the kind of team we are assembling thus far but we will see what plays out during 162 games. I don’t think their roster is all that much better than ours. Though they were aggressive in inviting proven MLB players to spring training and quite a few caught on. 2B Dylan Moore, LF Andrew Benintendi, and SS Addison Russell are all expected to start after earning a spot during spring training for the Vipers.

Probably the top performer in spring training for us was a similar story in LF Willie Calhoun. During the spring he slashed .312/.450/.562 while leading the team in OPS. He along with Taylor give us some proven MLB experience in the lineup which took a hit with Naylor’s injury. Rule 5 draft pick 3B Willy Vazquez was also a standout hitting 3 HRs while putting up an OPS of .912. I am very excited about his future. Not saying he’s a future All-Star but I think he can be a good building block for this franchise.

MLB Updates

• 12/19/24 - It’s gonna be weird seeing J.D. Martinez in another uniform but at least he’ll still be in red. The longtime Red Sock signed a 2 year $34 million deal today with the Cardinals
• 12/20/24 - The Padres are looking to bolster their rotation as they move to a new division this fall. Today, they came to an agreement with SP Joe Ross for $67 million over 5 years.
• 12/20/24 - News kept breaking today as the Phillies landed one of the premier international free agents in CF Jung-hoo Lee. Lee agreed to a contract worth $88 million over 4 years. He posted a WAR over 6 the last 3 seasons in the KBO
• 12/21/24 - After 2 excellent years with the Brewers, SP Mike Clevinger is headed to a new NL Central team after he and the Cubs came to an agreement of $84 million over 5 years.
• 12/25/24 - Chicago stays aggressive adding landing former Mets star 1B Pete Alonso. The Cubs are hoping to make some noise in the smaller NL Central this fall.
• 1/06/25 - Big move for the Tigers who land SS Nick Ahmed thanks to a $77 million deal over 4 years.
• 1/15/25 - Inauspicious start for the Vegas Vipers as their 12th round pick from the expansion draft 1B Taylor Jones fell down some stairs and fractured his wrist. He’s expected to miss at least 2 months
• 1/18/25 - More bizarre news as Guardians ace Shane Bieber will be suspended 5 games after spending too much time on his nightclub business….
• 1/21/25 - Craig Kimbrel is returning home. The 36 year old closer signed a 2 year $16.8 million deal with the Atlanta Braves. He returns to the franchise he made his ML debut with back in 2010.
• 1/24/25 - Rough news for the Giants as star 3B Xander Bogaerts suffered a major setback in his recovery over a ruptured MCL. It’s looking like another 6-7 months before he can return to action. Brutal blow
• 3/2/25 - Fans in Minnesota are excited as the Twins and 2B Jorge Polanco agreed to a 5 year extension worth $20 million. The 31 year old has spent every season with the Twins since being called up in 2014.
• 3/6/25 - 1B Jose Abreu ain’t the same player he was a few years ago but he can still provide some pop in the middle of the lineup or at least that’s what the Pirates are hoping as they signed the 38 year old to a 1 year $4.2 million contract
• 3/8/25 - One of the Braves top relievers is out for pretty much the whole year due to bone chips in his elbow (ouch). Royber Salinas has been one of the standouts in the Braves farm system past few seasons and is coming off an impressive 6-0, 2.85 ERA campaign in 2024

[WeagleWeagle]

With Opening Day almost upon us, BNN dropped its updated top 100 prospects and unsurprisingly no one apart of Nashville is anywhere to be found. The minor league top systems ranking paints a disturbing picture for how far we have to go to even have the farm system in place to compete in the MLB.

We do have 2 players ranked in the top 200 which is more than Vegas can say. 3B Willy Vasquez comes in at #118 while 1B Tyler Black is #155. Both were Rule 5 pickups. Again that’s one of the best opportunities we have early on to add some legit young MLB talent to our roster.

Here’s a look at the top 10 prospects in baseball heading into 2025:

1.) RF Andres Bernal, 18, San Francisco
2.) 2B Juan Morales, 18, Milwaukee Brewers
3.) SS Jesus Padilla, 17, Cincinnati Reds
4.) 3B Juan Lara, 18, Minnesota Twins
5.) 3B Payton Green, 22, Toronto Blue Jays
6.) CF Sanho Caleiro, 18, Atlanta Braves
7.) RHP Jonah Tong, 21, Cleveland Guardians
8.) RHP Mason Marriott, 22, Oakland Athletics
9.) RHP Bubba Chandler, 22, Pittsburgh Pirates —> could make MLB debut in 2025
10.) LF Juan Rojas, 18, New York Yankees

Outside of Chandler, most of these prospects are a few years away from seeing the big leagues. Keep an eye on New York Mets 2B Jacob Gonzalez, Seattle’s CF Enrique Bradfield Jr, Atlanta’s SS Yordys Valdes, Los Angeles Dodgers’ SP Abel Moya, and Milwaukee’s SP Jefferson Figueroa as guys that could see their first MLB action and push for that Rookie of the Year award.

As for top systems, Baltimore sits in the #1 spot with 5 players in the top 30. Cleveland comes in at #2 with 2 in the top 15 and Toronto is #3 thanks in large part to Green and CF C.J. Ramos (#13).

Unsurprisingly, not many folks are interested in parting ways with those highly rated prospects. We’ve poked around all off-season and we just don’t have the assets to make any of those types of moves. So I gave my scouting director Robert Meija a different task. “Go find kids you project to be elite at something”.

Sure it’s nice to have well rounded prospects but those don’t grow on trees and they are expensive to acquire. Especially so if you have no assets to trade with. So instead, let’s go find those kids who have a chance to be special at something, get them in our organization and see if we can build those other skills. Worst case scenario the farm system is loaded with elite defenders, HR hitters and pitchers that walk no one. I can live with that.

Meija turned up a few names and we were actually able to make a move for one. CF Alvarao Granados was an international discovery for the Detroit organization back in 2022. Meija projects him to be an elite defensive player with the chance to be a decent doubles hitter that doesn’t strike out much. Got his first taste of professional ball in Rookie League last year where he struggled a good bit at the plate. But he projects to be an elite outfielder and an elite baserunner with 80 grade speed. The prototype for type of acquirable young talent we can access right now.

So we made a deal with Detroit to send over veteran Dansby Swanson who we recently signed to a AAA team. The former #1 overall pick has really struggled in the majors past few seasons so we had signed him more as a depth piece. Detroit thinks they can use him this season. Works for us.

[WeagleWeagle]

Opening Day is finally here. The Stars make their debut at home in Music City Park against the formidable Los Angeles Angels this Thursday to start the season. While expectations are low for this inaugural squad, excitement is still high in the home of country music as the journey really begins.

So let’s take a look at the first ever edition of the Nashville Stars.



Starting Rotation

RHP Jacob Nix | 29 years old | Fullerton, CA | 2.5 (Overall)/2.5 (Potential)
Acquired via Expansion Draft from San Diego

Nix arguably had the best spring among our starters which is how he earned the Opening Day start. Until 2 rough finishes he was flirting with a sub 1 ERA. He’s coming off an excellent 2024 campaign in AAA and is hoping to prove this fall he belongs in the big leagues. He’s a ground baller without great stuff but the ability to throw strikes and keep the ball in the park.

RHP Johan Oviedo | 27 years old | Cuba | 2.5/2.5
Acquired via Expansion Draft from St. Louis

While Nix exhibits excellent control and works down in the zone hoping to force ground balls to offset the lack of stuff, Oviedo is looking for a strikeout every at bat. He throws a fastball that can touch 97 and has a wicked slider for his strikeout pitch. The curve and changeup need work but he’s an interesting contrast to a lot of the other arms we have in this rotation.

RHP Cal Quantrill | 30 years old | Canada | 2.5/2.5
Acquired via Expansion Draft from Arizona

No one in our rotation has as much big league experience as Quantrill. In fact, he might have the most MLB experience of any player on our 26 man roster. He’s also coming off his best season as a pro with the D-Backs where he went 4-3 with a 2.49 ERA while posting a 7.7 K/9. Quantrill started the spring poorly but got better as the month went on. He’s also well respected by the team being named captain for the 2025 season.

LHP Jesus Gonzalez | 23 years old | Venesuela | 2/2.5
Acquired via Rule 5 Draft from San Diego

Gonzalez got knocked around a good bit during spring training posting a 6.59 ERA. He’s young though and this is his first taste of MLB action. Gonazalez has a 4 pitch repertoire built off his sinker that sits in the mid 90s. The hope is he can generate a lot of ground balls and let our defense make some plays.

LHP Austin “Big G” Gomber | 31 years old | Winter Garden, FL | 3.5/3.5
Acquired via Trade with Baltimore

Gomber will anchor the rotation to start the 2025 campaign. The lefty has 4 good pitches in a 91-93 mph fastball offset by a curveball, slider and changeup. His movement and stuff isn’t great so liable to give up some long balls but unlikely to walk a lot of folks. Don’t expect ace stuff from him just asking for competency.

Bullpen

LHP Justin Bruihl | 27 years old | Petaluma, CA | 2.5/2.5
Acquired via Expansion Draft from Los Angeles Dodgers

Bruihl will serve as our lefty specialist to start the 2025 season. He’s been brutally effective against lefties in his limited MLB career holding them to a WHIP of 0.73. He’s not an overpowering arm but instead relies on great control and movement to confused left handed batters. Another sinker baller, Bruihl will get a chance to throw a career high innings this season.

RHP Corbin Martin | 29 years old | Houston, TX | 2.5/2.5
Acquired via Expansion Draft from Arizona

I thought Martin might end up in a starting role when we drafted him back in November but he will start in the bullpen as a long reliever and emergency spot starter. His career high in innings pitched in the majors came back during his debut season in 2019 so this is a big opportunity for the journeyman to prove he belongs.

RHP Randy Dobnak | 30 years old | South Park Township, PA | 2.5/2.5
Acquired via Expansion Draft from Minnesota

Another sinker baller who lives to force groundballs, Dobnak will also see time as a long reliever and spot starter. He lacks major league stuff but has elite control and movement which should theoretically allow him to keep the ball in the park and runners off the bases. Very interested to see how his skillset translates to the MLB.

LHP Ben Bowden | 30 years old | Lynn, MA | 2.5/2.5
Acquired via Expansion Draft from Texas

Bowden is the inverse of Dobnak. He’s all stuff and he’s looking for K’s each at bat. The lefty sports a devastating changeup he loves to go to when looking for a strikeout in a critical situation. Over his career he’s posted a 10-8 record with 5 saves and an ERA of 4.54 in 109 IP. So he’s no young pup seeing his first action.

RHP J.P. Freyereisen | 32 years old | Stillwater, MN | 3/3
Acquired via Expansion Draft from Tampa Bay

The elder statesmen of the bullpen, Freyereisen dealt with some soreness in his throwing shoulder during spring training limiting his opportunities. But he’s experienced having thrown over 146 innings of major league ball and has a career ERA of 3.81. His 3 pitch repertoire of fastball, slider and changeup all have great stuff and movement. It’s all about limiting the amount of free passes.

RHP Andres Munoz | 26 years old | Mexico | 3.5/4
Acquired via Expansion Draft from Seattle

I thought Munoz would be the closer especially coming off a 38 save season for the Mariners but Butera wants to use him more as a high leverage guy which I won’t argue. No one in this bullpen has better stuff and his 1-2 punch of fastball and slider is as good as any in this league. Just have to dial that cannon of his in and throw strikes. Because when he does his stuff can tough 101 and leave batters looking silly in the box.

RHP Jordan Romano | 31 years old | Canada | 4/4
Acquired via Expansion Draft from Milwaukee

I really like the backend of this bullpen. Munoz will be the 7th inning, high leverage guy while Romano will work in that 8th inning setup role. He spent time there the past few seasons with the Twins so it’s a role he’s comfortable with. Only 2 pitches, fastball and changeup, but he knows how to throw them and knows how to strike people out.

RHP Nick Robertson | 26 years old | Rocky Mount, VA | 3/4.5
Acquired via Expansion Draft from Boston

Robertson isn’t the guy I had pegged for that closer role but Butera likes his potential and his stuff. Like Romano, he relies on a fastball and slider to get the job done. His spring training audition went well where he recorded 2 saves and only surrendered 2 runs over 13 innings pitched.

Lineup

C Cam Gallagher | 32 years old | Lancaster, PA | 2.5/2.5
Acquired via Trade with Kansas City

Gallagher will serve as our backup catcher and sub in for Hunt every 3rd game. Not a very impressive spring from him so hoping to see more this fall.

C Blake Hunt | 26 years old | Costa Mesa, CA | 2.5/2.5
Acquired via Expansion Draft from Pittsburgh

An excellent defensive catcher, Hunt is still developing as a hitter at the plate but has flashed some early gap power. He will be making his major league debut on Opening Day so I imagine there will be a few butterflies that first inning.

IF Tyler Black | 24 years old | Canada | 2/3
Acquired via Rule 5 Draft from Milwaukee

Black can play 1B, 2B or 3B. Butera elected to play him where he’s most comfortable and effective which is 1B to start the year. Like Hunt, he’s making his MLB debut against the Angels. He’s coming off 2 huge seasons in the minors and we are hoping to see that success carry into the big leagues. Not a power hitter, Black will be acting more as a table setter for this offense in 2025.

IF CJ Chatham | 30 years old | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 2/2
Acquired via Expansion Draft from Arizona

A defensive specialist, Chatham will serve as a spot starter for much of the infield and a late defensive sub when needed. I don’t expect much out of his bat but that’s ok as long as he makes plays in the field.

IF Jeremiah Jackson | 25 years old | Mobile, AL | 2.5/3
Acquired via Expansion Draft form Los Angeles Angels

The first pick in the Expansion Draft, Jackson is someone we think long term can be a part of this organization. He’s an excellent defensive 2nd basemen with the potential to hit for plus power. He’s been raking in AAA for a few years now with only 68 MLB plate appearances. Excited to see what he can do as a full season starter.

3B Eugenio Suarez | 33 years old | Venezuela | 2.5/2.5
Acquired via Free Agency

Suarez is a HR hitting 3B with a good glove. He will strike out a lot. He won’t hit for a high average but he has proven he can consistently slug 20+ home runs in a season. Our offense lacks a lot of power. Suarez will be asked to provide a lot of it this season.

3B Willy Vazquez | 23 years old | Dominican Republic | 2.5/3.5
Acquired via Rule 5 Draft from Tampa Bay

Ya’ll know I am excited about this kid. A potential 5 tool player with his whole career ahead of him, Vasquez is definitely someone I am hoping can be a building block for this roster in the years to come. He’s another bat in this lineup that will be making his major league debut on Thursday in Music City Park.

SS Ismael Rivera | 24 years old | Dominican Republic | 2/2.5
Acquired via Free Agency

This man does not strike out. He might not hit many home runs or put up a .300 average but he’s gonna put the ball in play and make the defense get him out. He’s also an elite defender who will get his shot as the starting SS this fall. We signed Rivera early in the off-season to a minor league deal. He got a spring training invite and outplayed some of the guys we thought would earn that spot. So let’s see what the youngster can do.

LF Willie “June” Calhoun | 30 years old | Vallejo, CA | 1.5/1.5
Acquired via Free Agency

Calhoun was another minor league free agent pickup who got a spring training invite and won a roster spot. No one looked better in the batter’s box for the Stars during spring than Calhoun so he’ll get his chance to revitalize his career in 2025. He spent all of 2024 in Texas’s AAA affiliate where he slugged 20 HRs and hit .325. Time to see if he can still play in the big leagues.

LF/RF Oscar Gonzalez | 27 years old | Dominican Republic | 2.5/2.5
Acquired via Expansion Draft from Cleveland

I think Gonzalez is intriguing. He’s got plus power potential and is a very good defender in those corner OF spots. Can he be a .280 with 25+ HRs type of guy? That remains to be seen but that’s the profile we think he has long term.

OF Kyle Isbel | 28 years old | Fontana, CA | 2/2
Acquired via Expansion Draft from Kansas City

Isbel won his roster spot with a solid spring training where he posted the 2nd best OPS for the Stars. Defensively he can play any 3 of the OF spots and provides a running threat off the bench when needed. A useful OF utility player who can wear a lot of hats for us this fall.

OF Michael “Miggy” A. Taylor | 34 years old | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 2.5/2.5
Acquired via Free Agency

Taylor was a late pickup after the budget increase. I wanted to ensure we had an elite defender in centerfield and that’s what we got in Miggy. He hasn’t hit he ball well in awhile so I don’t necessarily expect that to change but hopefully he can win us a few games this fall purely by running down some fly balls that would have been doubles with someone else out there.

LF/RF Nelson Velazquez | 26 years old | Puerto Rico | 2.5/2.5
Acquired via Waivers from Chicago Cubs

We snagged Velazquez off waivers just before spring ball. He’s a corner outfielder with a big bat who likely won’t hit for a high average. But we need some HR power in this lineup and Velazquez has the ability to provide some of it. The Cubs gave him a single AB in MLB last season so he’s chomping at the bit for some real action this fall.

vs RHP

1.) L Kyle Isbel LF

2.) R Tyler Black 1B

3.) R Willy Vazquez 3B

4.) R Oscar Gonzalez DH

5.) R Jeremiah Jackson 2B

6.) R Nelson Velasquez RF

7.) R Blake Hunt C

8.) R Michael A. Taylor CF

9.) R Ismael Rivera SS

vs LHP

1.) R Tyler Black 1B

2.) R Willy Vasquez 3B

3.) R Jeremiah Jackson 2B

4.) R Eugenio Suarez DH

5.) R Nelson Velazquez RF

6.) L Kyle Isbel LF

7.) R Blake Hunt C

8.) R Michael A. Taylor CF

9.) R Ismael Rivera SS

Season Expectations

Our owner Don Cocci has given us the goal of “not sucking completely” which I respect. BNN has us projected to win 68 games which maybe qualifies? We are probably gonna suck regardless so I will be extra sure to obey his wishes on upgrading the catcher position and finding a top prospect. Would be cool to find someone that was both!

I don’t expect us to win very many games. Opening the season with the Angels is brutal but at least it’s at home. My hope is some of these pieces prove to be better than most folks think (Jeremiah Jackson, Willy Vasquez, Jesus Gonzalez) but it’s not the end of the world if they are not. The goal this fall is simply to find anyone that’s of value and ship them off for young talent. My goal is to see our minor league system ranking make a big leap forward by this time next season.

Let’s play ball!!!

[kev24fan]

Looking forward to this. I hope you do good with this new team.