Let me start by saying I am so glad I am not actual Perry Minasian with a team that has grossly overpaid aging and underperforming veterans, a poor minor league system and an out-of-touch owner who thinks he and his minions know baseball and who expects to “compete” but is not willing to open his wallet beyond a total of $200 million. But for fun, I will pretend that I am Perry and that while I am attempting to build a team for 2025, my real focus is the future.
Fantasy Perry is confined to a total payroll of $200 million. That means I have $29 million to spend including the acquisition of Soler and Hendricks and taking Canning off the books. Trades are to be run through the simulator which cost me a cool $24.99 for a subscription. I also have to use Fangraphs or MLBTR predictions to estimate salaries of the free agents whom I somehow can convince to play for this lousy Organization. With those as my rules of engagement, I hereby submit my plan for 2025 and beyond.
My Daydreaming
I as fantasy Perry begin with a daydream that includes things I would rather be doing that working for Arte. Jumping off a bridge, being confined to a dark cave inhabited by poisonous snakes or spiders, swimming in polluted waters or eating glass come to mind. Maybe I will just quit and become a day trader. After these happy thoughts cross through the fields of my mind, I decide to face the challenge head-on and get to work. I know that the “compete” mantra for 2025 is said tongue-in-cheek and meant to convince suckers to pony up money for season tickets. So my real plan is to commit to our youth movement, bolster it, plan for 2027 and still put up something that looks like a baseball team for 2025. My goal is to try to win something around 70 games in 2025 and build for the future.
My First Action – Get Rid of the Dead Weight
I need something to get me excited so I go ahead and DFA that worthless piece of junk Anthony Rendon. I do it by email to his agent while I am in my underwear and my hairy gut hanging out. I do not give him the courtesy of a telephone call or an in-person discussion. I am tired of looking at that name “Rendon”- he makes me want to kick something and I am normally calm and reserved. Just hearing the name “Rendon” sets off a type of Pavlovian response in me that makes causes me to drool and think about destroying things. I cringe at the nearly $80 million in sunken salary over the next two seasons but to open up a spot on the Roster and to cut away this cancer from the Organization, I do it. Sayonara a-hole, bye-bye jerk face – dont let the door hit you in the arse. Dont ever come back knocking. I hope you choke on all that money. I then immediately run out to the front of Angel Stadium and take joy in ripping down that bearded face banner hanging at the home plate entrance.
Non-Tenders
I decide to non-tender Patrick Sandoval since he has basically sucked and won’t pitch in 2025. I am already paying that bearded bastard Rendon for not playing baseball and I just cant justify more sunken money on a player who is not actually playing. So, this saves me around $7 million. I now have $36 million to spend.
Trade Time
Next up is a trade with the Tigers. I really do not want to pay Rengifo for his on-again, off-again inconsistency. So I package him with Nolan Schanuel to the Tigers to deal with the 3B situation now and in the future.
Tigers receive Luis Rengifo and Nolan Schanuel for 3Bmen Justyn-Henry Malloy (age 24) and Caesar Rucker (age 19). Per the MLB Trade Values site, the Tigers slightly win this trade 21.50 to 18.0, but that is not the point. I am looking for a short and long term solution at 3B and this deal provides that with Malloy immediately taking over the roll for 2025 and Rucker being sent to the minors for seasoning. Malloy had a cup of coffee with the Tigers big club in 2024 after a great AAA season in 2023 and part of 2024. He was mediocre in his 71 MLB games in 2024 but he is a play for the future. He is cost controlled for a long time and has tremendous potential. I like how he fits in with Neto and O’Hoppe.
Part of my thinking on this is that I am going by the Neto playbook and calling up Christian Moore from AA to play 2B. Its all part of my youth movement grand plan. This deal also saves me from dealing with Rengifo’s 2025 salary and saves me at least $7-$9 million since Rengifo had a generally decent 2024 with nearly 2 WAR and is due a raise. This saves me from having to deal with that issue and I now have approximately $45 million to spend.
Getting rid of Schanuel is not an easy decision but I view him as having limited upside and his value is fairly decent right now. This opens up a hole at 1B which I will fill on the short term through free agency and the long term maybe in the first round of the 2025 draft.
Free Agent Spending
To fill the hole at first base for 2025, I look to a 37 year old veteran Paul Goldschmidt. I offer him a 1 year deal at $16 million and he comes to Anaheim to work on his tan and enjoy the beauty of living near the ocean.
We need some depth in the infield particularly as Moore is part of my immediate plans and there is some risk in that. So, I sign Whit Merrifeld to a 1 year deal at $7 million. He provides depth and may end up playing much of the season at 2B.
Pitching is a problem (no duh) but my long term focus is the youth movement. So, I do not want to overspend on a free agent pitcher who requires a longer term contract. Accordingly, I sign Kyle Gibson for 1 year at $13 million. He is an iron man and despite being a bit long-in-the-tooth at 37, is an effective innings eater. He fits in nicely to the rotation. I also sign Tommy Kahnle for 2 years for a total of $14 million (i.e. $7 million per season). Despite his injury issues, when healthy he has been absolutely fantastic over the last 3 seasons with a sub-3 ERA, approximately 10 Ks per 9 innings average and a WHIP around 1.10. Health is the issue but I am willing to take a chance on him for two years.
Accordingly, I spent exactly the $45 million I had in Arte’s budget. The budget for 2025 is almost exactly $200 million as was the goal.
2025 Roster by Positions
Outfielders: Trout, Ward, Adell, Soler and Moniak
Infielders: O’Hoppe, Goldschmidt, Malloy, Merrifeld, Moore, Neto, Thaiss, Kavadas
Starting Pitching: Gibson, Anderson, Detmers, Kochanowicz, Hendricks, Caden Dana
Bullpen: Kahnle, Joyce, Stephenson, Quijada, Silseth, Bachman Etc.
Conclusion
I, as fantasy Perry, have put together a team that probably wins around 68-74 games in 2025. I am okay with that as my goal, really, is the future. I have acquired a young, talented third baseman as well as a third base prospect who has potential. My infield is young but is bolstered by veterans at 1B (Goldschmidt) and 2B (Merrifeld). My financial commitments from free agency are short term and allow me to keep building towards 2027. The team could have its fun moments particularly with Malloy, Neto, Moore and O’Hoppe all developing before our eyes. Trout, Goldschmidt and Merrifeld could provide some moments as well. With a good draft in 2025 and the all-pitcher draft seasoning for another year, I may just be able to rebuild – but again I am also realistic and keeping the bridge jumping and pit of poisonous snakes and/or spiders as a possibility too.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
