GM_CheatSheets Montreal Expos Rebuild

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The international amateur period opened and I imported the class into my spreadsheet, revealing an average class. I don't have a signing restriction this year, however I don't have a whole lot of money available for free agents, so this might not be a great year to go over the spending limit.



I identified 3B Cortez as my top target, but he quickly exceeded what I was comfortable offering him. I also made offers to 3B Nakashima, CF San Juan, and RF Balderama. I also made an offer at one point to SP Penagos, but that pursuit was short lived.

Ultimately, I signed 3B Nakashima for $1.08 million and RF Balderama for $372,000. Nakashima has the potential for an above average to great bat in more of a power/contact with poor eye/discipline mold. Defensively he should stick at 3B with a plus arm, though he may make a few errors. OOTP rates him very poorly. Balderama on the other hand has a balanced batting profile that has the potential to be average to slightly above average. He is a bit of a speculation pick.



If I had committed more to the low end signings earlier, I could have ended up with a few more players, however, I though I might be able to get one of the top talents at a reasonable price. As long as I have a strong class both in quantity and quality in the next year or two, this won't be any kind of a setback.

Next, we look at how the Expos fared in July...

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With a comfortable lead already for first place in the NL East, July was a great month for the Expos.

The month started with the Expos winning the game of a three game set started in June versus the Nationals. The Expos went on to win 1 of 3 versus the Cubs and 2 of 3 versus the Reds before the all star break. This year I had three pitchers make the National League All Star team: SP Caballero, SP Killough, and RP Takara. Though he wasn't hitting as well as I hoped at AAA, I did call up SS Warren at this point as he should clear the Super 2 eligibility point now.

After the break, the Expos won 3 of 4 versus the Phillies, 1 of 3 versus the Padres, 2 of 3 versus the Diamondbacks, 3 of 3 versus the Cardinals, 2 of 3 versus the Rays, and the first game of a series with the Red Sox.

This adds up to a 16-8 record for the month. It also increased the Expos lead in the NL East to 13 games. LF Derringer was named the rookie of the month for the second month in a row and looks to be the top candidate for the Rookie of the Year Award.

As the trade deadline approached, I tried shopping some of my AAA pitching depth around, but there wasn't a whole lot of interest. I ended up making three one-for-one minor leaguer-for-minor leaguer trades.

First, I sent MiLB SP Newman to Las Vegas for MiLB SS David Carruth. Newman looks to be paralyzed from advancing due to control issues. Carruth is a utility type with an average to above average bat. OOTP is even more optimistic about his bat than my scout. As a 24 year old in rookie ball, he fits the profile of my speculation plays on well developed and old for their level position players.

Second, I sent MiLB SP Luck to Minnesota for MiLB CF Miguel Paredes. Luck ranked well on my prospect board, but with an already loaded bullpen and better starting prospects, I decided to get the best player I could for him now. Paredes is still fairly young (22 years old) and features speed and defense as his calling card. His bat is slightly above average and pretty fully developed with the possibility of his home run power improving to average. He was tearing it up in A and A+ ball and will likely make an immediate jump to AA in my system. OOTP isn't quite as high on his bat as my scout but believes in his speed and defense.

Third, I sent MiLB SS Gillette to Baltimore for MiLB CF Jim Blair. Like the Luck-Paredes swap, in this one I sent an older prospect that I didn't have much use for away in exchange for a younger prospect. Blair's bat is fully developed and average across the board. He has plus speed and plays great defense, though with a weak arm. I'm not expecting anything from Blair, but this is the type of player I feel comfortable adding to my system in hope that my coaches can unlock another level of production out of his bat.

Here are the batting performances for the month:



RF Lindberg and LF Derringer led the team for the second month in a row with only a slight down tick from their impressive June. 3B Flores was just a level below their output and 2B Albies had a good month as well.

SS Warren's month was a disaster as I debated all month whether to send him back down to AAA or not. The only positive is he did improve his current contact and home run power by one point each in the end of the month development report.

And here are the pitching performances:



SP Caballero (2.32 ERA, 3.14 FIP) was my top starter again. SP Killough got back on track and wasn't too far behind him with a 2.70 ERA and 4.05 FIP for the month. SP Diplan was average while SP Garcia and SP Womble struggled.

In the bullpen RP Sandborn, RP Mosqueda, RP Hitchcox, and RP Salazar all had sub-1.00 ERAs for the month. RP Takara (1.54) and CL Bedingfield (2.02) were not far behind them. Bedingfield picked up another 7 saves in July.

Next is a look at the updated, midseason organizational top 30 prospects list...

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Below is my midseason update to the organization top 30 prospect list.



Notes and observations:

• Graduating prospects are LF Derringer and SP Garcia.
• 2B Dipert (#30) and SP Roque (#27) make the list immediately after being drafted.
• CF Paredes (#19) and SS Carruth (#29) join the list as trade acquisitions while SP Luck and SP Newman departed in trades.
• The biggest riser is SP Kamphuis from #26 to #7. He has the highest potential of any starting pitcher in my system. He's only 18 years old and was a $2 million international amateur signing. Baring catastrophe, he will get a full write up as a top 20 prospect before next season.
• SP Tejada, a $4 million international amateur signing, moved up from #21 to #12. He should get a write up next year as well.
• There were a number of previously unranked players who made the list, most of whom were top draft picks: SP Turkel (#16, 2026 Rd 1), 3B Lawrence (#21, 2025 Rd 4), LF Fisher (#22, 2026, Rd 3), CF Cecil (#23, 2025 Rd 2), and SP Walker (2028, Rd 2). I hopefully they will all continue to move up the list.
• It is especially good to see SP Turkel return to the list as I thought very highly of him as a 1st round pick. He has posted sub 3.00 ERAs with great strikeout numbers at A and A+ over this year and last.
• On the flip side, last year's first rounder, SP Castiglione has continued to regress and looks to have an uphill battle to return to the list.
• 3B Lawrence looks to be my next big batting prospect and I expect will continue to rise up this list. He has hit for great average and power this year briefly at A+ with most of his time spent at AA. He is 22 and arguably should be in AAA right now. He should stay at 3B but could pick up some 1B or serve as an unconventional 2B.

Next, the Expos continue their push for a division title and return to the post season...

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August got off to a bit of an ominous start with RF Lindberg and LF Derringer diagnosed with day-to-day injuries for 1-2 weeks each. Ultimately they were able to play through these without issue.

The Expos won 2 of 2 versus the Red Sox and were swept in three games versus the Dodgers. C Lopez would miss five games with an injury so I sent SS Warren down to AAA and called up C Edwards. When Lopez recovered, I would send Edwards back to AAA in favor of SS Goette.

The Expos continued with wins in 3 of 3 versus the Marlins, 3 of 4 versus the Pirates, 2 of 3 versus the Mets, 2 of 3 versus the Indians, 2 of 3 versus the Reds, 2 of 3 versus the Giants, 0 of 4 versus the Braves, and the first game of a series against the Athletics.

This adds up to a 17-12 record in the month for the Expos. It leaves them with a 17.5 game lead in the NL East with only a month to play.

MiLB LF Fisher received the top bat award for the AA Eastern League for the month and could push for playing time in the majors as soon as next year. SS Warren went on a tear after his demotion back to AAA and was named the International League top bat for the month with a .318 AVG, 4 HR, 23 RBI, and 18 R. This is the best stretch he's put together with his bat and gives me hope he will eventually be able to reach his batting potential in the majors.

Here are the batting performances for the month:



2B Draxler was the only outstanding performer for the month. SS Albies, CF Stark, and LF Derringer all had good months. RF Lindberg and 3B Flores were a notch below them.

And the pitching performances:



The Expos' pitching was dominant this month, especially the rotation: SP Womble (2.15 ERA, 2.16 FIP), SP Caballero (2.87 ERA, 2.35 FIP), SP Garcia (1.82 ERA, 3.53 FIP), SP Killough (3.32 ERA, 3.56 FIP), and SP Diplan (2.06 ERA, 3.60 FIP) all combined for 26 quality starts in 29 games started.

In the bullpen, only RP Crose had an ERA over 4.00. CL Bedingfield picked up 11 saves during the month.

Next up, rosters expand as the Expos carry a comfortable division lead into September...

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With rosters expanding, SP Nick Britland (trade acquisition), RP Devon James (trade acquisition), RP Brian Caprio (2025 Draft, Rd 3), SS Mike Phipps (2024 Draft, Rd 3), C Bobby Edwards (trade acquisition), RF Corey Davidson (MiLB FA signing), and CF Ross Wright (2025 Draft, Rd 5) all received call ups. This is a larger group than I would normally add.

The Expos continued their series with Oakland, winning 1 of the remaining 2 games. They then won 2 of 4 versus Arizona, 2 of 2 versus the Padres with the third game suspended until the end of the week. With SS Warren still hot at AAA, I called him back up to the majors.

The Expos won 1 of 3 versus St. Louis and 4 of 4 versus the Cubs, clinching the NL East on a walk-off win in the Cubs series.

The Expos lost the continuation of the suspended game versus the Padres and won 2 of 3 versus the Nationals, 2 of 3 versus the Phillies, 2 of 4 versus the Mets, and 3 of 3 versus the Pirates. RP Hitchcox suffered the first major injury of the season at the MLB level for my organization. He will miss the next 9 months.

This gives the Expos a 19-10 record for the month and 98-64 record for the season. This is good for third place in the NL and place the Expos in a matchup with a wild card team for the first round of the playoffs. I'm surprised this record did earn a first round bye.

Here are the batting performances for the month:



2B Albies and 3B Draxler had great months, leading the Expos' offense. 1B Flores, C Lopez, RF Lindberg, and LF Derringer all played well. In his return to the majors, SS Warren played a little better than his first go around, but still struggled mightily. I'm not sure what to make of him right now as he is not especially young for a prospect.

And here are the pitching performances:



SP Caballero had the best month of my starters, averaging 7 1/2 innings in his six starts with a 1.79 ERA and 2.21 FIP. SP Garcia also performed well with a 3.26 ERA that outperformed his 4.26 FIP by a run. SP Diplan, and SP Womble were about average and SP Killough struggled a bit.

In the bullpen, RP Britland impressed as he did not allow a run in his 8.1 innings. He may make a play for a rotation spot next year. RP Takara had a minuscule 0.57 ERA in 15.2 IP, CL Beddingfield picked up 10 more saves, and RP Salazar and RP Aguilera each struggled in their limited action.

Next up is coverage of the Expos' first playoff appearance in the past few years...

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The Expos faced the Tampa Bay Rays in their wild card series match up. The Rays finished the season with a 86-77 regular season record and lost the season series 5-4 to the Expos.

The Expos won game one by a score of 5-3 behind the strength of a strong start from Caballero and a three-run home run from C Lopez.

The Rays then pushed the series to a third game with a 5-2 win. SP Diplan pitched a decent game, but the Expos offense just didn't come to life in this one.

The Rays clinched the series with a 5-3 win. SP Killough continued his late season struggles, surrendering 4 runs in just 3.1 innings. The Expos rallied to score 2 runs in the 9th, but ultimately came up short.

Though disappointing, this isn't too surprising as this is a mostly young and inexperienced team when it comes to the playoffs. The only players returning from my last playoff appearance were: RF Lindberg, backup OF Boissiere, backup C Dillard, SP Caballero, RP Mosqueda, CL Bedingfield, and RP Crose. It could be coincidence, but speaking from memory, I have found playoff experience to have a marginal effect on playoff outcomes.

Next is a recap of the Expos 2029 regular season...

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The Expos' overall record was 98-64 (.605), a 14 game improvement from last year. This was well above my expectation as well as above the OOTP preseason projection of 95 wins. According to the expected record, the Expos should have won 100 games.

This was the first time the Expos have won the NL East division since I have been in charge. It looks like I am here to stay too. Not only is my team looking good for the next several years, but what was just a few years ago one of the toughest divisions in baseball is now looking to be relatively weak.

Here are the season totals for batters:



This was a great offensive team as six players finished with 3 or more WAR. Leading the way was 2B Draxler with 5.5. His performance this year was a much welcome surprise as he had the ratings but no track record for producing at this level. Next, at 4.6 WAR is SS Albies. This is also a surprise as I thought Albies was on the downside of his career. I wouldn't mind keeping him around another year given SS Warren's poor MLB showing so far, however, he is in line for a massive, multi-year contract now. RF Lindberg (4.1), 1B Garza (3.5), LF Derringer (3.5), and 3B Flores (3.0) were the other players to reach 3 WAR.

I had three players with 20+ HR: RF Lindberg (26), LF Derringer (22), and 3B Flores (21). Lindberg eclipsed the century mark with 102 RBI while Albies (85) narrowly beat out Draxler (84) to lead the team in runs. Derringer (.305) and Garza (.300) had the top batting averages. Draxler also led the team with 10 SB. Despite having a lot of speed, the Expos attempted few steals.

Overall, I'm very happy with this. Even with Albies leaving, this team has the look of a good offensive (and defensive) core.

And here's how the pitchers did:



SP Caballero recorded the best WAR on my team at 6.2. Without checking, I believe this is the highest WAR recorded by any player on one of my teams since I began the franchise. SP Diplan recorded another strong 4.4 WAR season and SP Killough posted a strong 3.7 WAR to round out the top of my rotation. The back end of the rotation did a little worse in WAR as their FIPs were worse than their ERAs. SP Womble had 2.2 WAR and SP Garcia had 1.2 WAR. This was both of their first full seasons in the majors, so I'm still happy with these marks.

SP Caballero (2.50) and SP Killough (2.92) were the only starters with an ERA lower than 3.00. Caballero led the team in QS (28), W (22), and WHIP (1.03). Diplan had the most strikeouts with 210.

CL Bedingfield led relievers with 1.5 WAR and 48 saves. RP Mosqueda, RP Sandborn, and RP Hitchcox also reached the 1 WAR mark.

Overall, this team definitely had the talent to make a strong run in the playoffs, but unfortunately it did not materialize. With almost everyone returning for next year this is a very promising sign.

Up next is a look at the top overall teams and the playoffs...

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Four teams exceeded 100 wins this year: the Houston Astros with 104, the Atlanta Braves with 102, and the Cincinnati Reds with 101. The Expos finished with 98 wins, good for the fourth best record in the majors.

Cincinnati and Oakland advanced to the world series with Oakland coming out on top in game 7.

The A's roster was built on the strength of its pitching and looked almost identical to the Expos in terms of WAR (two aces with an above average third and average fourth and fifth starters). My offense was much more potent than the A's. This confirms for me that the team I've built is championship caliber and should come home with a trophy in one of the next few seasons.

Next, with so many exciting prospects I've drafted, signed, or traded for rising through my system, I'm going to start a new minor league focused feature...

[GM_CheatSheets]

This is the first of what I intend to become a regular post as part of the season wrap up series. In this I will share some of the most exciting prospect performances in my system. To do this, I will sort by WAR at all levels and pick and choose the players I want to cover.

But first, here is a team recap of my minors:

AAA Virginia Beach Marvles - 94-50, 1st
AA Elk Run Heights Dobermans - 88-54, 2nd
A+ Audubon Park Spuds - 86-54, 1st *League Champions
A- Plattsburgh Animals - 39-37, 2nd
A- Po'ipu Channel Cats - 30-46, 4th
R Anchorage Giants - 25-43, 6th
R Honolulu Super 66 - 14-54, 9th

As is custom, let's start with the batters:

3B David Lawrence, 22 (2025 Draft, Rd 4)

Lawrence had the best season of all players in my system. He started the season with a promotion to A+ where he earned 1.6 WAR in only 47 games and 205 PA before earning a promotion to AA. He played the majority of the season (65 games, 289 PA) at AA where he earned 4.3 WAR. With about a month left in the minor league season, I promoted Lawrence to AAA. He responded with 2.0 WAR in 25 games and 109 PA.

He hit for both average and power and seemed to get better at each level he moved up to. His totals across all three levels were 603 PA, .313 AVG, 32 HR, .260 ISO, and 7.9 WAR. He was named the MVP of the Eastern League (AA). He could be positioned for a midseason call up next year if he continues to hit in AAA.



LF Mitch Fisher, 24 (2026 Draft, Rd 3)

Fisher started the year at AAA, a big leap from A+ and he did okay. A few weeks into the season he was sent down to AA where he really started to take off. In 65 games and 279 PA he earned 3.0 WAR. I promoted him back to AAA with about a month left in the minor league season and he hit much better in the return appearance. Between the two combined AAA stints, he earned 1.7 WAR in 45 games and 176 PA.

Like Lawrence, he also hit for both power and average. His totals across both levels were 455 PA, .291 AVG, 28 HR, .303 ISO, and 4.7 WAR. He finished second (to Lawrence) in MVP voting for the Eastern League (AA). He could be positioned for a midseason call up next year if he gets off to a good start in AAA.



SS Greg Warren, 22 (2024 Draft, Rd 1)

Warren has earned most of his value with a strong glove at SS, but this year started to show some of his power potential in the minors. In 94 games and 407 PA at AAA, he earned 4.7 WAR. The rest of his line included .252 AVG, 10 HR, .172 ISO, and 15 SB.

While it is encouraging to see Warren finally show some results that reflect both his current and potential ratings (average contact, average discipline, and plus power), it does come with some caution that he struggled so mightily in his 176 major league PA. He should open next year as the Expos' starting shortstop.



And a few pitchers:

SP Nick Britland, 25 (Trade w/KC 5/2028)

Britland arguably should have been on the major league team all year, however due both to the pitching depth I've accumulated and the fact that it would be best for him to continue developing as a starting pitcher, he started at AAA. Then, due to there not being any injuries, he stayed in AAA until rosters expanded in September.

He started 27 games, throwing 166 innings in AAA. He recorded a 2.55 ERA, 3.15 FIP, 1.07 WHIP, 3.6 BB/9, and 8.7 K/9 for 3.1 WAR. After his promotion to the majors, he threw 8.1 shutout innings of relief. He should begin next year in the majors, potentially as a starter.



SP Nelson Aguilera, 23 (Trade w/CWS 11/2027)

Aguilera was promoted to AAA to start the season and responded with a stellar 29 starts and 171 IP. He recorded a 2.11 ERA, 3.06 FIP, 1.03 WHIP, 2.7 BB/9, and 7.1 K/9 for 3.4 WAR. He earned a call up to the majors after the AAA playoffs ended where he had two appearances including one poor one and one good one. He received the International League (AAA) Outstanding Pitcher Award.

Despite his strong ratings and results, I still consider him a borderline starter at this point as his stamina is below average (7 out of 20). I have had starters with his stamina pitch well for a full season in the past, though. He will likely start in AAA again next year, though he could make the Expos as a left reliever. Again, this is mostly due to the incredible pitching depth I have in the majors right now.



SP Jimmy Turkel, 22 (2026 Draft, Rd 1)

Turkel started the season with a promotion to A+ where he started 27 games, threw 149 innings, and earned 2.7 WAR. He received a late season call up to AA where he made 2 starts, threw 13 innings, and earned 0.4 WAR.

Combined across these two levels, he had 29 starts, 162 IP, 2.50 ERA, 3.28 FIP, 1.07 WHIP, 2.5 BB/9, and 8.8 K/9 for 3.1 WAR. He will likely return to AA for the start of next season.



There are, of course, more players who had good seasons in the minors. This is just a sampling of the players I'm most excited about given their performances over the past year. That all six of them are in the upper levels of the minors is also a good sign for the near term outlook for the Expos.

Next, the offseason begins and my front office gets to work...

[GM_CheatSheets]

For the first time in a few years I return all of the same staff. The first decision of the offseason is to execute RP Mosqueda's $3.6 million option. His first year after signing this now three year extension was a bit rocky, but his stuff and velocity make him a great reliever and better than the lefty depth that is accumulating in AAA waiting for a call up.

Next, I made a trade to try and clear up a little of the pitching bottleneck. I sent RP Salazar and MiLB CF York to San Diego for C Karl Stacey and MiLB CF Jesse Martin. Stacey will serve as a right handed backup to C Lopez with Dillard set to depart. Martin is a marginal upgrade over York and should start in the upper minors.

The Expos have three players entering free agency. I offered SS Albies a qualifying offer and decided to let LF Boissiere and C Dillard go without offering either a contract.

In arbitration, I settled with 1B Garza for $6 million, RF Lindberg for $5.28 million, CL Bedingfield for $4.62 million, 3B Flores for $3.6 million, RP Sandborn for $2 million, and C Lopez for $800,000. I did not tender CF Stark or CF Williams a contract.

SP Caballero, in his second to last arbitration year, was open to signing an extension. I eventually locked him up for 4 years totaling $62 million with a fifth year option at $22 million). His salary is set to increase to the $20 million level after SP Diplan's ($25 million/yr) salary is off my books.

With that accomplished, I entered free agency. This year I have $24.5 million available for free agent signings. Unfortunately, looking at the available players, there are a lot of pitchers (my strongest position) and very few outfielders (my one position of need).

I signed SP Jay Blake (26 years old), to a one year $900,000 contract. He is a lefty who should start in my AAA rotation and could be a lightning in a bottle type signing if he pans out.

Before the Rule 5 draft, I had to clear a few 40 man spots to protect my prospects and I ended up losing RF Davidson to a waiver claim. This probably wasn't my smartest move because I was looking to add, not subtract outfield help. However, I ended up selecting RF Joe Gaines as a Rule 5 selection to offset the loss of Davidson. Gaines is pretty much average across the board and doesn't figure to make much of an impact if he manages to stick in the majors for the full season.

To close out the offseason I made two trades. I started by looking to take on an overpaid veteran on a one year deal paired with a prospect, but was having a little difficulty identifying such a player. It's possible that this was due to changes in the shop a player/trade engine in OOTP 18.

The first trade was a straight prospect swap as I sent MiLB SP Pittman (a former supplemental first round pick who never developed any control) to Seattle for MiLB SP Jonathan Medina. Pittman must have had some value to Seattle as Medina will likely start in AAA for his age 24 season. He has great velocity, three above average pitches, and above average pitching ratings.

The second trade was more along the lines of what I was looking for, but didn't require me eating a whole lot of salary. I sent more of my pitching depth including MiLB SP Mylet, MiLB RP Segovia, and MiLB SP Alvarez to Boston for C Bryce Jordan (and only $3.5 million of his contract) and MiLB SP Mike Avery. After the trade I immediately released Jordan.

I gave up Mylet who is MLB ready and Alvarez who was a less heralded international amateur free agent signing. In return, Avery is a young pitcher with decent upside. He was a supplemental first round pick in 2028. His pitching ratings are already very developed, considering his age, but only project to be above average. His repertoire includes three pitches, all three with the potential to be great (at least 15 out of 20) offerings. Currently his fastball (95-97 mph) and slider are above average offerings while his curveball is still a work in progress (7 current, 15 potential out of 20). OOTP is more optimistic overall, but sees his current control and curveball as poor.

I was informed that SS Albies signed a contract right as spring training started, netting me a supplemental first round pick in the upcoming draft.

Overall, this was a pretty average offseason. I would have liked to have picked up a more promising outfielder either to start or for depth. The positives are the Caballero extension, extra draft pick, and Avery addition.

With still around $20 million available for free agent signings, I have a good opportunity to go all-in on international amateurs this year. I can only hope it will be a strong class.

Next I will advance through spring training and provide a season preview...

[GM_CheatSheets]

The Expos finished with an even 15-15 record for the spring. I plan to play Derringer in CF this year instead of LF, but he will start the season on the DL. He will be eligible to return after about two weeks but will require a brief rehab stint pushing his return closer to three weeks.

Two pitchers will begin the season on the 60-day DL as they continue their recovery from injuries suffered last season. MiLB SP Farfan will miss the first three months and RP Hitchcox will miss the first four months of the season. Both figure to need lengthy rehab assignments as well.

My owner's expectation is to return to the playoffs while OOTP projects a 94-68 record and a second straight NL East pennant. According to the projections, this would be tied for the second best record in MLB and the NL. I would like to win at least 90 games and make the playoffs again. I do see the upside for this team, but also see how it could struggle.

This year I only have one player projected to be among the top ten batters or pitchers in the league. SP Caballero projects for 32 GS, 204.2 IP, 2.47 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 173 K, 1.97 BB/9, and 7.64 K/9. This would roughly match his numbers from last year.

And now my traditional position by position preview of the team along with a new chart with batter and pitcher rating overviews. OVR and POT are on the 20-80 scale and all other ratings are 1 to 20.



Starting Pitcher - This is possibly my best and deepest position. SP Caballero is the ace. SP Diplan usually has better peripherals than results, but he is still a reliable arm and has tremendous potential. SP Killough had a great season last year with an ERA under 3.00. SP Womble and SP Garcia return to fill out the rotation while RP Britland will fill in if there is an injury. AAA SP Nelson Aguilera is also ready when there is an opening.

If necessary, I will look to trade from my depth here if I need offensive help in season.

Bullpen - My bullpen returns mostly the same as last year. Beddingfield will close with Takara and Crose as set up men. Mosqueda and Sandborn are the lefties. Britland and James both made their first opening day rosters taking over spots vacated by Hitchcox (injury) and Salazar (trade). I have a plethora of arms at AAA that can fill into these slots as well.



Catcher - Lopez returns as the starting catcher. He will be joined this year by Stacey who should play a stronger short side of the platoon. Lopez's power came back late last year after he struggled for much of the season. I'm looking for him to rebound back to around 3 WAR this year after he dropped to around 2 last year. Lopez is the stronger defender of the two but won't be winning any gold gloves.

First Base - Garza will open the season at first again. I hope he can recapture some of the average and on-base percentage magic he had early last season. If all goes well, Garza will be a super utility type by the end of the year with Flores finally making the transition to 1B and prospect 3B Lawrence earning a call up midway through the season. C Stacey, LF Carroll, and CF Derringer can also play a respectable 1B, if necessary.

Second Base - Draxler returns at second where he figures to be one of the top players on my team and one of the top second basemen in the game. Power, speed, and average are all parts of his game. 2B Chris. a contact hitter, should be the main back up around the infield with second base as his best position.

Third Base - Flores will open the season at third with a likely transition to first by the end of the year. Flores has the potential to be the top hitter on my team but has put in pretty consistent performances of around 3.5 WAR. I expect more of the same from him this year, but hope for a little more.

Shortstop - Warren takes over at short as he makes his first opening day roster. If he manages to stay in the majors all year, he could win a gold glove award. He profiles as a high slugging, mediocre average type player offensively. If his power fully develops and he reaches his potential, he could be among the best power hitters in the game. That said, he has struggled quite mightily in the majors so far.

Goette returns as a utility player as he can fill in at all infield and both corner outfield positions. He came up with a few big hits last year and I hope he can do the same this year.

Right Field - Lindberg returns as the starting right fielder and one of the top power threats on my team. His overall rating has consistently dropped while his performance has mostly remained the same. I'm looking for him to post another 4+ WAR season with 25+ HR and .275 AVG.

Rule 5 pick Caines profiles best in right but can also play in center. He has a slightly above average bat with a little more power than contact. His speed and defense add a little additional value. Ultimately, he will need to perform if he wants to stay on my active roster all season.

Center Field - Derringer will move over to center for the start of this year as it would be great to get his production into an up the middle position. He has plus speed and above average range, but I moved him off CF as his rating wasn't increasing beyond 7 out of 20. Now that his bat is established, I think it is a good time to see how passable his defense is in center.

While he is on the DL to open the season Paredes will get a shot in the majors as he is one of the top fielding outfielders in my upper minors. His bat has the potential to produce in the majors but he doesn't have a strong track record in the upper minors.

Mena is also a center field option and figures to start against lefties, at least until Derringer returns. His bat is average to slightly above and he plays with plus speed and defense in the corners (average defense in center).

Left Field - Carroll will start in left after filling a fourth outfielder role last year. He has an above average bat with power as his calling card, but he will need to perform better than he did last year if he wants to hold the position.

Prospect Fisher is nearing a promotion in AAA and could bring another strong power bat to my lineup. Mena is also an option as he profiles better in left than center and he had a strong year offensively in AAA last year.

Overall this is going to be an interesting team to watch. Can the rotation match and build on last year's performances? Will Warren contribute offensively or play himself into another demotion? How will the Derringer to CF experiment play out? Will 3B prospect Lawrence prove ready for the majors after putting up over 7 WAR in the minors last year? Will I finally be able to make a big trade to clear up the pitching bottleneck that continues to build in AAA? These are the major questions I will be following this year. The last one is really the only one that I have any control over.

Next I will look at the Expos' preseason top prospects...

[GM_CheatSheets]

This year I placed as the number 21 ranked minor league system. This is ten spots lower than last year and a bit of a surprise to me. I attribute most of this to SS Warren (last year's #6 overall prospect) graduating to the majors.

This year five of my prospects made the top 100: SP Tejada at #32 (up from #66), SP Britland at #37 (up from #59), 3B Tellez at #84, SP Aguilera at #94, and SP Younkin at #98. I think Younkin is the first player in this franchise that has made the OOTP top 100 prospect list the year after I drafted him. He was an over slot $6.15 million signing as a fourth round, impossible demand pick.

SP Kamphuis (#103) narrowly missed the above list and figures to place prominently on it next year. I had eleven players place in the top 200, down two from last year. Joining Kamphuis were SP Castiglione at #115, 3B Lawrence at #126, SP Walker at #155, SS Carruth at #159, and SP Avery at #197.

1. RP Robby Ochoa, AAA (Scouting Discovery 6/2023)
   Though he places at the top of this list, Ochoa isn't the most impressive prospect in my system. He has plus control, two average to slightly above average pitches (fastball 92-94 mph, splitter), and a great changeup. I have seen changeup specialist types have success, but with my pitching depth, I might be better off trading him to an organization that views him as a starter.
2. SP Guus Kamphuis, A+ (2027 Int'l FA Signing)
   Kamphuis has legitimate superstar potential and is likely the best prospect I've had in my system yet. He projects to have plus stuff along with great movement and control. His repertoire includes three potentially plus pitches in a fastball (99-101 mph), slider, and splitter. He will start at A+ and is only 19.
3. RP Dave McKean, AAA (2024 Draft, Rd 8)
   McKean has plus stuff and a solid repertoire including two plus pitches (fastball 96-98 mph, slider) and two average pitches (changeup, splitter). What brings him down is below average movement and average control. His best shot at making the majors is if my pitching depth is ravaged by injury.
4. SS Jose Pellot, AA (2027 Draft, Rd 2)
   Pellot has plus gap power, potentially great home run power, and above average eye/discipline. He profiles best at second base and has some offensive similarities to SS Warren. If his power reaches its potential, he could be a starter in the majors.
5. SP Nick Britland, MLB (Trade w/KC 5/2028)
   Britland will begin the season in the Expos' bullpen and should be the first option to fill in for a start if needed. He has great stuff paired with above average movement and control. His repertoire includes a plus fastball (94-96 mph), great curveball, currently above average and potentially great changeup, and an average forkball. He is my most major league ready SP prospect.
6. SP Jesus Tejada, AA (2025 Int'l FA Signing)
   Tejada isn't outstanding in any one way, but is above average to great across the board. He has a ridiculously deep six pitch repertoire: fastball (97-99 mph), curveball, slider, changeup, splitter, and circle change. He will start the year at AA as a 21 year old.
7. RP Brian Carson, AA (2025 Draft, Rd 7)
   Carson projects to be a bullpen ace or potential closer. He has plus stuff, above average movement, and great control. He throws a great fastball (93-95 mph) and plus curveball.
8. SP Fernando Farfan, DL (Trade w/TOR 11/2026)
   Farfan might be the most often injured player in my system. This has significantly dulled his status as a prospect in my mind. If he can stay healthy, he has above average pitching ratings and a strong repertoire of three great pitches.
9. RP Michael Avilla, AA (2027 Draft, Rd 9)
   Avilla projects as a lefty bullpen ace. He has plus stuff, great movement, above average control, a great fastball (91-93 mph), and a plus curveball.
10. SP Nelson Aguilera, AAA (Trade w/CWS 11/2027)
    Aguilera was the top AAA starter last year and could still start long term but his 6 out of 20 stamina makes it more likely that he will settle into the major league bullpen when he gets the call to the majors. He is above average to great in pitching ratings with a strong repertoire (great fastball 93-95 mph, great slider, and plus changeup).
11. 3B David Lawrence, AAA (2025 Draft, Rd 5)
    Lawrence is in my opinion the most exciting bat in my system right now. He is also positioned for a call up to the majors with a strong start in AAA. He has great power, above average contact, and average discipline and avoid k. He has a strong track record of hitting for power in his rise through the minors and already has over 100 PA in AAA before turning 23. He should also be an asset defensively, mainly on the strength of his plus arm.
12. RP Sergio Ariza, AA (Minor Lg. FA 6/2026)
    Ariza has great stuff and two great pitches, but with below average control and only average movement, he seems to have an uphill battle to make it to the majors.
13. SS David Carruth, AA (Trade w/LV 7/2029)
    Carruth projects as a super utility type and plays average defense at virtually every position but catcher and center field. He has some potential in his bat with above average contact, great gap power, average hr power, a below average eye, and great avoid k.
14. SP Jonathan Medina, AAA (Trade w/SEA 12/2029)
    One of the newest prospects added to my system, Medina is above average in his pitching ratings and has a great fastball (97-99 mph), above average slider and change up, and below average curveball. He slots into the back of the AAA rotation and would be near the top of a list for a call up to the majors.
15. SS Miguel Naranjo, AAA (2024 Int'l FA Signing)
    Naranjo is an interesting player as he continues to produce through his time in the minors on the strength of plus speed, plus avoid k, and only average contact and gap power. If he makes the majors it will be as a utility infielder who could make an outfield appearance every now and then.
16. RF Bob Cecil, AAA (2025 Draft, Rd 2)
    Cecil has an above average bat without a single carrying tool. He also has plus speed and can play both outfield corners well but is poor in center. He will start in AAA this year despite only 100 AA PA's. He could play into a late season call up and could be in consideration as a backup outfielder next season with another strong year.
17. RP Doug Licari, AA (Minor Lg. FA 8/2026)
    Licari has plus stuff paired with above average movement and average control. His fastball is only above average and he has a plus slider. He only has an outside chance of making the majors.
18. SS Chad Hill, A+ (2028 Draft, Rd 7)
    Hill's bat projects to be slightly above average at best. His plus speed and plus defense all around the infield give him a chance to reach the majors as a utility infielder. OOTP projects more batting potential for him than my scout sees.
19. SP Jimmy Turkel, AA (2026 Draft, Rd 1)
    Turkel projects to have great stuff, above average movement, and average control. He currently has a great fastball (97-99 mph), above average curveball and splitter, and a change up with some potential but isn't likely to fully develop. He will continue as a starter in AA this season. His best chance of making the majors may be as a power lefty reliever.
20. SS Calvin Love, AA (2025 Draft, Rd 8)
    Love profiles similarly to the Expos' current utility infielder, 2B Chris. He has plus avoid k and above average contact and gap power. His hr power and eye are both poor. He has plus speed and is plus defensively at shortstop. He should be ready to fill a similar role around the time that 2B Chris' salary starts to go up in arbitration.

I'm excited to see a few more batters with strong potential (especially 3B Lawrence) on the list this year compared to the past few pitching dominated years. Also LF Fisher and CF Dipert just missed the top 20 and offer some offensive upside.

Most encouraging to me, however, is the emergence of SP Kamphuis and to a lesser degree, SP Tejada. Even with a few graduations (SS Warren, LF Derringer, SP Garcia) this is still a strong and deep system with good talent distributed across all levels and accumulating in the upper levels.

Now it's time for the regular season to get underway...

[GM_CheatSheets]

For the second year in a row, the Expos season got off to a rough start. Unfortunately this year they didn't make a full recovery by the end of the month.

The Expos won 1 of 3 versus the Nationals and were swept in three games by the Diamondbacks to start the season. At this time SS Warren suffered a minor injury putting him out of action for a week so I decided to place him on the 10 day DL. SS Phipps got the call to fill in.

The Expos then won 1 of 3 versus the Braves, 2 of 4 versus the Phillies, and were swept by the Mets in three games. At this point I activated CF Derringer from his short rehab assignment and demoted CF Paredes to AAA.

The Expos won 2 of 3 versus the Padres. After this series, I activated SS Warren from a short rehab assignment and sent SS Phipps back to AAA. The Expos finished the month with wins in 2 of 3 versus the Cardinals, 3 of 3 versus the Indians, and 1 of 2 versus the Cubs.

This adds up to a 12-15 start to the season for the Expos.

Here are the batting performances for the month:



2B Draxler had the best month for the Expos, though it wasn't spectacular. 1B Garza got off to a decent start and considering he had only about half the plate appearances of most other starters, CF Derringer got of to a scorching start offensively.

And the pitchers:



It was a bit of a shaky start for my rotation as well. Only SP Diplan and SP Womble opened with ERA's under 4.00. Only SP Diplan had an FIP below 4.00 of the starters. By early May as is noted in the chart above, top pitching prospect Britland was moved into the rotation in favor of Garcia.

There were a lot of strong bullpen performances for the month with CL Bedingfield, RP Mosqueda, RP Britland, RP Sandborn, and RP James among them.

Next, the Expos will try to turn their season around and make an early push back toward the top of the division standings...

[GM_CheatSheets]

May started with the Expos splitting a two game series with the Dodgers. After this series, I decided to finally sell some of my pitching depth for a center fielder as the early indicators on the Derringer to CF experiment were troublesome to say the least. Looking at the top center fielders from my offseason ratings, I identified three center field targets.

The top option was the youngest and highest projected of the bunch: 24 year old CF Alvaro Morin with the Washington Nationals. The price for him would be the heaviest, requiring three SP who were current or former top 100 prospects and an additional recent first round pick. I decided not to go with him as my team is already righty heavy and I wasn't interested in trading away MiLB SP Tejada just yet. The next option was 29 year old CF Jason Tuttle with the Tampa Bay Rays. He has the best bat of the bunch and has single-handedly beat me too many times to count, but his intangibles are among the worst of any player I've seen. In the plus column, he is a lefty batter. The demand for him was two starters (one former and one current top 100 prospect) and my best catching prospect. Though I liked this price, even as it would only buy me two years of control, I ultimately passed because I am already worried about team chemistry and am worried about him hurting the clubhouse atmosphere.

The trade I decided to make was for 26 year old CF David Polovina with the Boston Red Sox. For the return, I sent SP Garcia, MiLB SP Aguilera, and RP James to Boston. Though I gave up a strong, but struggling young pitcher, an intriguing bullpen piece, and my top upper level pitching prospect, I expect that my system will be able to withstand this trade quite well, especially with SP Farfan and SP Hitchcox set to return from the DL in a few weeks time.

Polovina, a switch hitter, has only a year of service time and is an intriguing player as he has plus hr power and eye/discipline and only average contact, gap power, and avoid k. Offensively he has a potent, three true outcomes type bat. Defensively he has great speed, a plus arm, and great range which allows him to post a positive ZR in CF despite only rating as average there. Ultimately he figures to move over to RF but I will keep track of his ZR and play him there for as long as I can (hopefully for at least two more years or until Lindberg becomes a free agent).

My corresponding roster moves were to promote MiLB SP Jason Harris to the bullpen in James' spot, MiLB RP Danny Sianez in Garcia's spot, and to release recent Rule 5 pick, RF Caines, to clear room for Polovina.

After the trade, the Expos won 2 of 3 versus the Blue Jays, 3 of 3 versus the Marlins, 0 of 3 versus the Rays, 1 of 3 versus the Giants, 2 of 3 versus the Phillies, 3 of 4 versus the Pirates, 2 of 3 versus the Reds, 1 of 3 versus the Nationals, and the first game in a series to be finished in June with the Diamondbacks.

This all adds up to a good 15-11 record for the month. It is good enough for second place in the NL East (3.5 GB of PHI) and for third in the wild card chase (2 GB of the second wild card).

Here are how the batters performed for the month:



LF Derringer led the team with a fantastic month, followed by 2B Draxler, 3B Flores, LF Mena, and C Lopez. Derringer and Flores each had 8 HR to tie for the team lead. Derringer, Draxler, Mena, Lopez, and 2B Chris all posted averages above .300. On a less positive note, RF Lindberg had another awful month. Though he has been a slow starter the past two years, I'm a little worried about this potentially being a change in skill level as his overall rating has been falling a little bit each year.

And there are the pitchers:



Pitching was much more of a mixed bag as Diplan had a fantastic month (2.17 ERA, 2.44 FIP) and SP Caballero did okay (3.90 ERA, 3.60 FIP). SP Britland, SP Killough, and SP Womble all had terrible Mays.

In the bullpen, RP Sianez made a heck of a first impression with a 0.56 ERA, 0.77 FIP, and 26 K in 16 IP. RP Mosqueda and CL Bedingfield also had great months out of the bullpen.

Next, the Expos look to add more promising young talent to their system through this year's first year player draft...

[GM_CheatSheets]

This year I have one comp pick, giving me two total in the first round again.

Here is what the board looked like when my first pick came up at 27 overall. This is a longer list than I normally post, but it is a reflection of having a clear strategy. I'm not too impressed with any of the available starting pitchers available so I wanted to show the top remaining batters who should last me through the first four or five rounds.



Round 1, Pick 27

With my first pick I went with the top projected bat who is not an impossible demand player. This happened to be CF Sean Rose (19, college). The bat, specifically his contact, home run power, and avoid k, are Rose's strengths at this point in time. It remains to be seen whether he will remain in center field long term.



Round 1, Pick 36

I continued the theme of going with the top non-impossible demand bat with the selection of CF Brad Rebold (18, high school). My scout projects Rebold to have a fairly balanced bat with some exciting contact and power ability. OOTP projects Rebold much higher than my scout with an 80 potential and 20 out of 20 potential home run power, though with only a 7 potential contact. Like Rose, he will need to show some improvement defensively to remain a center fielder.



Round 2, Pick 25

When it came around to my second round pick, there wan't a clear bat available beyond the two impossible demand players I'm targeting for round 3 and 4, so I went with a pitcher in SP Josh Esteban (21, college). Esteban is pretty well developed for a 21 year old draft pick, but doesn't have the highest upside. He could have a strong three pitch repertoire, though with slightly below average velocity. He will need to further develop his stuff and movement to become a top prospect, but this is more a low ceiling, high floor pick.



Round 3, Pick 33

Here I went with RF Steve Baker (19, high school). He is an impossible demand pick and ranks in my customized top 10 overall, but is much higher regarded by my scout than OOTP. He has the potential for great contact, power, and avoid k with average at best discipline. Considering his great speed and arm, he profiles well as a right fielder. He eventually signed for $3.875 million.



Round 4, Pick 29

3B Brad LeMaster (18, high school) was my next selection. He has potentially great power and avoid k paired with average contact and discipline. Defensively he profiles best at third or maybe first base and could see some time in left field as well. With an impossible demand, he signed for $3.25 million.





Round 5, Pick 29

My next selection was CF Chad Ryan (17, high school). Ryan is a project pick as one of the younger players available. He could have above average to great contact, gap power, and avoid k with average home run power and discipline. If he pans out or develops further, this could be an exciting pick.



Round 6, Pick 29

There were two bats available here that I was interested in, but I decided to select another pitcher in hopes that one of the bats fell to the next round and so my class wasn't too lopsided favoring batting. My pick then was SP Luis Villanueva (21, college). He currently projects as a starter, but might play up some out of the bullpen. It's not a super exciting profile, but one that with some development luck could pan out.



Round 7, Pick 29

I sort of wish I could have the above pick back now as both of the bats I was targeting for here are gone. Thus, I went back to the pitching ranks and selected SP Justin Fox (21, college). He has an interesting repertoire with four potentially great pitches. However, his low potential movement and current control, especially considering his age, are reason for concern.



Round 8, Pick 29

Next I took RF Jeff White (22, college). He's a bit older and has some home run power potential. Most likely will be a organizational player but could surprise.



Below is a list of all my manual picks.



Clearly this class is very heavy on offense and has some exciting potential. Pitching is the opposite as my class lacks both quantity and upside, but I am okay with this, especially because I was largely able to execute my plan.

Next up, the Expos continue into June...

[GM_CheatSheets]

The month of June started with the Expos taking 2 of 2 versus the Diamondbacks, 1 of 3 versus the Orioles, 1 of 3 versus the Braves, and 2 of 3 versus the Indians. RP Harris continued to struggle so I demoted him to AAA and called up recent free agent signee SP Jay Blake who had a 1.67 ERA, 2.1 BB/9 and 9.0 K/9 in 80.2 IP in AAA. I also offered RP Mosqueda another extension. His contract is for one additional guaranteed year at $4.5 million and a second team option year at the same cost. I was also notified that SP Farfan encountered a setback on his rehab process and it is not a small one as he re-tore a ligament and will miss an additional 15 months.

The Expos continued with wins in 1 of 4 versus the Mets, 1 of 3 versus the Pirates, and 3 of 3 versus the Padres. At this point, I received shocking news as it appeared that SP/RP Hitchcox was well on his way back to injury while on a rehab assignment. I was notified that like Farfan, he re-tore a ligament, but for Hitchcox it was a career-ending injury. At this point I decided to send SS Phipps back to AAA in favor of top prospect 3B David Lawrence who had recovered from a bit of a slow start to the year and was deserving of a call up. He is just over 23 years old at the time of his MLB debut. As a result of this move, Flores moves to first and Garza to the bench.

The Expos closed the month with wins in 1 of 3 versus the Rays and 3 of 3 versus the Marlins.

The Expos total record for June was 15-12. This puts them 4.5 games back of the Phillies in the NL East and 4th in the wild card race, 2 games back of the second wild card spot. In AAA, CF Paredes earned the hitter of the month award.

Here are the batting performances for the month:



2B Draxler had an other-worldly month behind the strength of his .369 AVG. 1B Flores had a great month of his own and took home a NL Player of the Week award during the month. LF Derringer, CF Polovina, and RF Lindberg all had good months as well. It is especially good to see Lindberg getting his swing into form. Though it wasn't the best month, SS Warren managed to put together a strong week to take home a mid-month NL Player of the Week award.

And here are the pitchers:



SP Caballero posted the best ERA (1.83) in my rotation, benefiting from some luck as it was half his FIP. SP Killough was equally unlucky as his 6.84 ERA was over twice his FIP. SP Britland, thus, is the most consistent starter as his 3.10 ERA matched his FIP. SP Diplan showed some of the struggles this month that have plagued him in the past.

In the bullpen, CL Bedingfield, RP Mosqueda, and RP Sandborn posted the best ERAs with Bedingfield and RP Takara posting strong FIPs.

Next, the Expos have some budget space to make some big international amateur free agent signings...

[GM_CheatSheets]

The international amateur period opened and I imported the class into my spreadsheet, revealing a strong class. I don't have a signing restriction this year and have about $20 million available for free agents, so you can expect me to spend big here.



I immediately made initial offers to the top players. My top target is 3B David Estrada, the top player available this year and who would have ranked as the top available player in the draft. I offered him $5.25 million. I offered $1.05 million to CF Santoyo, $950,000 to SP Izarrazaz, and $700,000 to 2B Herrera. A week later, each of their contract demands continued to increase and I had to start ending my pursuit of each of them until only 3B Estrada was left. I thought the $20 million would be plenty to sign three of these four targets. To my surprise, it was only enough to get one, 3B Estrada for $12.2 million. Including the tax, this was a $21.4 million signing.

Estrada projects to be a great bat. My scout gives his contact, gap power, eye, and avoid k great ratings with only slightly above average home run power. OOTP gives him great ratings across the board. He also has plus speed and figures to stay at third base defensively with the possibility of moving to the outfield. Additionally, his intangibles are off the charts.



I'm not sure exactly how to feel about this haul. It is a good haul as Estrada was the number one prospect between the combined draft and international amateur classes. However, I expected to be able to get more than one player here.

Next, a recap of the Expos' play in July...

[GM_CheatSheets]

July started with bad news -- SS Warren will miss the next six weeks with an injury. I called up SS Phipps to fill his spot.

The Expos started the month hot with wins in 4 of 4 versus the Cubs and 3 of 3 versus the Cardinals. CL Bedingfield, 2B Draxler, and LF Derringer all made the National League All-Star team.

The Expos continued their winning ways after the all star break with wins in 3 of 3 versus the Mets, 2 of 3 versus the Giants, 1 of 3 versus the Dodgers, 2 of 3 versus the Reds, 2 of 3 versus the Braves, and 2 of 2 versus the Yankees. Toward the end of the month I received notice that my top draft pick this year, CF Sean Rose, will miss the rest of the season with a ruptured achillies.

For the month, the Expos played to an incredible 19-5 record. This pushed them into a first place tie in the NL East with the Phillies and a 2.5 game lead for the first wild card spot. SP Diplan was named the NL Pitcher of the Month.

Here is how my batters performed for the month:



CF Polovina finally showed why I traded for him as he had the best month of my batters and led the team with 8 HR. 1B Flores was a close second in wRC. 2B Draxler, LF Derringer, and 1B Garza also had good months.

And here's the pitchers:



A big part of the better overall record this month can be attributed to the best my rotation has performed all year so far. SP Caballero (2.93 ERA, 3.19 FIP), SP Diplan (1.56 ERA, 3.60 FIP), SP Killough (3.64 ERA, 3.86 FIP), SP Britland (2.90 ERA, 4.09 FIP), and SP Womble (2.57 ERA, 4.36 FIP) all had good or great months depending on if you prefer ERA or FIP.

In the bullpen, RP Sandborn, RP Takara, RP Sianez, CL Bedingfield (10 SV), and RP Mosqueda all had strong months. RP Crose was incredibly unlucky and RP Blake struggled mightily.

Next we will look at the Expos' midseason prospect rankings update...

[GM_CheatSheets]

Below is my midseason update to the organization top 30 prospect list.



Notes and observations:

• SP Britland is the only player who graduates due to MLB service time. A few others (SP Farfan, C Edwards) graduate due to age.
• No one from my recent draft class makes the list, but international amateur free agent 3B Estrada comes in all the way up at #15 despite being only 16 years old and still in the international academy.
• SP Kamphuis moved up to the number one spot on the list and figures to stay there for the next two or so years.
• SP Tejada moves up from #6 on the preseason list to #2 now. He has had an incredible season so far and could be in the Expos' rotation as soon as next year.
• Other starters making moves up the rankings include Medina from #14 to #9, Turkel from #19 to #12, and Castiglione from #28 to #19. Given the quality of my major league rotation and presence of Tejada as a major league ready starter, each of them figure to get their first shot in the bullpen if they continue at the pace they are on.
• New on the list at #25 is SS Ryan Mitchell, a 2028 draft, first round compensation pick.

Next, the Expos continue their push for a second straight division title as they battle neck and neck with the Phillies into August...

[GM_CheatSheets]

The Expos started August with wins in 1 of 1 versus the Yankees, 1 of 2 versus the D-backs, 2 of 3 versus the Nationals, 1 of 4 versus the Pirates, 2 of 3 versus the Phillies, 2 of 3 versus the Indians, 1 of 3 versus the Cardinals, and 3 of 3 versus the Padres. At this point, I was informed that 2B Draxler suffered an injury that will sideline him for 6 weeks. This is a major blow as he was so far the best player on my team and on pace for a 7 WAR season. I just hope that he will be able to return in time for the playoffs, expecting that I will receive at least a wild card berth. With his injury, Flores will move from first to second and OF/1B Carroll will rejoin the team from AAA. I will be able to add additional depth in a week with roster expansion.

The Expos closed out the month with wins in 1 of 3 versus the Rays and 2 of 2 versus the Red Sox.

The above adds up to a great 16-12 record for the month. This gives the Expos a one game lead over the Phillies for first place in the NL East. I received notice that MiLB SP Tejada won the IL (AAA) Pitcher of the Month award and for the second time in two months, MiLB CF Paredes won the IL (AAA) Batter of the Month award.

Here are the batting performances for the month:



2B Draxler put together another incredible month before his injury. 1B/2B Flores came close to matching his performance with a fantastic month of his own. Perhaps the most encouraging sign here is young 3B Lawrence putting together his first great month behind the strength of a .309 AVG. LF Derringer and RF Lindberg also played well for the month.

And the pitchers:



SP Caballero turned in the best performance of my starters. SP Killough showed some signs of hope with a decent month amidst a terrible season. Britland, Womble and Diplan all struggled. In the bullpen RP Takara and RP Sandborn were the only two arms worth mentioning.

Next, the Expos enter the final stretch in their run to defend the NL East title...