Down to 3 OPENINGS left in OZZIE SMITH WORLD! Looking for a handful of new owners to join a solid foundation coming off a fun season. For those interested in picking up a team, below is a brief analysis of the teams available. If something catches your eye, come join us!
***Analysis of Team Openings***
AL North (1 Opening):
Team 1: Division Winner (80-82) – despite the losing record, 80 wins was enough to win the division by 3 games. The team is anchored by two 27-year-old pitchers who both had strong seasons winning 14 and 16 games respectively. Both young arms and the entire rotation could’ve won more games, but the bullpen let the organization down with a whopping 28 blown saves. Veteran owners know the bullpen is one of the easiest areas to correct in the game so it should be relatively easy to get this team to 90+ wins and potentially repeat as the division winner, especially when you look at how strong the offense was last season. The offense was 6th in runs and RBIs, and 3rd in HR’s last season with two monster hitters who combined for 90 HR’s and 280 RBI. One is under contract through next season, however, the other will need to be re-signed.
AL East (2 Openings):
Team 1: 3rd Place (76-86) – this team finished 1 game out of 2nd place and closed the season winning 8 of 10. The team offense was solid last season hitting at a .272 clip, good enough for 5th best in the AL, with 203 HRs (6th best in the AL), and they are relatively young with 4 of their top 5 run producers 28 years old or younger. With a team ERA of 4.77, pitching is where they need the most help. The closer saved 32 of 37 despite a 5.42 ERA and the starting rotation needs an overhaul via free agency or the trade market. Looks like there are some decent arms developing in the lower minor leagues, but they’re still a few seasons away from being ML-ready and there isn’t much immediate help at the AAA and AA levels. Might be ripe to swap a younger arm for one that’s ready for the bigs.
Team 2: 4th Place (52-110) – I can’t put lipstick on a pig so this team is for those owners that want the rebuild. Or, maybe the team just needed a little more attention. They had the worst ERA in the AL last season and were near the bottom in most offensive categories, but I do sense a little neglect. An overhaul is needed, but there’s a silver lining - the minor leagues look well stocked! I’m actually a little envious here as there’s some talent in the farm system.
AL West (1 Opening):
Team 1: 4th Place (77-85) – the good news is 77 wins is decent. The bad news is the division produced two teams with 102+ wins last season. That’s the challenge in the wild, wild West. Having said that, the pitching unit was very strong last season with the 4th best ERA in the league at 3.97 and in the top 5 in just about all pitching categories. The bullpen needs a clear-cut closer but looks strong overall. DITR Mat Harris who was signed in the offseason had a phenomenal season posting 15 wins with a 2.43 ERA and a miniscule 1.02 WHIP. The offense leaves a lot to be desired – one of the worst in the AL with a team average of just .243 – but I do also see a nicely stocked minor league system here with some solid bats.
NL North (1 Opening):
Team 1: 4th Place (68-94) – this is a rebuild, however, there are some pieces to either build upon or use as bargain chips to collect some prospects. 29-year-old Shortstop Chad Ramirez (.330 / 31/ 109 /.945 OPS) is a stud and he’s signed to a great contract with 4 years remaining on the deal. There are a couple other young guys in the lineup that should progress as they hit their prime. Closer Tom Pierre is also a stud (3.16 ERA, 36 saves in 40 opps) and he’s also locked into a solid deal. Kudos to the previous owner for setting up the incoming owner with some good deals (doesn’t always happen). Minors are a little mixed, but I see some guys on both sides of the ball that have talent.
NL South (1 Opening):
Team 1: 4th Place (70-92) – this is a competitive division with the winner having 86 wins so not a huge gap between all teams, however, there’s decisions to be made here. The offense was top 5 or 6 in most categories and led the league in doubles with a whopping 266 (29 more than the next closest team), but most of these guys are 30+ years old. Pitching was the clear-cut issue as they were one of only 5 teams in both leagues combined with a 5+ ERA, and that’s with all-star closer Jedd Morandini posting 41 saves and a 3.83 ERA. He’ll need to be re-signed, however. No pitcher achieved 10 wins on the season which doesn’t bode well for the staff as it currently stands. In my humble opinion, this is an older team that could use a complete overall. Probably a fun project for an owner that wants to hit the free agent market hard or experiment with bringing up some minor leaguers, which unfortunately, also has limited talent. I’m sensing this team has been in plug-and-play veteran free agency mode for a while.
NL West (1 Opening):
Team 1: 4th Place (76-86) – this team had a top 6 pitching staff with a very respectable 3.77 team ERA, but the bullpen gave away a lot of wins (24 blown saves). They need a better closer and more depth to the starting rotation after Andres Rivera (3.98 ERA) and Bart Riggs (2.91 ERA). The offense rode the struggle bus to work every game as they were last in the NL in runs scored, but I’m a little perplexed by this. There are some excellent bats on this team led by 27-year-old Rio Radlosky (.287 / 45 / 111 / .893 OPS) and 25-year-old Daryl Francis. Francis is a stud and should easily be a 100-RBI guy for years to come. The team was 2nd to last in SBs and they have 4 or 5 guys with 70+ speed so I think I’d adjust the baserunning settings. Should help with the run production. This looks like a fun squad and while the minors are not stacked, there’s some talent.
2/22/2026 9:11 AM (edited)