2025 Line Up

[aspenbubba]

I have not participated in projecting line ups on any other thread but I am truly excited about our prospects both new and old from either drafts or trades.

I see the OF comprising of Young, Crews ,Pickney and Lile but not necessarily on OD as we will transition slowly from our current players with the exception that Crews and Young will make the show sometime in 2024.

Our infield will be House at 3B , Lipscomb at 2B , Morales at 1B with Abrams at SS. I'm also thinking that Lipscomb and Morales could flip flop positions.

Our catcher will be Millas with Adams backing up. Ruiz will be our DH.


I did not include Wood or Hassell and that was not an oversight. Wood could be another Schwarber with a lot of power and nothing else. A lot can happen in the next 18 months as we need pitchers both starters and relievers and I see Rizzo making some trades with our prospects and picking up at least one #2 or 3 starter as he has done in the past.

[welch]

Don't forget Night Train Lane Thomas. He does not slow down

[JCA-CrystalCity]

This thread could easily have stayed in the Farm because it almost all about projecting prospects. Really, only Abrams and Ruiz are current major leaguers who project to get significant time on that roster. Perhaps Thomas too, if he's not dealt next year. Some of that depends on the additional prospects developing, like Lile, Hassell, and Young. But I will move it to the Clubhouse at Aspen's request and also because most folks see some free agent signings or deals (ZDK-type, Slate suggestions, or less extreme).

[Slateman]

Lot of assumptions being made about young guys.

[ChiliPalmer14]

For fun, I'll look into a crystal ball and guess the line-up and bench for June 1, 2025.  (Watch it be an off day).  I'd love to see other wild guesses...

1. C.J. Abrams / SS
2. Lane Thomas / LF
3. Dylan Crews / CF
4. James Wood / RF
5. Brady House / 3B
6. Johandy Morales / 1B
7. Robert Hassell or Stone Garrett / DH
8. Keibert Ruiz / C
9. Trey Lipscomb / 2B

Bench:
Robert Hassell or Stone Garrett
Daylen Lyle
Kevin Made
Riley Adams
Jake Alu

SP1 - MacKenzie Gore
SP2 - FA (Lucas Giolito?)
SP3 - Cade Cavalli
SP4 - Josiah Gray
SP5 - Jake Bennet

BULLPEN:
Hunter Harvey
Mason Thompson
Kyle Finnegan
Jake Irvin
Jackson Rutledge
Jarlin Susana
DJ Herz

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Lot of assumptions being made about young guys.

funny we don't have a 2024 lineup thread but we have two for 2025.

[Natsinpwc]

funny we don't have a 2024 lineup thread but we have two for 2025.

We’re tanking again next year!

[UMDNats]

FA 2B
Crews
Wood
House
Hoskins
Thomas
FA/trade 1B
Ruiz
Abrams

Maybe one of the other guys becomes a fixture but I'd bet against them being here and more being traded for established SPs. Rizzo seems to like keeping the home run prospects and is happy to deal the good-not-elite prospects for real players.

[ChiliPalmer14]

Lot of assumptions being made about young guys.

I'd lean toward "optimistic guesses" rather than "assumptions".  Speaking for me, anyway.

[Slateman]

If Rizzo is signing an extensions, I'm assuming that ownership promised him a big increase in payroll. I also don't think the Lerners will be selling in the near future.

I think Rizzo goes out and either signs or trades for a big time pitcher. Probably signs. I'd also like to see a trade for a middle of the order bat. Josh Naylor will be getting expensive so he will probably be available for trade during the 2024-2025 offseason.

[Count Walewski]

With the right luck, the 2024 first round draft pick can be in the lineup by September 2025.

[Slateman]

With the right luck, the 2024 first round draft pick can be in the lineup by September 2025.

Need Tommy Tanks to fall to us at 10

[IanRubbish]

I think the main thing is we don't think Mini Me needs to spend big on FAs to get competitive again.  I'm ok with that given how badly big contracts have gone the last couple years across the league.  I actually get concerned Rizzo will keep signing one year rentals so he can unload them at the deadline for mediocre prospects, denying playing time for a higher level prospect who actually needs it.

[IanRubbish]

I'd add that some of these guys aren't going to make it, or will be platoon players.  Victor Robles was mlb.com's #4 ranked prospect overall heading into the 2019 season. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

For fun, I'll look into a crystal ball and guess the line-up and bench for June 1, 2025.  (Watch it be an off day).  I'd love to see other wild guesses...

1. C.J. Abrams / SS
2. Lane Thomas / LF
3. Dylan Crews / CF
4. James Wood / RF
5. Brady House / 3B
6. Johandy Morales / 1B
7. Robert Hassell or Stone Garrett / DH
8. Keibert Ruiz / C
9. Trey Lipscomb / 2B

Bench:
Robert Hassell or Stone Garrett
Daylen Lyle
Kevin Made
Riley Adams
Jake Alu

SP1 - MacKenzie Gore
SP2 - FA (Lucas Giolito?)
SP3 - Cade Cavalli
SP4 - Josiah Gray
SP5 - Jake Bennet

BULLPEN:
Hunter Harvey
Mason Thompson
Kyle Finnegan
Jake Irvin
Jackson Rutledge
Jarlin Susana
DJ Herz

I think there are options at multiple positions, which is kind of nice as a pad in case there's underperformance.

for example, at 3rd, I'd say best case may be House or Morales or Lipscomb, but it's also possible that either Kieboom or a Kieboom / Alu platoon is in the mix.

Similarly, at 1st, there's Morales or House or Lipscomb, again. I won't write off TJ White despite this year. That's just internal. It's also a spot where there is always a free agent available short term.

At 2nd, I'm down on Garcia, so I'd say Lipscomb fits best if he fields the position, Alu may be adequate, too. I don't know if his body can take it, but Kieboom was a middle infielder, so he may end up in the mix. Even Jackson Cluff has had a nice year at AA at the plate, to everyone's shock. To my eye, I think it'll boil down to Lipscomb or a FA.

SS is likely Abrams. His fielding looks a lot better. Conceivably, he's the 2B and the FA infielder is a SS.

For the OF, it is really hard to tell how it shakes out after Crews and Wood. I'm assuming the Ks don't kill Wood.  Thomas may be gone next summer unless we are WC contenders in 2024.  If he's around, I don't know if Hassell would be a defensive upgrade over Thomas. You have Hassell penciled in as DH. Garrett should be in the mix, Lile may break through, and Young is sort of the overachieving wild card.

Millas I think fits in somewhere.  I suspect there's a catcher traded among Millas, Adams, and Pineda. Pineda may be in the DH mix. Meneses would still be under team control. There may be a market for him as his first year of arb is 2026.

I can't begin to think about the pitching staff.

We have to keep in mind that 2025 is the last year of team control for Finnegan, Harvey, Rainey, Thomas, and maybe some others.

[aspenbubba]

I




For the OF, it is really hard to tell how it shakes out after Crews and Wood. I'm assuming the Ks don't kill Wood.  Thomas may be gone next summer unless we are WC contenders in 2024.  If he's around, I don't know if Hassell would be a defensive upgrade over Thomas. You have Hassell penciled in as DH. Garrett should be in the mix, Lile may break through, and Young is sort of the overachieving wild card.

Millas I think fits in somewhere.  I suspect there's a catcher traded among Millas, Adams, and Pineda. Pineda may be in the DH mix. Meneses would still be under team control. There may be a market for him as his first year of arb is 2026.

I can't begin to think about the pitching staff.
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I just don't see the hype for Wood given his year at Harrisburg. Do we want another Schwarber? Hassell has also underperformed given what he cost.

I really believe Ruiz is eventually our DH given his contact skills and lack thereof defensively. It is still too early to pencil in Garrett as the 4th and I would certainly keep Thomas as a 4th OF over him.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I just don't see the hype for Wood given his year at Harrisburg. Do we want another Schwarber? Hassell has also underperformed given what he cost.

I really believe Ruiz is eventually our DH given his contact skills and lack thereof defensively. It is still too early to pencil in Garrett as the 4th and I would certainly keep Thomas as a 4th OF over him.

Accepting your comparison, are you calling Schwarber a bad hitter?

He's not Schwarber in that Schwarber is patient as all heck and draws enough BBs that you can ignore the Ks in an average year from him. That's before you get to the fact that he's near league lead in homers every year. Since 2021, he's hit 111 and is behind Judge, Ohtani, Olson, and Alonso. That's it.

But for Crews, Wood is CF with elite speed. He's still 20 for another month. You are right, we'd want to see a bit more at AA in terms of getting his K rate back down to high  from the low 30s, but otherwise, the fall off from A+ to AA is mostly just balls falling in.  He's not finished yet but let's not assume worst case, either. he improves his contact to just average, and the guy more than meets the hype.

[aspenbubba]

Accepting your comparison, are you calling Schwarber a bad hitter?

He's not Schwarber in that Schwarber is patient as all heck and draws enough BBs that you can ignore the Ks in an average year from him. That's before you get to the fact that he's near league lead in homers every year. Since 2021, he's hit 111 and is behind Judge, Ohtani, Olson, and Alonso. That's it.

But for Crews, Wood is CF with elite speed. He's still 20 for another month. You are right, we'd want to see a bit more at AA in terms of getting his K rate back down to high  from the low 30s, but otherwise, the fall off from A+ to AA is mostly just balls falling in.  He's not finished yet but let's not assume worst case, either. he improves his contact to just average, and the guy more than meets the hype.

Schwarber is hitting .182. I like the HR’s but I have a difficult time with all or nothing. I’m not sure I’m consistent as D. Smith is a .265 hitter with no pop. My criticism is his performance with RISP which is abysmal.

[zimm_da_kid]

Need Tommy Tanks to fall to us at 10

Lot of 1B/DH types at the top of the draft with white, Kurtz, condon, and caglianone.  I bet Kurtz is off the board first.  Wouldn’t mind white, condon, or caglianone at DH with yo-yo at 1st.  They’ll all be fast moving hitters. Caglianone could be a reliever as well as a DH.

Right now looks like bazanna, wetherholt, Griffin, Honeycutt, and Brecht, and burns (transferring to wake should help him) are all but locks to go at the top

[Slateman]

Honestly, by the end of the 2024 season, Karincheck and Josh Naylor will be too expensive for Cleveland's ownership and we'll be able to get them for a package surrounding Lile or Morales. The other can go in a package with James Wood for a starting pitcher. Then ownership can spend on their money on Juan Soto

So, June 2025 lineup:

1. Abrams - SS
2. Crews - CF
3. Soto - LF
4. Ruiz - DH
5. Naylor - 1B
6. Thomas - RF
7. House - 3B
8. Lipscomb/Baker/Alu - 2B
9. Millas - C

1. Gilbert
2. Gore
3. Cavali
4. Gray
5. Irvin

CL - Karinchek
SU - Harvey
Thompson
Weems
Herz
Cronin
[Fill out the rest with whatever]


Alternatively, we make Wood the headliner in a package for Bobby Witt Jr and spend all our money on Corbun Burnes or Max Fried

[aspenbubba]

Honestly, by the end of the 2024 season, Karincheck and Josh Naylor will be too expensive for Cleveland's ownership and we'll be able to get them for a package surrounding Lile or Morales. The other can go in a package with James Wood for a starting pitcher. Then ownership can spend on their money on Juan Soto

So, June 2025 lineup:

1. Abrams - SS
2. Crews - CF
3. Soto - LF
4. Ruiz - DH
5. Naylor - 1B
6. Thomas - RF
7. House - 3B
8. Lipscomb/Baker/Alu - 2B
9. Millas - C

1. Gilbert
2. Gore
3. Cavali
4. Gray
5. Irvin

CL - Karinchek
SU - Harvey
Thompson
Weems
Herz
Cronin
[Fill out the rest with whatever]


Alternatively, we make Wood the headliner in a package for Bobby Witt Jr and spend all our money on Corbun Burnes or Max Fried

I feel vindicated as someone agrees wirh me that Ruiz should be the DH.

[Slateman]

I feel vindicated as someone agrees wirh me that Ruiz should be the DH.

If he can actually hit, then sure. Then we make him the backup catcher, and play more matchups/platoons

[aspenbubba]

If he can actually hit, then sure. Then we make him the backup catcher, and play more matchups/platoons

That means he would almost be playing every day. What happens if Millas needs a day off a week and Ruiz takes his spot. Who DH’s then one of the four bench guys? Doesn’t work unless you have a stud on the bench or one of them gets hurt.

[Slateman]

That means he would almost be playing every day. What happens if Millas needs a day off a week and Ruiz takes his spot. Who DH’s then one of the four bench guys? Doesn’t work unless you have a stud on the bench or one of them gets hurt.

Naw, you play matchups/platoons and/or give someone else a day off.


Honestly, most teams are going to use the DH to get guys rest or play platoons. This wouldn't be much different.

[imref]

your 2025 OF?