Many fans are about as fed up as can be. I'm not sure, if that is enough to light a fire under the current team ownership and management group, but a fire is likely what we need to seriously compete in 2024.
We'll be talking Rule 5, options and arbs, trades and signings before we know it. Most of us agree our top need is the rotation, and not just one top starter, but two or three. LH'd relief has been mentioned as has a big RH'd bat. Improving the D has been a topic, too.
The budget is a big question mark, again.
Here is what I think the foundation will be for 2024. I'm leaving 4 slots for additions via free agency or by trade:
SP1 _____
SP2 _____
SP3 Bello
SP4 Sale (Houck or Crawford)
SP5 Pivetta
Closer Jansen
RP2 Martin
RP3 Houck
RP4 Crawford
RP5 Whitlock
RP6 Winckowski
RP7 Schreiber
RP8 ______ (LHP)
C Wong & McGuire
1B Casas
2B Reyes & Urias
3B Devers
SS Story
LF Duran & Refsnyder
CF ______ (RHB) Rafaela or Abreu
RF Verdugo
DH Yoshida
40 Man Roster on the Farm
C S Scott (Rule 5)
2B/DH EValdez
SS DHam
OF RaFaela or Abreu
SP Wikelman (Rule 5), Gambrell (Rule 5), Perales (Rule 5), Drohan (Rule 5)
P Murphy, Walter, Mata,
RP Bernardino, Kelly, Robertson
Gone from 40:
1B/RF Dalbec
RP Joely, Mills, Garza, Jacques, Llovera, Weiss, Gillaspie
I like the foundation. I know others don't. I know other teams have better and deeper foundations, as of now, but things can change over a winter.
I'm hopeful about 2024, but we will need to see some major additions for me to be optimistic about our chances. Let's see what the new GM brings to the equation.