GM_CheatSheets Montreal Expos Rebuild

[GM_CheatSheets]

The Expos enter September with a very easy schedule to close the year as they only have five games scheduled for the entire month against teams playing above .500.

Joining the team as September call ups are RP Caprio, RP Ochoa, RP Tew, C Edwards, SS Phipps, CF Gomez, and RF Cecil.

The Expos opened the month with a win against the Red Sox to complete a sweep and continued on to win 2 of 4 versus the Dodgers, 3 of 3 versus the Giants, 2 of 3 versus the Reds, 1 of 2 versus the Cubs, 3 of 3 versus the Marlins, and 4 of 4 versus the Mets.

The Expos entered the series with the Phillies with a four game lead and only needing to win two to clinch the division. I also promoted CF Paredes and RP Carlson as the AAA season ended. The Expos only managed to win 1 of 4 versus the Phillies and 1 of 3 versus the Pirates to end the season. However, this was good enough to clinch the division for a second year in a row.

The Expos finished September with a great 18-10 record, giving them a final regular season record of 96-66, good for the second seed and a first round bye in the National League.

Here are the batting performances for the month:



1B Flores had a fantastic month and led the team in offensive production. LF Derringer and 1B/OF Carroll had great months. All of 3B Lawrence, C Stacey, C Lopez, SS Warren, RF Lindberg, and CF Polovina played well. Lawrence continues to blossom as he led the team with 7 HR.

And here are the pitchers:



SP Womble, with a bit of luck, was my best starter this month by ERA. SP Diplan and SP Killough also pitched well while SP Caballero was unlucky and SP Britland struggled.

RP Crose led the bullpen with additional notable performances from CL Bedingfield and RP Sianez.

Next, the Expos start what I hope will be a deep playoff run...

[GM_CheatSheets]

After a first round bye, the Expos will play the St. Louis Cardinals (86-76) in this best of five divisional series match up. The Cardinals have the top offense in the NL but their pitching is among the worst. The Expos won the head-to-head season series 6-3.

The Expos won game one by a score of 7-5. SP Caballero gave up 3 runs in 4.1 IP and the Expos managed to overcome a 5-3 deficit on the strength of home runs from LF Derringer and 1B Flores. CL Beddingfield picked up a 2 IP SV.

Game two got off to a good start with the Expos scoring four runs in the bottom of the first, enough to give SP Diplan (2 ER, 5.2 IP) the win. The Expos won by a final score of 10-3 with home runs from RF Lindberg, SS Warren, and two from 3B Lawrence.

The series shifted to St. Louis and SP Killough got roughed up for 4 R in 1.2 IP. SS Warren hit a solo home run as the Expos' only tally in a 1-4 loss.

SP Womble took the hill for the Expos and allowed 3 R in 4.2 IP. However, the Expos offense stalled again, only scoring two runs and leaving the bases loaded in the 9th to lose by a final score of 2-4.

The series returned to Montreal with SP Caballero delivering a gem (2 R, 7 IP). SS Warren went 3 for 4 with 4 RBI and the Expos had a commanding 6-0 lead after just four innings. CL Bedingfield contributed a 2 IP SV for the 6-3 victory and series win.

SS Warren received MVP honors for his performance (20 PA, 5 R, 2 HR, 10 RBI, .400 AVG, and 1.250 OPS).

Next, the Expos advance to the NL Championship Series for the first time...

[GM_CheatSheets]

The Expos will face the Atlanta Braves (103-59) in this best of seven match up. The Braves have the number two ranked offense in the NL and the number one ranked pitching. The Braves won the head-to-head season series 5-4.

The series started in Atlanta with the Braves taking the first game by a 1-3 score. SP Diplan gave up 3 R (2 ER) in 6.1 IP to take the loss. The Expos sole tally came on a home run from 1B Flores.

Atlanta won game two as well after SP Killough faltered with 6 R in 1.2 IP. SS Warren contributed a home run in the 3-8 loss.

Montreal won their first game in the series at home by a score of 11-5. SP Womble was shaky (4 R, 5 IP), but two big innings including a 5 R 3rd and 4 R 6th were enough for the Expos. 2B Draxler and LF Derringer each hit a home run and SS Warren hit two.

The Expos evened the series with another win, this time by a score of 4-1. SP Caballero allowed only 1 R in 5.2 IP and CL Bedingfield contributed a 2 IP SV. CF Polovina had his first HR of the postseason. Despite the win, this was a concerning game as both LF Derringer and SS Warren left mid-game with injuries.

LF Derringer returned for the next game, though SS Warren would miss the rest of the series. The Expos won game five by a score of 5-3 behind a strong performance by SP Diplan (2 R, 5.1 IP) and home runs from 3B Lawrence and C Stacey. Before the game I moved Killough to the bullpen to line Britland up for a start. Killough ended up receiving the W in this game for securing two outs in relief after entering a tie game in the 7th.

The series moved back to Atlanta where the Braves won game six 5-7. The Braves dominated Womble for 3 R in 2 IP and had a seven run lead entering the 8th. The Expos fought back with five runs in the frame including a HR from 3B Lawrence, but ultimately fell short.

It all came down to an exciting game seven. The Expos struck first with a 2 run first, but the Braves put up 4 runs in return and eventually chased SP Britland from the game with 4 R (2 ER) in 3 IP. The Expos tied it up at 4 with single tallies in the 3rd and 4th. The Braves pushed the lead back to 2 in the bottom of the 4th and the Expos tied it up again with a 2 run top of the 5th. The battle continued with Atlanta scoring a run in the 6th, the Expos a run in the 7th, and the Braves re-taking the lead with a run in their half of the 7th. The Expos tied it yet again in the 9th, but ultimately lost the game on a walk off no-out, bases loaded sac fly in the bottom of the 9th against CL Bedingfield. SS Goette and LF Derringer each contributed home runs. Derringer's was part of a 5 for 5 effort in which he hit for the cycle. The final score was a heartbreaking 8-9 loss for the Expos.

This was a hard fought effort and perhaps losing SS Warren (who hit like a beast in the playoffs) for the last three games was the difference that kept the Expos from their first World Series appearance. The positive is that I know this team can battle with the best and is returning almost everyone to make another run for the championship next year.

Next is a breakdown of how individual Expos performed in the past year...

[Bub13]

Good stuff. So close...

[GM_CheatSheets]

The Expos' overall record was 96-66 (.593), two games worse than last year. This was almost right in line with the expectations. According to the expected record, the Expos should have won only 93 games.

This Expos won the NL East pennant for a second year in a row. This year it was much closer as they only led the Phillies by three games. The Expos finished the year as the 4th best at both run creation and run prevention in the NL. Things are looking up for both the short term and long term future as I am not losing any key contributors next year and still have a strong and deep farm system.

Here are the season totals for batters:



This chart would look even more impressive had 2B Draxler and SS Warren not missed six weeks each due to injuries, but I'm not going to dwell on that. 2B Draxler still led the team with 5.8 WAR. 1B Flores came in a close second with 5.4. CF Polovina, LF Derringer, and C Stacey all had greater than 3 WAR. RF Lindberg had less playing time this year and a lower WAR. 1B Garza dropped down to 1 WAR after posting a minimum of 3.2 WAR in the past three years. It is exciting to see 3B Lawrence post 2 WAR in only 300 PA as a rookie. I have some high hopes for him.

As for counting stats, Derringer led the team with 100 RBI, Flores with 33 HR and 93 R, and Draxler with a .326 AVG. Draxler and Flores each had 17 steals. If you ask me, the HR numbers are most impressive -- Derringer had 31, my catching platoon of Stacey and Lopez had 30, Warren had 19 while missing some time, and Lawrence had 13 in half a season.

Here are how the pitchers fared:



Overall, pitching wasn't as strong this year as last. SP Caballero again led the staff with 4.8 WAR and SP Diplan posted a strong 4.3 WAR. SP Killough and SP Britland each posted at least 2.5 WAR and SP Womble had 1.5. Caballero had the best ERA and Diplan the best WHIP. Killough was notably unlucky as his ERA was a run higher than his FIP.

CL Bedingfield (46 SV), RP Takara, RP Mosqueda, and RP Crose all had at least 1 WAR pitching out of the bullpen. Bedingfield, Mosqueda, and RP Sianez all had a K/9 of 11.4 or higher.

This is still a strong staff, even if it didn't quite meet expectations. Next year, look to see if Killough rebounds, if Britland continues to grow into a rotation spot, and if Womble has a potential breakout in him. Also, it is notable that this was the second year in a row I didn't have a starter miss significant time on the DL.

Next, we will review the 2030 regular season and playoffs...

[GM_CheatSheets]

Only two exceeded 100 wins this year: the 103 win Atlanta Braves and the 100 win Boston Red Sox. Though they fell short of the century mark with 96 wins, the Expos had the third best record in the majors.

Both top seeds, Atlanta and Boston advanced to the world series with Atlanta securing the championship in a four game sweep.

The Braves roster was both balanced and loaded with talent. The Braves had two 6 WAR and two more 5 WAR batters. Their pitching included a 10 WAR, 4 WAR, and three 3 WAR players. While I came close to beating them, this is a team that should be expected to win it all.

Next, I'll recap my minor league system and prospect performances...

[GM_CheatSheets]

Here is a team recap of my minors:

AAA Virginia Beach Marvles - 86-58, 2nd
AA Elk Run Heights Dobermans - 79-63, 2nd
A+ Audubon Park Spuds - 59-81, 6th
A- Plattsburgh Animals - 43-33, 3rd
A- Po'ipu Channel Cats - 33-43, 6th
R Anchorage Giants - 34-34, 6th
R Honolulu Super 66 - 16-52, 9th

And now for the individual performers:

3B David Carruth, 25 (Trade w/LV 7/2029)

Carruth makes me wish I had paid a little more attention to him this year and forced a promotion for him to AAA, especially after Lawrence moved up to the majors. He's a little old as he just turned 25, but should get a legitimate look as an up and comer in my system as he turned in an impressive 4.4 WAR in 121 games and 513 PA at AA. The rest of his line was .278 AVG, 14 HR, .216 ISO, and 2 SB.

Next year Carruth should start at AAA and could find himself as a utility player in the majors if there is an injury. The only thing working against him is all my current utility players bat right handed, as do all my regulars on the infield.



3B Phil Edwards, 21 (2027 Draft, Rd 3)

Edwards returned to A- and put together an impressive performance to the tune of 3.7 WAR in 71 games and 303 PA. The rest of his line was .301 AVG, 17 HR, .266 ISO, and 3 SB.

Edwards will jump to full season A+ ball next year and I hope see time in AA as well. I'm excited to see what he can do in a full season of at bats. I also hope to see him join my top 30 prospects list next year.



2B Jose Pellot, 24 (2027 Draft, Rd 2)

After ranking well on my top prospects list since being drafted, Pellot finally started to show some results this year in AA to the tune of a 3.0 WAR in 132 games and 506 PA. The rest of his line was .241 AVG, 11 HR, .208 ISO, and 11 SB.

He has the look of a 2B lite version of Warren, so it is good to see his power starting to show. I don't think he is ever going to hit for much average so I will be watching his home run totals next year at AAA closely.



SP Jesus Tejada, 22 (2025 Int'l FA Signing)

After nearly making this list with a strong turn at A+ last year, Tejada continued to impress across AA and AAA this year. In 11 AA starts he threw 75.1 innings for 1.0 WAR and he finished the year with 18 starts at AAA throwing 124.1 innings for 1.4 WAR.

His combined line reads 29 starts, 199.2 IP, 2.21 ERA, 3.70 FIP, 0.96 WHIP, 2.2 BB/9, and 6.6 K/9 for 2.4 WAR. He will likely return to AAA for the start of next season and is positioned for an early or midseason call up. Ideally, he will help to replace some of Diplan's production after next season.



SP Jonathan Medina, 25 (Trade w/SEA 12/2029)

Traded after two full seasons at AA in Seattle's organization, Medina had a breakout in my AAA rotation where he posted a line of 28 GS, 172.1 IP, 2.87 ERA, 3.45 FIP, 1.03 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9, and 8.3 K/9 for 2.3 WAR.

He deserves a spot in my bullpen next year and probably the back of a rotation on a team without my level of pitching depth. In any case he is behind Tejada in prospect status but should get the first shot at the majors.



SP Jimmy Turkel, 23 (2026 Draft, Rd 1)

Turkel is the first player to appear here two years in a row. As I projected last year, he returned to AA to start the year where in 17 starts he threw 100 innings for 1.8 WAR. He earned a promotion to AAA where he finished the season making 11 starts and threw 68.1 innings for another 0.9 WAR.

His combined line across the two levels was 28 GS, 168.1 IP, 2.89 ERA, 3.44 FIP, 1.24 WHIP, 3.7 BB/9, and 7.6 K/9 for 2.7 WAR. He should return to AAA to start next year and could play his way into a bullpen spot in the majors. He might remain a starter long term in another organization, but again with my depth and the arms above, he seems destined for a bullpen role with the Expos.



While I didn't have any ridiculous performances this year (like 3B Lawrence from last year) SP Tejada stands out as the leader in this bunch both in terms of pedigree and readiness as his WAR was pulled down a bit because his ERA was better than his FIP. In any case, with several of these players, it is good to see statistics backing up high ratings for prospects.

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

[GM_CheatSheets]

The offseason started with a notice from my owner that he increased the budget by $10 million up to $186 million (allowing for payroll of approximately $110 million).

With the DL expiring until spring, I decided to release SP Farfan as he still had another year on his recovery time.

Of my arbitration eligible players, I tendered most of them contracts. CL Bedingfield at $6.325 million, CF Polovina at $5.775 million, 1B Flores at $5.5 million, SP Killough at $5.25 million, C Stacey at $3.4 million, 2B Draxler at 3.36 million, C Lopez at $1.3 million, RP Crose at $800,000, and 2B Chris at $650,000. Some of these players are going to start getting much more expensive next year.

It looks like one of the top active center fielders, the Pirates' Tyler Pruner, will be available in free agency, so in anticipation of making a run for him, I decided not to tender contracts to RF Lindberg (asking for $6.6 million) and RP Sandborn (asking for $3.2 million). 1B Garza at the end of the 2029 season looked like a sure bet to garner me a comp round pick this year, but after a poor showing, he will enter free agency without compensation. I had no other FA eligible players this year.

As I progressed to free agency, I was notified that CL Bedingfield received the Reliever of the Year award and manager Torey Lovullo received the Manager of the Year award.

With the start of free agency, my hopes were confirmed that CF Pruner was available for an asking price of $30 million per year for nine years and with the loss of my top draft pick attached. Also available with an asking price of $21 million per year for 9 years and no compensation attached is an international free agent, CF Morioka. I gave Morioka some hard consideration as he has only marginally lower ratings than Pruner and has a durable health rating (compared to Pruner's fragile). In the end, I decided that Pruner's track record, lefty bat, and great CF defense would be a better fit for my team than Morioka who bats right handed and has suspect defense. Both are 29 years old.

I advanced a few days until Pruner's asking price came down a little and cut my development budget by $10 million (down to $26 million) to free up enough cash to make an initial offer. I submitted a contract offer of $27.25 million per year for six years with a player opt out after the second year. After two weeks passed, Pruner signed the six year, $163.5 million contract to join the Expos. With this signing, I managed to add the best possible player at the only position that was an area of possible improvement. It also allows for Polovina to shift over to right field where his defense will play much better. It is tough to sacrifice the draft pick as this is the first time I have done so in almost ten years, but I think the addition of Pruner make the Expos the clear World Series favorite.

As the offseason progressed, I did not draft or lose any players in the Rule 5 draft, and right before the draft, I make two trades for prospects: one a top hitting prospect and one a top pitching prospect.

I sent 1B/OF Carroll and MiLB CF Giron to San Francisco for MiLB SP T.J. Cuatt (who my spreadsheet revealed had tremendous batting potential). I immediately converted him to a right fielder and he will make the jump from pitching at A to hitting at AAA. His bat rates as great in contact and power but only average in discipline and avoid k. In any case it is an under the radar buy as Carroll was pushed out of playing time with Pruner joining the team.

Next, I sent RP/SP Blake and MiLB SP Avery to Los Angeles Dodgers for MiLB SP Gabe Guajardo, MiLB RP Antonio Quiros, and MiLB RF Efrain Bocanegra. Blake rates really well, but with average movement looks to have struggles with gopheritis as he showed in limited action last year. Avery will likely be a top 100 prospect this year and is a tough piece for me to part with. The main piece of the return, however, is worth it. SP Guajardo is one of the top left handed pitching prospects and is nearly major league ready as he should start at AAA. He has a great cutter (96-98 mph, plus curveball, and plus changeup). His pitching ratings are plus stuff, above average movement, and currently below average with potentially above average control. Quiros and Bocanegra have some potential but were only added as throw ins because my assistant general manager advised me against the trade.

With that, my offseason was done. I feel ecstatic about this offseason despite the minimal amount of moves. They were all high impact: adding a top MLB bat, adding a top hitting prospect, and adding a top pitching prospect.

Next up, the Expos will play through spring training, I'll provide a position by position preview, and outlay the season expectations...

[GM_CheatSheets]

The Expos finished with a 14-16 record for the spring. The top two batters were 2B Draxler and RF Polovina. The top two pitchers were SP Diplan and SP Caballero. I was lucky to advance through spring with no injuries.

My owner's expectation is a bit curious as it downgraded simply to play better than .500. OOTP, on the other hand, projects an MLB best 105-57 record and third straight NL East pennant. I hesitate to set my expectations at 100 wins, but barring injury, this team has a decent shot at it.

This is also the best year yet for the individual player projections. I have two batters projected to finish top ten in the league and three pitchers projected to finish top ten in the league.

• SS Warren projects for 626 AB, 46 HR, 146 RBI, 9 SB, .288 AVG, and .938 OPS.
• CF Pruner projects for 579 AB, 36 HR, 99 RBI, 16 SB, .301 AVG, and .920 OPS.
• SP Caballero projects for 219 IP, 18 W, 6 L, 2.71 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 153 K, 6.29 K/9, and 1.93 BB/9.
• SP Diplan projects for 206 IP, 17 W, 4 L, 2.75 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 199 K, 8.69 K/9, and 2.31 BB/9.
• SP Britland projects for 192.1 IP, 15 W, 7 L, 3.20 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 168 K, 7.87 K/9, and 2.67 BB/9.

There are a few surprises here. First and foremost, holy cow, Greg Warren. If he even comes close to these numbers with plus defense at shortstop, he could bring home the MVP trophy. I will also be surprised if Caballero and Diplan reach these heights. It is good to see Britland listed here, though again, I think these numbers might be overly optimistic.

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



Starting Pitcher - My rotation looks strong again with SP Diplan and SP Caballero slotting in at 1 and 2. SP Britland slides up to the third spot and looks to be on track to fulfill the promise I once had for SP Killough, who falls down to the fourth spot. In reality, though, this is a make of break year for Killough as his control rating is now down to only average. SP Womble fills the last spot and has the potential to outperform both Britland and Killough.

At some point this year SP Tejada figures to get a call up and with a strong start, SP Guajardo could get a chance later in the year. RP Medina is more than capable of filling in for a spot start here and there as needed.

Bullpen - CL Bedingfield returns for what is likely his last season with the Expos and should remain one of the premiere bullpen arms. RP Takara and RP Crose remain as set up men, and RP Sianez and RP Mosqueda also return in their same roles. New to the pen this year are RP Jonathan Medina and RP Robby Ochoa. Medina is another power arm and Ochoa is a control specialist.

The AAA starters mentioned above may get a look in the bullpen, as could SP Turkel, SP Caprio, RP Carson, RP Tew, RP Avilla, and a few others.



Catcher - Stacey and Lopez return to platoon at catcher after combining for 30 HR last year. They should remain strong offensive producers though 20 HR is more realistic an expectation. Lopez is much better defensively than Stacey, though Stacey's bat is stronger overall.

First Base - Flores comes in as the full time first baseman for the first time after a strong year leading the team in HR last year. He will be hard pressed to maintain that lead with the continued development of Warren and addition of Pruner, but he brings plus defense to first base and has exceptional versatility if any of my infield regulars get hurt.

Second Base - Draxler returns after leading my offense in WAR the past two seasons. He has been as consistent and great a performer as I've had on my team in this franchise. I'm expecting more of the same from him this year. Chris also returns as a contact/slap hitting utility infielder.

Third Base - Lawrence receives his first MLB Opening Day start this year and brings a strong right handed power bat to my lineup but due to the quality of my team, will hit towards the bottom of the lineup. He plays good defense at third as well.

Shortstop - Warren Returns as the starter at shortstop and is one of the biggest wild cards on my team. He could be a slightly above average player or among the best in the majors. He hits for a bit more power than average. With a full season, I expect him to contend for a gold glove as well. Goette also returns as a reliable bench bat and utility infielder.

Left Field - Derringer is among the top hitters on my team as he hits with both power and average. I'm expecting yet another strong season from the still young Derringer.

Center Field - Pruner joins the Expos and by ratings and projections matches up with Warren as one of the top two batters on my team. Pruner will hit for power and average while contributing several steals and solid defense as well. Paredes makes his second straight opening day roster and looks to stay in the majors all year. He brings plus speed and defense to center with an above average bat. He doesn't figure to get much playing time, but should get some opportunities to contribute.

Right Field - Polovina moves over to right field where he profiles best defensively. He is as close to a three true outcomes player as I've had on my team with plus HR power, eye/discipline, and otherwise average with his bat. Mena returns as the fourth outfielder and figures to fill the short side of a platoon with Polovina. Mena's bat is average across the board as he hits for some average and some power.

This is among the best teams I've constructed in my time playing OOTP. Now it is up to the players to perform. The Expos have a good chance to finish as the top run producing and run preventing team in the league. The hallmark of this team seems to be the offense with unreal power hitting ability, good contact ability, and great speed and defense.

The rotation could be stronger and looks to get there eventually with all of my best pitching prospects reaching the upper minors. With that said, I could very well finish with the best SP ERA anyways. I expect my bullpen to post the best combined RP ERA, as I believe they have for the past three or so seasons.

This is my best chance yet at bringing home a championship trophy.

Next up is a look at the top prospects in my system and how my system ranks overall...

[GM_CheatSheets]

This year I returned to the number 10 ranked minor league system. This is eleven spots better than last year and ties for my highest minor league system ranking (2029).

This year six of my prospects made the top 100: SP Guajardo at #28 (up from #64), SP Tejada at #39 (down from #32), 3B Estrada at #41, CF Rebold at #74, SP Kamphuis at #87, and 3B Tellez at #89 (down from #84). Estrada is the first player in this franchise that has made the OOTP top 100 prospect list the year after I signed him as an international amateur free agent. Including the tax, he cost me a little over $20 million, but he appears to be worth it as he debuts at #41 as a 17 year old. Rebold becomes the second player in two years to make the top 100 the year after being drafted.

I had twelve players place in the top 200, up one from last year. Those ranked in the next 100 include SP Castiglione at #110, SP Esteban at #120, 2B Pellot at #139, 3B Carruth at #159, SP Villanova at #187, and SP Roque at #197.

1. SP Gabe Guajardo, AAA (Trade w/LAD 11/2030)
   Guajardo jumps to the top of my prospect list after acquiring him via trade. He becomes my first top of the line lefty starting prospect since Caballero. Unlike Caballero, Guarjado looks to rack up a lot of strike outs and struggle with his control from time to time. He has plus stuff and three plus pitches. His movement is above average and his control is currently below average with average potential. He makes the jump from AA to AAA and should get strong consideration for a late season call up.
2. SP Guus Kamphuis, A+ (2027 Int'l FA Signing)
   Kamphuis remains my most exciting prospect despite losing the #1 spot. He has great to plus potential in all three pitching categories and with each of his three pitches. Also his velocity is 99-101 mph. Oh, and he's only 20 years old and has a full season at A+ already. Though he won't start at AA, he figures to get an early promotion.
3. SP Jesus Tejada, AAA (2025 Int'l FA Signing)
   Tejada would be starting in the majors if there was a rotation opening. Instead he will continue to start in AAA and should get the call if there is a rotation injury or to pitch out of the bullpen later in the season. His pitching categories are already above average and he has posted great numbers at every stop, including last year at AAA. He has five pitches that are average or better.
4. 2B Jose Pellot, AA (2027 Draft, Rd 2)
   Pellot has plus gap power and great potential home run power, though the home run power is only currently average. He has an above average eye and average contact and avoid k. He contributes plus defense at second base.
5. RP Robby Ochoa, MLB (Scouting Discovery 6/2023)
   Ochoa will start in the major league bullpen. He is a control specialist with a great changeup. His numbers in AAA were fantastic, but I'm not sure if they will translate to the majors. He could be a solid contributor, but there are some bigger bullpen arms that might push him out of the picture before he gets too much of a chance.
6. RP Jonathan Medina, MLB (Trade w/SEA 12/2029)
   Medina has a starter profile but will start in the MLB bullpen. He has plus stuff and a plus fastball (97-99 mph). Because I will need to soon clear way for Guarjado and Tejada, Medina might find himself on the trade block again.
7. RF T.J. Cuatt, AAA (Trade w/SF 11/2030)
   Cuatt, a conversion project, has a great bat with a below average eye. He doesn't have any defensive position ratings right now but will get some experience in RF, LF, and maybe 1B while playing at AAA this year. He is the highest potential bat in my system right now by ratings so we will see if he is able to put up respectable numbers and successfully convert from the mound to the field.
8. RP Brian Carson, AAA (2025 Draft, Rd 7)
   Carson is an MLB ready relief arm who is returning to AAA mostly because of his age as his stats in AAA last year were terrific. He has plus stuff and great control to pair with a great fastball and plus curve.
9. 3B David Carruth, AAA (Trade w/LV 7/2029)
   Carruth has plus avoid k and an otherwise above average bat. He looks most like a utility player, though OOTP rates his bat as great overall with a below average eye. He could start if his results better match the OOTP scouting report. He could potentially fill in at any position besides catcher if there is an injury.
10. RP Michael Avilla, AAA (2027 Draft, Rd 9)
    Avilla is moving up from AA and looks like a future bullpen ace. A lefty, he has a great fastball and plus curve. He relies more on his stuff, movement, and control than velocity. He could position himself for a mid or late season call up if he comes close to his AA numbers.
11. CL Jesse Tew, AAA (2024 Draft, Rd 9)
    Tew is also a lefty bullpen arm with two great to plus pitches and only average velocity. He has plus stuff and above average movement and control. He could be the first reliever to get the call up as he is both ready and would add a second lefty arm to my bullpen.
12. SP Jimmy Turkel, AAA (2026 Draft, Rd 1)
    Turkel will continue to play as a starter in AAA but figures to throw out of the bullpen in the majors. He has a plus fastball (97-99 mph) and an above average curve and splitter. His movement and control are only slightly above average. He could get a mid or late season call up this year.
13. SS Juan Amescua, A+ (2028 Draft, Rd 8)
    Amescua has an average bat with great to plus defense. He looks like a potential utility player.
14. SP Chris Castiglione, AA (2028 Draft, Rd 1)
    Castiglione should get an early promotion to AAA as he already put up great numbers in AA last year. He has a great fastball (95-97 mph), three above average, and one below average pitches. His pitching ratings are also above average. He is a legitimate pitching prospect, but I worry that he might not get much of a chance with my pitching depth in the majors and upper minors.
15. SP Manny Roque, AA (2029 Draft, Rd 1)
    After looking at Roque's ratings, he deserves to make this list and maybe to place even higher. He has four above average to great pitches (only the changeup isn't already average), 96-98 mph veloclity, and great potential stuff. He is my pick as a potential breakout pitcher for this year
16. RF Bob Cecil, AAA (2025 Draft, Rd 2)
    Cecil has the look of a tough luck prospect. He performed great at AA but has yet to perform at AAA. I have also piled a bunch of outfield depth into my system right as he reached the upper minors. He has an above average bat and plus speed, though he plays best in the outfield corners.
17. CF Miguel Paredes, MLB (Trade w/MIN 7/2029)
    Paredes has plus speed and defense as his calling card. He also has what looks like an above average bat with good contact, gap power, and avoid k. On one hand he looks like a good fourth outfielder, especially if he can hit. On the other hand, all my starting outfielders are already left handed (or switch hitters who favor batting lefty).
18. SS Miguel Naranjo, AAA (2024 Int'l FA Signing)
    Naranjo has been floating around the back end of this list for a few years now and though it looks he will reach his potential, it just isn't enough to earn staring consideration in the majors. At best he could fill a utility role but maybe not for an organization with my depth. He has plus avoid k and speed, great defense (though only average at shortstop), and an average bat.
19. CF Arturo Vargas, AA (Scouting Discovery 9/2024)
    Vargas is above average in contact, gap power, and avoid k. He has an average eye and below average home run power. He should continue to progress with his great speed and plus defense carrying him up the system.
20. SS Ryan Mitchell, A- (2028 Draft, Comp. Rd 1)
    Mitchell is a player my scout likes better than OOTP. He has an above average bat with potentially great eye and avoid k. He also has plus speed and great defense.

Pitching continues to dominate my system and the majority of my prospects are playing in AA and AAA. While it's better to have too much rather than too little pitching, it is a little exhausting for me to try to figure out how to get all of my starting and relief pitching prospects a chance to play in the majors.

I will be watching #22 on this list, 3B David Estrada very closely this year, much how I have watched Kamphuis over the past few years.

Next, the regular season gets underway...

[GM_CheatSheets]

The Expos season started with wins in 1 of 3 versus the Marlins, 1 of 3 versus the Dodgers, 1 of 3 versus the Rays, 4 of 4 versus the Mets, 2 of 3 versus the Phillies, 2 of 3 versus the Giants, and 2 of 3 versus the Reds.

This adds up to a 13-9 record for the month.

Here are how the batters performed for the month:



LF Derringer had a great month, easily leading the team with a .356 AVG. CF Pruner, 1B Flores, SS Warren, 3B Lawrence, and RF Polovina also had good months. Warren led the team with 6 HR and 16 RBI.

And here are the pitchers:



My rotation got off to a strong start, especially SP Caballero. SP Diplan had a lower FIP than ERA while all of SP Britland, SP Killough, and SP Womble performed better than their FIP. All three of them also had ERAs at or below 3.38.

The bullpen was solid with CL Bedingfield, RP Mosqueda, RP Crose, and RP Sianez impressing. RP Ochoa and RP Medina struggled but will get a chance to turn it around.

Next, we will see how the Expos fare in May...

[GM_CheatSheets]

The Expos started May with wins in 2 of 3 versus the Indians, 1 of 2 versus the Cubs, and 2 of 2 versus the D-backs. At this point, RP Ochoa suffered an injury putting him out of action for the next 3-4 months. I called up RP Tew to fill his spot in the bullpen and provide a second lefty arm to complement Mosqueda.

The Expos went on to win 0 of 3 versus Las Vegas, 2 of 3 versus Washington, 3 of 3 versus Atlanta, 3 of 3 versus San Diego, and 2 of 3 versus the Mets. At this point, 2B Draxler suffered an injury that will put him out of action for 3-4 months. I was looking to call up 3B Carruth to fill in, but he was out for five more days recovering from an injury of his own. Next, I looked to 2B Pellot, but he was struggling in AAA. I decided to call up RF Cuatt and to shift Flores to second and Derringer to first.

The Expos finished the month winning 3 of 4 versus the Pirates and 2 of 2 versus St. Louis.

This adds up to an incredible 20-8 record for the month. I believe this is my first time reaching the 20 win mark in a single month. I was also notified that MiLB SP Tejada won the International League (AAA) best starter award for May.

Here are the batting performances for the month:



SS Warren and CF Pruner both had fantastic months with 10 and 8 HR, and a .315 and .297 AVG, respectively. 3B Lawrence and 1B Flores had great months of their own, each batting over a .300 AVG. RF Polovina and C Stacey also played well.

And the pitchers:



SP Diplan led my rotation and SP Killough had a strong month as well. SP Britland and SP Caballero were a bit unlucky and SP Womble was below average. All of my relievers put in quality efforts this month which no doubt played a big role in the team's great record.

Next up is the first year player draft...

[GM_CheatSheets]

This year is the first time in a while I haven't had a comp pick. I also surrendered my regular first round pick when I signed CF Pruner. Thus, my first pick this year won't come until late in round two, pick number 70 overall in the draft.

Here is what the board looked like when my first pick came up at 70 overall.



Round 2, Pick 30

With slim pickings, I went with the top non-impossible demand player on my board in SP Mickael Lamy (21, college). He has good potential but as a 21 year old, I can understand why others passed on him. His control is currently a 5 out of 20 and his third pitch is underdeveloped with a fourth pitch being a wish. If he does reach his full potential he could be worth a look eventually. If he can develop further than his current potential (his intangibles are off the charts) he could establish himself as a solid prospect.



Round 3, Pick 32

Next I selected SS Josh Vaca (18, high school). Vaca has some potential with his bat, though a poor eye. He has plus speed and should be a wizard defensively, especially if he can rid of his mental lapses from time to time (an average infield error rating).



Round 4, Pick 30

As usual, I went for an impossible demand player in the fourth round. This year it is 2B Omari Dixon (19, high school). Dixon is the highest upside offensive player I drafted, though OOTP isn't as high on him as my scout is. He has potentially great contact, gap power, discipline, avoid k, and speed. His defense isn't great but if his bat develops it will be hard to keep him out of a lineup.



Round 5, Pick 30

With my next pick, I took a conversion project. Listed as a shortstop, I plan to develop SP Phil Anderson (18, high school) as a starter. He looks almost exactly the same ratings-wise as my second rounder, SP Lamy, but is a much more exciting pick as he is three years younger.



Round 6, Pick 30

My next pick was CF Brian Braden (21, college). Braden has some power and contact potential to pair with great speed and great to plus defense. He isn't likely to amount to much but with some development could become more exciting.





Round 7, Pick 30

Next, I selected SS River Norlander (17, high school). He has intriguing bat potential and perhaps the coolest name of any of the players I've selected. I'm really hoping he can become a regular because I like his name so much, but as a very young player, he will have plenty of time to develop.



Below is a list of all of my manual selections.



It's a pretty light class with my not picking until the 70th selection, but I do think I got at least two decent prospects in 2B Dixon and SP Anderson.

Next, the Expos continue to play through June...

[GM_CheatSheets]

June was another good month for the Expos. It started with a win in the final game of the three game set against St. Louis that started in May. With MiLB 3B/2B Carruth back from injury, I decided to send RF Cuatt down and promote Carruth to the majors to fill in at second.

The Expos went on to win 3 of 3 versus the Marlins, 3 of 3 versus the Dodgers, 1 of 3 versus the Blue Jays, 1 of 3 versus the Rays, and 0 of 3 versus the Indians. SP Womble suffered a minor injury making him day-to-day for the next five days. Though I wouldn't normally do this, I placed him on the DL so I could give prospect SP Tejada a chance to make a start or two in the majors.

The Expos finished the month with wins in 3 of 4 versus the Phillies, 2 of 3 versus the Pirates, and 1 of 3 versus the Giants. Tejada pitched well in his first start but left with the bases loaded, all three of which came around to score.

This adds up to a solid 15-11 record for the month.

Here are the batting performances:



CF Pruner had a month for the ages with 11 HR and a .364 AVG. SS Warren had a great month and 2B Flores and LF Polovina also played well.

And the pitchers:



SP Caballero had an amazing month with a 1.21 ERA and 2.62 FIP. SP Killough continues to pitch well, but it is hard to tell how much of his success should be granted to being lucky. CL Bedingfield, RP Medina, and RP Takara had good months out of the bullpen.

Next, the new international amateur free agent signing period opens...

[GM_CheatSheets]

The international amateur period opened and I imported the class into my spreadsheet, revealing possibly the weakest class I've seen yet. This actually bodes well for me as I have a $250,000 signing limit this year for exceeding last year's cap.



I put an an offer to SP Rino Ortiz, the #6 player on the list, but he went for a higher offer. I was only able to sign one player this period, #16 SP Robby Martinez. Long-term he projects as a reliever and the only reason I pursued him was because it looked like he might sign for $250,000.



I wasn't expecting to be able to sign anyone of significance this period, so I suppose this meets my low expectations. Hopefully next year will result in a stronger class as my spending abilities return.

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

[GM_CheatSheets]

The month started with the Expos winning 2 of 3 versus the Braves, 3 of 3 versus the Nationals, and 2 of 3 versus the Cubs. 2B Flores was lost for 3-4 weeks for injury and C Stacey for 3-4 weeks as well. I decided to give 2B prospect Pellot and C Edwards call ups to replace them. I also sent SP prospect Tejada back to AAA after he struggled a bit in his second career MLB start and recalled SP Womble from his rehab assignment.

The Expos then swept the Reds in three games before the All-Star break. I had four representatives at this year's All-Star Game: SP Caballero, CL Bedingfield, SS Warren, and CF Pruner.

After the break the Expos won 2 of 4 versus the Phillies, 0 of 3 versus the Padres, 1 of 3 versus the D-backs, and 3 of 3 versus the Cardinals.

The Expos finished July with a great 16-9 record. They now lead the NL East over the Phillies by 11.5 games. I was also notified that 3B Lawrence received the NL Batter of the Month award and 1B Cuatt received the NL Rookie of the Month award.

Here's how the batters performed for the month:



For the first time, 3B Lawrence led the team in offense this month. SS Warren, LF Derringer, CF Pruner, and 1B Cuatt had great months. C Lopez also played well.

And the pitchers:



SP Britland and SP Caballero had good months out of the rotation. SP Diplan again had better peripherals than results. SP Womble and SP Killough had rough months.

RP Crose, RP Carson, RP Mosqueda, and RP Sianez all pitched well out of the bullpen.

Next is a look at the updated midseason prospect rankings for the Expos organization...

[GM_CheatSheets]

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



Notes and Observations:

• 2B Pellot jumps SP Tejada to the #3 spot on the list.
• RP Ochoa, RP Medina, and 3B Carruth all graduated from the list.
• 1B/RF Cuatt's bat improved significantly from the preseason.
• SP Roque moved up from #15 to #7. He continues to look to me like a strong pitching prospect, though he isn't likely to be considered among the best prospects in the game.
• SS Amescua moved up from #13 to #8.
• RF Ramos was the biggest mover from #28 to #10 and improved his bat quite a bit. My scout is higher on him than OOTP and even then it is a mostly average profile.
• SS Love moved up from #21 to #16.
• 3B Estrada moved from #22 to #18. He is one of the youngest players in my organization and should soon ascend to the top of this list.
• SS Hill moved up from #27 to #20.
• CF Burr moved up from #29 to #21.

Next, the Expos continue their push for a third straight division title into August...

[GM_CheatSheets]

The month started with the Expos sweeping the Rays in three games. After this, I activated 2B Flores from his rehab assignment.

The Expos went on to win 2 of 3 versus the Red Sox, 0 of 3 versus the Dodgers, 2 of 3 versus the Marlins, 2 of 4 versus the Pirates, 3 of 3 versus the Mets, 2 of 3 versus the Indians, 2 of 3 versus the Reds, and 2 of 3 versus the Giants.

This all adds up to a great 18-10 record for the month. Despite this, the Expos' division lead fell to 10 games over the Phillies. The Expos are all but guaranteed their third straight division title.

Here's how the batters did for the month:



CF Pruner had another fantastic month and led the team offensively. LF Derringer, 1B Cuatt, and 2B Flores were not too far behind them. Cuatt is pretty immediately looking like a successful conversion project. RF Polovina and SS Warren also played well this month.

And the pitchers:



SP Diplan, SP Britland, and SP Caballero all performed well in my rotation. SP Womble and SP Killough struggled. In the bullpen, CL Bedingfield (11 SV), RP Tew, RP Tejada, RP Crose, and RP Takara all pitched well.

Next, the Expos close out the regular season with their eye on a third consecutive division title...

[GM_CheatSheets]

September started with several call ups: C Edwards, 2B Carruth, RF Cecil, RP Sianez, and RP Avilla. I also activated 2B Drexler from his rehab assignment.

The month started with the Expos winning 3 of 3 versus the Braves and 3 of 3 versus the A's. At this point, I moved SP Womble to the bullpen to create an opening in the rotation for SP prospect Tejada.

The Expos then won 3 of 4 versus the D'backs and 3 of 3 versus the Padres. At this point, the Expos clinched a postseason spot. The Expos continued with wins in 3 of 3 versus the Cardinals and 1 of 4 versus the Cubs. The win versus the Cubs clinched the third straight NL East title for the Expos. It also marked the end of the AAA season and I called up SP Castiglione, SP Turkel, and 2B Pellot. I also gave SP prospect Guarjado a one appearance call up as I didn't want to waste half a month of his service time for just a handful of insignificant innings.

The Expos closed out the season with wins in 0 of 3 versus the Nationals, 3 of 3 versus the Phillies, 2 of 4 versus the Mets, and 0 of 3 versus the Pirates.

This adds up to a 21-12 record for the month and 103-59 (.636) record for the season. The Expos won the NL East by 17 games and finished with the second best record in the NL and MLB. CL Bedingfield was named the NL Pitcher of the Month.

Below are the stats for batters in September (not including the five October games):



1B Flores led the way with a terrific month. LF Derringer and SS Warren played nearly as well and CF Pruner and 2B Draxler were just behind them. It is good to see Draxler put a solid month together, especially after the little he did play early in the season was mostly sub-par.

And the pitchers:



SP Diplan, SP Killough, and SP Britland pitched well out of the rotation. CL Bedingfield did have a spectacular month (20.2 IP, 1.31 ERA, 0.67 FIP, 29/2 K/BB ratio). RP Mosqueda, RP Sianez, RP Takara, and RP Carson all had good months out of the bullpen as well.

Next, the Expos will learn who they will face in their NL Division Series match up...

[GM_CheatSheets]

After a first round bye, the Expos will play the Arizona Diamondbacks (83-79) in this best of five divisional series match up. The Diamondbacks have the fourth best offense in the NL and their pitching is tied for 11th. The Expos won the head-to-head season series 6-3.

The Expos won the first game by a score of 5-2. SP Diplan got the win, throwing six innings, giving up two runs, striking out seven, and walking none. The game was tied 2-2 going into the 6th when PH Paredes broke the game open with a two-run single. CL Bedingfield closed the game with a 1.2 IP save. C Stacey hit the only Expos home run. Of concern, SS Warren needed to be removed after getting hit by a pitch.

The Expos also won game two, this one by a score of 9-4. SP Caballero got the win in this one with a line of 6 IP, 1 R, 6 K, 0 BB. LF Derringer hit a three-run home run in the first to give the Expos an early lead. C Stacey contributed a home run of his own in a six-run 6th for the Expos.

On the travel day, I was dealt devastating news -- SS Warren, my best player both on offense and defense, as well as my team captain and only player with "very high" leadership would miss the rest of the postseason as he recovers from a fractured finger.

The Expos lost game three by a score of 1-4. SP Britland took the loss, giving up 4 R (2 ER) in 5.2 IP. He was pitching well for the first five innings before not being able to get through the sixth inning. Another concern that came up here was it showed my lineup sans Warren is suddenly more susceptible to lefty pitchers. This is especially concerning with Arizona throwing another lefty in game four.

Despite my growing fears, the Expos went on to win game four by a score of 4-2 to clinch the series. SP Killough went six innings, allowing two runs and LF Derringer and 3B Lawrence each hit solo home runs. The game was tied 2-2 after nine innings. In the top of the 10th 1B Flores and CF Pruner each had RBI base hits. RP Crose picked up the win with two scoreless innings.

C Stacey was named the series MVP with his two home runs.

Next, the Expos will again try to advance to their first World Series...