DJL44’s 2027 Payroll Blueprint: Bringing back fan favorites

[DJL44]

Jeffers gets 4 years and $60M. Arraez signs for 3 years and $48M. Larnach and Ober have to go, and the bullpen has to get filled on the cheap but I think this could sell season tickets.

Rojas takes the bullpen lefty role. Prielipp and Matthews are starters 6 and 7. Ober gets traded for a pre-arb reliever. Larnach gets traded for cash considerations to offset Correa’s dead money.

They start the season over budget, but if they have to sell at the deadline they can shed $10M really easily.

• C: Ryan Jeffers ($15.00M)
• 1B: Royce Lewis ($5.10M)
• 2B: Luis Arraez ($16.00M)
• 3B: Brooks Lee ($1.00M)
• SS: Kaelen Culpepper ($1.00M)
• LF: Luke Keaschall ($1.00M)
• CF: Byron Buxton ($15.00M)
• RF: Walker Jenkins ($1.00M)
• DH: Kody Clemens ($3.60M)
• 4th OF: Emmanuel Rodriguez ($1.00M)
• Utility: Alan Roden ($1.00M)
• Utility: Ryan Kreidler ($1.00M)
• Backup C: Victor Caratini ($7.00M)
• POS: Add Dead Money Here ($9.00M)
• SP1: Pablo Lopez ($21.50M)
• SP2: Joe Ryan ($9.60M)
• SP3: Dean Kremer ($6.50M)
• SP4: Mick Abel ($1.00M)
• SP5: Taj Bradley ($4.50M)
• RP: Jeff Hoffman ($7.25M)
• RP: Kendry Rojas ($1.00M)
• RP: Tommy Nance ($1.20M)
• RP: Yoendrys Gomez ($1.00M)
• RP: Kody Funderburk ($1.00M)
• RP: Travis Adams ($1.00M)
• RP: Andrew Morris ($1.00M)
• RP: Ober Trade ($1.00M)
• POS: Add Dead Money Here ($0.00M)

Payroll is 0.18% over budget

[DJL44]

This team should be able to compete in the AL Central

[Whammy]

I disagree that "Last Years Team + Luis Arraez" will have any effect on season tickets

[Whammy]

A fair question to ask is "what WOULD affect season tickets?"

Not sure. 

I think there are probably some trades that could do it. And perhaps something like $40M in free agent spending, but it's just really hard to make moves that will inspire uninspired fans. On the field results are by far the "easiest" way to do it.

[Linus]

46 minutes ago, Whammy said:

A fair question to ask is "what WOULD affect season tickets?"

Not sure. 

I think there are probably some trades that could do it. And perhaps something like $40M in free agent spending, but it's just really hard to make moves that will inspire uninspired fans. On the field results are by far the "easiest" way to do it.

Let’s say we started the newer guys, added a free agent or two and then played consistently winning baseball, heading towards the playoffs. If this occurred my guess is you would see an uptick in attendance towards the end of the summer with better attendance next year. To get back to 2.5+ million is going to require a couple years of playoff baseball.