Board Games — Baseball Bench Coach

April baseball is here, finally! Playing games in northern cities is always iffy this time of year. You know the saying, April showers bring May flowers (but often rain delays as well). One used to hear stories of clubhouse ping pong and board games during those delays. Today, it’s more likely headphones and video games. This offseason we witnessed a hot stove that, with some exception, was a little lukewarm. Nevertheless, some general managers were indeed able to bring out the old board games and make some key moves. Here are my top eight:

MONOPOLY. Do you remember that feeling when your opponent acquired Boardwalk and Park Place? The rest of the National League had that same sinking feeling when the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani in December to a 10-year, $700 million deal. The LA lineup was already loaded with stalwarts Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, and now they have the Babe Ruth of today’s generation. Since the Dodgers found that their achilles heel was on the mound during the 2023 playoffs, they also loaded up there with the signing of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, and the return of Walker Buehler. I see the hotels stacking up on Boardwalk and Park Place in 2024.

CHUTES AND LADDERS. Over the past few years San Diego has tried to keep up with the Dodger stars by having a few of their own, namely Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Fernando Tatis, Jr. This offseason was one of ups and downs for the Padres, as they lost Juan Soto, Josh Hader, and most recently, Blake Snell. Yet, the Padres’ president A.J. Preller may have jumped up the pitching mound ladder a bit with the acquisitions of starters Michael King in the Soto trade with the Yankees and stellar righthander Dylan Cease of the White Sox. Pitching wins, so hope the Padres.

STRATEGO. Staying in the very competitive NL West, the Giants made an assortment of strategic moves during the offseason. They shored up their lineup with Jung Hoo Lee now manning centerfield, Jorge Soler providing power, and Matt Chapman stabilizing the infield at the hot corner. On the mound they first landed Robbie Ray who is coming back from Tommy John surgery, but then made the big splash with signing lefty Blake Snell. Maybe the best move was in the dugout by signing Bob Melvin, a 3-time Manager of the Year.

CHESS. If you want to dominate the chess board, you lead with a high-powered piece like Craig Counsell as your new skipper. You also need to show a little patience as Cubs president Jed Hoyer demonstrated with the signing of Cody Bellinger in late February. Chicago also added some key pieces, including Shota Imanaga to the rotation, Michael Busch to the infield, and Hector Neris to the bullpen. The Cubbies are looking for a checkmate in early October.

CONNECT FOUR. The Reds hope to put the pieces together in the NL Central as well. Last year Cincinnati surprised baseball with its rookie starred lineup, including Elly De La Cruz, Spencer Steer, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Reds GM Nick Krall decided to bolster the pitching staff with four key pieces in red: Frankie Montas and Nick Martinez to the starting five, and righty Emilio Pagan and lefty Brent Suter to the bullpen. Cincinnati hopes this group connects on all cylinders in 2024.

RISK. Both the Braves and Astros are now perennial winners and every prognosticator’s division favorites in 2024. The key for both teams is if they can dominate the table in October. To do so, you need to take an offseason risk. Atlanta gambled on the return of Chris Sale to be in good health and lead its starting staff at the top of the rotation. Houston bet on the back side of the pitching staff, nabbing a closer, Josh Hader, who has a history of dominance or misfortune. Will both risks pay off?

TICKET TO RIDE. Everyone seems to forget that the Orioles led the American League last year in wins before falling off in the playoffs. Baltimore didn’t have an ace, like Palmer, McNally, or Cuellar, to lean on. They made though the biggest offseason splash, next to Ohtani, in the acquisition of former Brewer, Corbin Burnes. This 2021 NL Cy Young winner is lights out when he’s on, and he’s definitely on most of the time. The Orioles hope Burnes is their ticket to ride in the 2024 playoffs.

CHECKERS. The reality for most small market teams like the Royals is that you have to play checkers most of the time and watch the other teams engage in the high stakes games. I love how Kansas City improved its team this offseason. Of course it started from within by extending the contract of star shortstop, Bobby Witt, Jr. KC landed Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo to its young, starting staff, and brought in some hitting help in the likes of Hunter Renfroe and Adam Frazier. King me, Kansas City!

So, how did you like the moves made this offseason by your favorite MLB team? Did your GM roll the right dice in getting your team past the Jail space and into the promised land? Your thoughts are appreciated in the Comments section below.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach