Let's Play Batman: Return to Arkham City, Episode 1

As a Christmas gift to myself this year, I finally posted the first episode of a project I've been working on for (technically) more than two years: a Let's Play of the Batman: Return to Arkham collection. This remaster of the first two games in the Arkham trilogy came out in late 2016, but it took me a while to play through both games at a level with which I was satisfied, and then of course my unique postproduction approach adds a lot of time to the backend. It was not until early 2018 by the time I completed uploading videos for Return to Arkham Asylum, and while part of me wanted to wait until I had finished editing and exporting all the episodes of Return to Arkham City before posting to YouTube, that side obviously lost out in my internal debate. So without further ado, here's Episode 1:



First, a word about the video quality. I've learned a lot about exporting and encoding since my Let's Play of Arkham Knight from 2016, so this is my first Let's Play video in full HD (only 720p, but still, that's better than the alternative). You may have to view the video in YouTube to get the full benefit of that, since I'm not sure if the embedded video player allows you to change the size. Once I'm done with Return to Arkham City (RTAC for short), my plan is to re-upload all the videos from the other two games in the same format, but that's a story for the future.

Next, I want to address the commentary. I explain near the top of this first episode that the style I use is post commentary (as opposed to live commentary), but I also add another wrinkle to it by recording my commentary from the perspective of the game's main character, rather than as myself playing the game. Is this cheesy? Definitely. Does it make for a more unique and immersive experience for you, the viewers? I sure hope so. Is it more fun for me to record it this way? Without a doubt.

And finally, here's some info about the music in these videos. When I recorded footage for Arkham Knight, I turned the in-game music volume all the way down, mostly to make it easier to trim sections of the game and steal audio from elsewhere. The consequence of this was that I had to score the entire game myself, which I did mostly using music from the Arkham soundtrack albums, but I also brought in some tracks from other Batman-related media. Conversely, I left the in-game music volume turned up for my Return to Arkham Let's Plays, but there are still several points where the game has no music, and I do not shy away from adding in my own music to fill the void at these times. As a rule, I don't indicate when this is happening, except for some sporadic mentions in the commentary, but this is a heads-up to keep your ears open.

That's it from me! I'll be posting a new video each week (on Tuesdays), barring any unforeseen issues, so check back here and subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay up to date! Happy Batman-ing!

UPDATE: I've decided to use these blog posts to point out the personal music additions that I make in each episode in a director's commentary sort of way, since I didn't title them in the videos like I did with my Let's Play of Arkham Knight from 2016. There aren't a lot of moments where I had to supplement the in-game music with personal scoring, but I thought that Arkham purists and Batman music trivia buffs might enjoy checking out this information. I would also suggest not reading this part until having watched the episode, at least once, just for spoiler reasons.

The first bit of personal music comes in just about as soon as we take control of the game's main character, right after Hugo Strange leaves Bruce Wayne alone in the new inmate processing center. This short cue - it's just about 10 seconds long - goes with a joke that I'm pretty happy with: a variation of the classic *record scratch* *freeze frame* trope made popular in 80s movies. And since it also serves as the introduction of my commentary-as-Batman narrative device, I thought the first few bars of the opening sequence from Batman: The Animated Series would fit well here.

We don't hear another bit of personal music in this episode until we put on the batsuit for the first time and get access to the pause menu screen. Normally when a player pauses the game to look at the map, check the current objectives, read character bios, or choose new upgrades, the music cuts out until they unpause. However, I figured that there's no reason for you, the viewers, to have to sit through a prolonged dry spell while I navigated the various menus, so I spliced in the main menu music from Batman: Arkham Asylum, which appears on the official soundtrack album as "Enter the Asylum."

Soon after perusing the pause menus, I stumble on the first of many Riddler secrets that are scattered throughout Arkham City. Upon solving the puzzle and picking up the green glowing trophies, the game automatically brings you to a new menu screen and launches into a message from Edward Nygma himself. Since these menu sequences usually play without music, I had the opportunity to take a page from my previous Arkham Let's Plays and score this moment with music from Riddler's first appearance in Batman: The Animated series, an episode titled "If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?"

So that's it, only three personal cues in this episode! The number will increase steadily later on, as we stray from the main story and get more into side missions, but for now, happy watching!

2019 National League All-Acquired Roster

UPDATE #1, as of 12/16/18:

All three of the changes to this lineup were reported last week, but only just became official as of the MLB.com transaction page. The addition of Andrew McCutchen (1,756 fantasy points / 11.3 points per game) to the Philadelphia outfield pushes Johnny Field into the center field platoon picture, even though he only technically qualified as a corner outfielder in 2018. Tanner Roark (1,163 / 37.5) hasn't been a top of the rotation pitcher since 2016, but at this early point in the offseason, he's got a good shot to stick in this rotation. And Jeurys Familia (1,329 / 19.0) will return to his original team in New York, but he won't reprise the closer's role he had for them since 2015, but rather will continue in the setup capacity for which he pitched in Oakland after his mid-2018 trade.


===

As I set up in my last post highlighting the American League All-Acquired Roster, the cutoff point for inclusion in this particular update of the 2019 All-Acquired rosters was prior to the week beginning 12/10/18, which will allow us to focus entirely on pre-Winter Meetings action. I don't think I mentioned that I'm using only transactions that have been reported on MLB.com's Transaction page, so let me just clear that up now. With all that said, let's check out the top players having been acquired by National League teams this offseason!


STARTING PITCHER

Image from Arizona Sports

Like its AL counterpart, the NL All-Acquired squad boasts a top of the rotation lefty, although the senior circuit's version came via free agent signing rather than blockbuster trade. The consensus top starting pitcher on the free agent market, Patrick Corbin (2,213 fantasy points / 67.1 points per game) turned in a stellar season with the Diamondbacks, which he parlayed into a six-year, $140 million contract with the Nationals. We'll see whether this financial outlay from the Lerner family prevents homegrown superstar outfielder Bryce Harper from returning to Washington (which would keep him out of the All-Acquired landscape altogether), but at least the Nats have a loaded rotation, even after trading away Tanner Roark in a swap that occurred after the cutoff point.

Unlike its AL counterpart, the NL All-Acquired player pool doesn't even include enough healthy starting pitchers to staff a full rotation, even including the above-mentioned Roark. Going by 2018 fantasy points, the next pitcher on the list is Garrett Richards (696 / 43.5), who the Padres signed to a two-year deal typical for hurlers recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he likely won't be a factor until 2020 at the earliest. Former potential ace in the making Luke Weaver (683 / 22.8) went from the Cardinals to the Diamondbacks in a huge trade that we'll talk about later on. But after those two we have another TJ victim Artie Lewicki (120 / 9.2 with the Tigers, before going to Arizona via waiver claim) and Triple-A starter Mike Hauschild (60 / 30.0 in one start and one relief appearance for the Blue Jays - he signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals).


RELIEF PITCHER

Image from New York Post

In addition to an ace starter, the NL also acquired a star closer in Edwin Diaz (2,672 / 36.6), the top-scoring reliever in all of baseball in 2018. Arguably the key piece in a Mariners/Mets blockbuster that went down right after the start of Hanukkah, Diaz will give New York NL just one year of cheap production before his ludicrous save totals drive his price up in arbitration. In the very first trade of the offseason (or rather of the "post-2018 season," since the playoffs were still going on), the Marlins sent power reliever Kyle Barraclough (625 / 10.2) to the Nationals, in a prelude of pitching acquisitions to come. I'm listing Barraclough above lefty Jose Alvarez (717 / 9.4), who went from the Angels to the Phillies in a curious one-for-one swap, not just due to the slight points-per-game advantage, but also because left-handed specialists with unimpressive peripheral stats just aren't that exciting. Speaking of which, lefty James Pazos (520 / 8.7) went from the Mariners to the Phillies in yet another blockbuster, alongside bounceback candidate Juan Nicasio (189 / 4.1).

Although he doesn't appear on my new truncated database, having missed the entire 2018 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery of his own, it's worth mentioning that Washington signed former St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal. And looking ahead to deals announced after the start of the Winter Meetings, this already-impressive bullpen will be filled out further by the likes of Jeurys Familia (back to the Mets), Joe Kelly (Dodgers), and Alex Claudio (Brewers).


CATCHER

Sticking with the Nats, they're responsible for both of the top two NL All-Acquired backstops. First, they signed late-blooming Kurt Suzuki (1,015 / 9.7) for his second stint with the team, after he was granted free agency from the Braves, and then they traded for defensive specialist Yan Gomes (1,053 / 9.4) from the Indians. While they both hit right-handed, and thus aren't well suited for a traditional platoon role, the differing skillsets each of them brings to the table should complement each other well. Elsewhere in the NL East, Atlanta reunited with a familiar face in Brian McCann (408 / 6.5) after he had his 2019 option year declined by the Astros.


FIRST BASE

Remember that D-Backs/Cardinals trade I mentioned earlier? The one with Luke Weaver? Well, he was the primary piece going to Arizona in exchange for Paul Goldschmidt (2,196 / 13.9), one of the top first baseman, not just in the last year, but in the last DECADE. Goldy does it all, averaging 31 homers, 105 RBI, and 18 steals per season over his eight-year career, with a .930 OPS (45 percent above league average), six consecutive All-Star appearances, four Silver Slugger awards, and three Gold Gloves. Sure he'll be a free agent after next season, so he's unlikely to make a huge impact to the St. Louis franchise, but adding that type of production to an already-solid lineup makes the Cards a force in an already-crowded NL Central division in 2019.


SECOND BASE

Image from WFAN Radio

Remember when I said that Edwin Diaz was "arguably" the key piece in that Mariners/Mets blockbuster? The main argument against him is Robinson Cano (1,033 / 12.9), who returns to a familiar city, having started his career with the Yankees. Cano has some red flags, as he's playing out the decline years of a megadeal (which was negotiated by Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen back when he was still Cano's agent at CAA), and he's fresh off an 80-game suspension for performance enhancing drugs. But as his solid per-game numbers indicate, he still has plenty left in his bat, and his defense isn't as bad as people give him credit for, as he's only posted a negative dWAR (according to Baseball Reference Wins Above Replacement) once in the last 10 seasons.


SHORTSTOP

Sticking with middle infielders shipped out by Seattle, the new shortstop in Philadelphia will be Jean Segura (1,749 / 12.1). Why would Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto trade away a 2018 All-Star just one year after signing him to a five-year extension? You mean, beyond Dipoto's compulsion with making any and every trade proposed by an opposing GM? Maybe it has to do with reports of some bad clubhouse chemistry on Segura's part, which would fit with Philly's pursuit of admitted non-hustler Manny Machado. Or maybe it's just a full commitment to the rebuild on the part of the Seattle front office. Either way, Segura is a clear upgrade at SS over incumbent All-Acquired utility infielders Greg Garcia (332 / 2.9) and Erik Gonzalez (331 / 4.1).


THIRD BASE

Image from Meridian Star

If there was ever a candidate for a one-year "pillow" contract it was former AL MVP Josh Donaldson (603 / 11.6), who suffered through an injury-plagued last couple of years with the Blue Jays (and briefly the Indians). With third base prospect Austin Riley waiting in the wings in Atlanta, Braves GM Alex Anthopolous did a good job picking up a near term upgrade at the hot corner while not blocking the path of a youngster who could become a core piece sooner rather than later. Although he only racked up fewer than twice as many points as former Orioles DH/sometimes third baseman Pedro Alvarez (331 / 7.4), the superior talent level on both sides of the ball is clear. As things stand, however, Alvarez is the leading non-catcher candidate to serve as DH if this team were to play in an AL ballpark.


CENTER FIELD

It's a good thing this team has such a star-studded infield mix, because there's nothing much doing at all in the NL outfield market (at least up to my cutoff point). There is the makings of a low-impact platoon situation in center field with two players signed to minor league pacts. Switch-hitting Abraham Almonte (219 / 4.4) signed on with the Diamondbacks following an early trip to free agency (he was released by the Royals during the 2018 season). Meanwhile, Ryan LaMarre (348 / 4.6) was picked up by the Braves after splitting last year between the Twins and the White Sox.


CORNER OUTFIELD

As of the start of the Winter Meetings, the most accomplished MLB outfielder to be acquired by an NL team was Lonnie Chisenhall (255 / 8.8) formerly of the Indians. He'll serve as a stopgap in Pittsburgh until injured regular right fielder Gregory Polanco is ready to return. The best bet to see time on the opposite side of the grass is Johnny Field (507 / 6.1), who split his debut 2018 season between Tampa Bay and Minnesota, before joining up with the Cubs. Of course, looking forward to deals that were announced up to yesterday, the Phillies helped out the cause by signing Andrew McCutchen, who will get a chance to help out the in-state rival of his former team.


That's it for the NL roster! Return to the 2018-19 All-Acquired Hub page to see the starting lineup/rotation represented in graphical form and to link to the American League roster!

2019 American League All-Acquired Roster

UPDATE #1, as of 12/16/18

We'll see how long these weekly updates continue, but as of now, this project is still fresh in my mind, and there are some new developments, especially on the AL side, so I want to go over the new developments. As always, you can return to the All-Acquired Rosters Hub page for a visual representation of both lineups (with new additions highlighted in yellow in the "Movement" column at the far left), but here's the analysis:

First things first, the rotation is starting to come into focus after the previously reported deals for Ivan Nova (traded from the Pirates to the White Sox) and Tyson Ross (signed as a free agent with the Tigers) have been officially announced. While these two pitchers had similar fantasy point production last season, they have decidedly different outlooks for 2019: Nova (who checked in at 1,113 points and 38.3 points per game) profiles as a solid innings-eater type, while Ross (who finished with 1,056 and 34.1, split between the rotation and the bullpen of San Diego and St. Louis, respectively) has considerably more upside if he can harness his electric stuff and stay on the field.

Speaking of the Tigers, on the offensive side, Jordy Mercer (894 / 7.6) solidifies the middle infield, allowing Aledmys Diaz to shift over to third base. But the real story here is at DH, where Edwin Encarnacion (1,800 / 13.1) will essentially swap places with Carlos Santana in Seattle, as Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto continues his crazy dealing. Luckily, since Santana was dealt within the league, he can remain on the same All-Acquired team in a 1B/DH rotation with his former teammate. The other player heading to Cleveland in this three-team trade, Jake Bauers (930 / 9.7) is a first baseman by trade, but given the presence of two outstanding defenders in the outfield in Mallex Smith and Billy Hamilton (1,251 / 8.2, whose contract with the Royals was also reported last week), it's OK to sacrifice some defense at one spot in favor of a little more pop... at least until some bigger moves come along.

===

As of the first week of December (my somewhat arbitrary cutoff point), AL teams have been significantly more active in the transactional space than their NL counterparts, by a score of 63 to 43. Although, as we'll see, that doesn't necessarily correlate to the amount of high impact players acquired. I thought about going chronologically, so we could watch these lineups unfold in real time, but if you want to follow along with the calendar, you can check out MLB.com's Transactions page. With that in mind, here's a position by position look at the AL All-Acquired Team!

STARTING PITCHER

Image from The Ringer

The biggest pitching acquisition for the AL came when the Mariners traded lefty starter James Paxton (1,719 fantasy points / 61.4 points per game) to the Yankees for a package centered on twice-traded prospect Justus Sheffield (-25 / -8.3 in his limited debut season), who would also likely make this early-December rotation given the lack of options. In fact, the only other starting option with more than 200 fantasy points was Jefry Rodriguez (212 / 15.4), who started eight of his first 14 MLB games in 2018 with the Nationals, before being sent to the Indians as one of two players in exchange for catcher Yan Gomes.

Digging deeper, just to get to a full starting five, the Tigers signed Matt Moore (143 / 3.7) after his abysmal season with the Rangers led to a move to the bullpen and a subsequent declining of his contract option for 2019. Parker Bridwell (-71 / -14.2) had a decent season for the Angels in 2017, but was (effectively) non-tendered last month and picked up by the Yankees on a minor league deal. And Dillon Peters (31 / 4.4) looked to have a shot in the Marlins rotation last year, but ended the season in the minors and was shipped to the Angels in a minor trade. It's also worth noting that Drew Smyly, who will miss the start of 2019 recovering from the Tommy John surgery that took his entire 2018 season, went from the Cubs to the Rangers in a cost-saving move, and he could be a factor by mid-season.

However, this will be the last time we hear about many of the pitchers in the above paragraph, since some fairly notable rotation moves have come to light after my cutoff point for this post, which happened to be the start of the Winter Meetings (12/10). Suffice it to say, names like Tyson Ross, Ivan Nova, and maybe even Charlie Morton and Lance Lynn will be showing up in my next update.


RELIEF PITCHER

Remember when Jesse Chavez (1,201 / 19.4) hinted that he would retire if the Cubs didn't want him back in 2019 after he pitched like a lights-out relief ace there following a trade from the Rangers? Well, they didn't end up re-signing him, but he did return to the club that made his opportunity in Chicago possible, agreeing to a two-year deal to go back to Texas. While Chavez had a heck of a season, if you'd rather headline your bullpen with someone who has more closing experience, look no further than Alex Colome (1,101 / 15.7), who spent most of 2018 as a setup-pitcher in Seattle, after coming over from Tampa Bay midseason, but now finds himself on the White Sox thanks to Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto's wheeling and dealing.

Speaking of Dipoto, veteran middle reliever Anthony Swarzak (188 / 6.5) came TO Seattle as a means of offsetting some salary in a different blockbuster deal (see the upcoming NL section for more info on that one). In a head-scratcher of a move, the Angels acquired hard-throwing-but-struggling righty Luis Garcia (303 / 5.1) from the Phillies in exchange for a quality lefty (Jose Alvarez). And Oliver Drake (258 / 5.9), who set a major league record by pitching for five (5!) different teams in 2018, has already been claimed twice off waivers during the offseason: once by the Rays (from the Twins) and then again by the Blue Jays. If I were a gambler, I'd say the odds are infinitesimal that he remains in Toronto to start the 2019 season.


CATCHER

The first two AL All-Acquired catching options, chronologically speaking, came courtesy of (you guessed it) Jerry Dipoto. First, he shipped out previous starter Mike Zunino (794 / 7.0) to the Rays in one of his lesser blockbusters, then he picked up Omar Narvaez (736 / 7.6) from Chicago AL in the above-mentioned Alex Colome trade. However, both of those two were eclipsed (offensively speaking) by Robinson Chirinos (1,055 / 9.5) who was picked up by the Astros after surprisingly being non-tendered by their cross-state rival Rangers.


FIRST BASE

Image from MarinersBlog

In yet another Dipoto-centered acquisition, the Mariners picked up Carlos Santana (1,820 / 11.3) from the Phillies, although his inclusion was mostly to offset salary and free up first base for Philadelphia rather than any desire for a switch-hitting power hitter on Seattle's part. In fact, it's rumored that Jerry DEAL-poto might be looking to flip Santana for prospects in a continuation of this epic roster tear-down. "Slamtana" unseats C.J. Cron (1,537 / 11.0), who the Twins claimed off waivers from the Rays, although he will keep a spot in the starting lineup as the DH (his primary "position" in 2018).


SECOND BASE

Sticking with the Twins, they are the unexpected beneficiaries of some poor planning on the part of the Brewers last year. Milwaukee acquired Jonathan Schoop (1,179 / 9.0) at the trade deadline, even after making the decision to shift starting third baseman Travis Shaw to the keystone to make room for Mike Moustakas (another midseason acquisition). But the former Orioles second baseman never panned out for the Brew Crew, and GM David Stearns decided to non-tender Schoop rather than pay him an estimated $10mm+ in arbitration. That's when Minnesota swept in and picked up the Curacao native for $2.5mm less than his projected arb salary, in hopes that Schoop will return to his 2017 form that landed him on the AL East Divisional All-Star squad.


SHORTSTOP

Continuing around the horn (rather than going numerically), the top shortstop acquired by an AL team is Aledmys Diaz (1,211 / 9.3). After breaking out with an All-Star season for the Cardinals in 2016, he lost some of his luster the following year, and was then shipped to Toronto prior to 2018. While north of the border, he filled in for both the injured Troy Tulowitzki and the injured Josh Donaldson, so he's got eligibility in both left-infield spots. Despite having big time talents at both of those positions, the Astros acquired Diaz in a minor swap, where he figures to fill a utility infield role next season.


THIRD BASE

The third base situation is the most volatile for the AL All-Acquired team as it stands right now, with several imperfect options looking at some kind of timeshare. The only one who technically qualified at third base was Tommy La Stella (385 / 3.1), who was recently shipped from the Cubs to the Angels after Chicago NL acquired Ronald Torreyes (183 / 4.5)... who was subsequently non-tendered and picked up by the Twins. While still billed as a shortstop prospect, J.P. Crawford (305 / 6.2) played a handful of games at third base for the Phillies, and it's unclear where he'll play after coming over to Seattle along with Santana. Then further down into straight-up utility territory, we have Chris Owings (569 / 5.4), who was primarily an outfielder last year, but does have experience at 2B and 3B as well.


CENTER FIELD

Image from MarinersBlog

Remember that first Jerry Dipoto blockbuster I mentioned? The one that sent Mike Zunino to Tampa Bay? Well, the return going back to Seattle was headlined by Mallex Smith (1,545 / 11.0), a speed-and-defense center fielder who was once briefly a member of the Mariners, when he stopped through on his way to the Rays in what was essentially a three-team deal. While there's no one who approaches Smith's level of production in the pre-cutoff talent pool, Billy Hamilton's deal with the Royals just went through yesterday, so there is at least some depth, beyond honorable mentions Tim Locastro and Jake Smolinski.


CORNER OUTFIELD

Carlos Santana was not the only veteran bopper to make his way to Seattle for monetary reasons: Jay Bruce (735 / 7.8) came over from the Mets as a way to offset some salary due to the most accomplished player in that particular blockbuster (tune in next post to find out who that is!), but he instantly steps in as the top AL acquired corner outfield option. Playing opposite Bruce is someone who was sent away from Seattle in the Mallex Smith trade, the defensively gifted Guillermo Heredia (561 / 4.5) who figures to fill the same role as Smith did last year in Tampa Bay. The only other outfielder in this pool with more than 100 fantasy points last year is Jordan Luplow (227 / 6.1) who went from the Pirates to the Indians in a swap of low-level, future-minded pieces.


That's it for the AL roster! Return to the 2018-19 All-Acquired Hub page to see the starting lineup/rotation represented in graphical form and to link to the National League roster!

2019 All-Acquired Rosters HUB

UPDATE #2, as of 12/25/18 (MERRY CHRISTMAS!)
 
2018-19 American League All-Acquired Roster

^^ CLICK THE ABOVE LINK FOR IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ^^

AL All-Acquired roster, as of 12/25/18

2018-19 National League All-Acquired Roster


^^ CLICK THE ABOVE LINK FOR IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ^^

NL All-Acquired roster, as of 12/25/18

===

UPDATE #1, as of 12/16/18:

2018-19 American League All-Acquired Roster

^^ CLICK THE ABOVE LINK FOR IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ^^

AL All-Acquired roster, as of 12/16/18

2018-19 National League All-Acquired Roster

^^ CLICK THE ABOVE LINK FOR IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ^^

NL All-Acquired roster, as of 12/16/18

===

This past weekend, I experienced some technical difficulties that led to a profound sense of loss for me: the Excel spreadsheet that I had been using to keep track of updated MLB rosters for the past five years or so somehow became corrupt and stopped functioning. I encountered the same problems with all the various backup versions I tried, so I'm assuming the issue happened many months ago - possibly due to passing the document across different computers using Dropbox, or too much copy-pasting of cells with too many different formats, or maybe it just fell victim to the general bad luck that seems to befall every electronic device I come into contact with. In any event, while it was frustrating to lose the past 2+ months worth of work I did to keep it up to date since the end of last season, I now get the chance to step back, take stock of the situation, and decide what's really important for me and my database needs.

But unfortunately, the hot stove season won't wait for my soul searching, and the transactions are piling up. Luckily, after the 2018 season, I uploaded a truncated version of my database to Google Drive, where it still lives in all its color-coordinated glory. I haven't decided whether to use that document as a starting point for 2019, or if I want to start completely from scratch (possibly using the player pool from the next MLB: The Show video game as a baseline, since my workbook was getting rather crowded with obscure free agents and inactive players who I couldn't bring myself to delete). But for now, I'm going to use this Google Drive version to bring back a feature that I like to do every year (sometimes twice!): All-Acquired Teams!

Obviously, with the offseason still in the rather early stages, these lineups won't pack a whole lot of punch, but the benefit to starting this early is that we can see a representation of how the transaction market develops. As with previous offseason versions of this feature (as opposed to the trade deadline versions), I'm going to make separate rosters for the AL and NL, and as with my 2018 Fantasy Astrology Recaps, I'm going to use this post as a hub with links to both rosters and also some charts taken from my database. Enjoy!

2018-19 American League All-Acquired Roster

^^ CLICK THE ABOVE LINK FOR IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ^^

AL All-Acquire Roster, as of 12/09/18

2018-19 National League All-Acquired Roster

^^ CLICK THE ABOVE LINK FOR IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ^^

NL All-Acquired Roster, as of 12/09/18

Astrology 2018 Recap: Negative Fixed

The last "division" I'll be covering in my Astrology 2018 Recaps includes the Negative Fixed signs, and since there's only one real-life division left to link them to, it's got to be the AL West. I'm starting with Taurus, which, due to their forest green color association, I'm using the Oakland A's to represent them. If you ask why I wouldn't start with Scorpio, which had a superior fantasy astrology season last year, I would respond that the A's are my favorite team, so deal with it. Also the color scheme is a better match, as we'll explore below. Now on to the rosters!

Kyle Freeland broke out as a legitimate ace for the Rockies last year, and his performance was all the more impressive considering he was pitching at altitude, although the fact that he is Taurus's lone 2,000 point scorer doesn't bode well for the rest of this sign. Michael Brantley showed what he can do over a full healthy season in 2018, but his future employer will have to bank on him doing that again, or multiple times, depending on the length of his free agent contract. You wouldn't expect to see Scooter Gennett at the top of the second base depth chart in a talent pool that also includes Jose Altuve, Brian Dozier, and even Dee Gordon, but Cincinnati's home ballpark is a marvelous thing for lefty hitters. Speaking of Altuve, he'll have to serve as this team's DH, much like he did for much of the 2018 postseason due to a balky knee, which also sapped some of his regular season production.

In the meantime, Matt Chapman is blossoming into a full-fledged superstar, on both sides of the ball, and I hope that Billy Beane and the Athletics front office do all they can to keep him around for the foreseeable future. After spending some years bouncing around the diamond, Jose Peraza has found a home at shortstop, where his plus speed makes him a good addition to this lineup. Like Altuve above, injuries kept Aaron Judge from living up to the full potential he showed in his monster 2017 Rookie of the Year effort. Trevor Williams had a strong season for the Pirates, but he profiles more as a mid-rotation innings eater than a true Game 2 starter, at least at this phase in his career. Rounding out the top ten scorers are a pair of Brians who will be relegated to bench duty at best: Dozier will reprise the veteran leadership role he played for the Dodgers in last year's playoffs, while Anderson will provide some versatility with eligibility at both 3B and RF.

It's never ideal when just one of the next top five point scorers makes the active roster, but Mallex Smith provides a prototypical speed and defense-oriented center fielder. Joey Wendle broke out with the Rays playing multiple positions, and could be a solid utility threat off the bench,  but the next three batters on the list are likely ticketed for Astrology Triple-A. Salvador Perez is one of MLB's most durable and powerful catchers, so it's almost a shame that fellow 2018 All-Star Willson Contreras will have to serve as backup. Zack Godley took a step back from his 2017 production, but... nah, there's no "but," he's just not a very exciting fantasy rotation option. The presence of plenty of second base and center field options above him on the depth chart means that Dee Gordon's only utility on this roster would be as a potential pinch running specialist.

Joakim Soria spent the first half of 2018 closing games for the White Sox, so he can be counted on as this squad's primary reliever, although he's perhaps best used in the setup capacity, which is how the Brewers deployed him after the trade that sent him to Milwaukee. Starting first baseman Brandon Belt has seen his left handed power sapped by injuries and by his home ballpark alike, but he's not short on potential. To fill out this starting rotation, we have two pitchers who were involved in midseason trades: Tyson Ross went from the Padres to the Cardinals, where he moved to the bullpen, while Lance Lynn went from the Twins to the Yankees, where he was narrowly saved from a move to the bullpen by Sonny Gray's ineffectiveness (see below). The second reliever slot comes down to Sam Dyson and David Hernandez, but since they're so close in point total, and considering Dyson's stats were inflated by saves, I'm giving the nod to Hernandez. But, as I've mentioned before, this distinction means very little in the simulation of a full active roster.

Looking below the top 30 point scorers, Mychal Givens has been a top-flight bullpen weapon in the past, while Wily Peralta is a recent member of the closer club. Miguel Sano has intriguing talent, but has been plagued with issues both on the field (injuries) and off (sexual misconduct allegations). Austin Meadows is a potential future star, while Adrian Gonzalez is a potential future retiree after holding down this sign's 1B slot for years. But the most interesting cases are far down towards the bottom of this talent pool: Marcus Stroman has shown ace level stuff for the Blue Jays, and he's this team's clear number one starter when healthy and at full strength. And former Rookie of the Year Corey Seager would be a shoo-in as starting shortstop had he not undergone Tommy John surgery in 2018.


Scorpio's dark red color scheme makes it one of the toughest signs to link to a major league franchise. Looking at the astrological divisional formation I've established, in conjunction with modern day uniforms, the Angels are the best option, but going back about 15 years, I would have picked the Rangers, given that the Anaheim team still had a distinct Disnified feel and it was before Texas adopted their primarily blue color palette. That's how things look in my 20-year astrology retrospective, simulated using All-Star Baseball 2000 for the Nintendo 64... but that's a project for another time.

In a veritable middle infield coup, Scorpio ended up with the two top scoring shortstops in the game in Francisco Lindor and Trevor Story. Not only are these two both legit middle of the order power threats and two of the most exciting players in the game, but they're also both capable defenders, which makes it somewhat unfortunate that one of them will be stuck being the starting DH. Luckily enough, primary DH Giancarlo Stanton has the same defensive profile as fellow AL East slugger J.D. Martinez, so he's eligible to take a corner outfield slot. Charlie Morton's 2019 outlook obviously depends on where (or whether) he signs out of free agency, but his prolonged late-career resurgence looks downright sustainable at this point. Going by total fantasy points, Nick Markakis is the clear choice to take the other corner outfield slot, but there's a certain NL Rookie of the Year runner-up who will surely have something to say about that.

Jameson Taillon has long been billed as one of the top prospects in the game, but he's now finally beginning to deliver on that promise - just as his team's owners decided to acquire other rotation assets to supplement him. Given the crowded outfield mix, Joey Gallo's best defensive fit on this team is at first base, although his light tower power plays anywhere on the diamond. James Paxton might see his numbers drop a bit after his recent trade from Seattle's spacious SafeCo Field to New York's cozy Yankee Stadium, but first he'll have to prove that he can stay healthy. Juan Soto's 3+ point-per-game advantage over fellow lefty corner outfielder Markakis all but assures him a starting spot, total points be damned. And Ender Inciarte's stellar defense in center field is just icing on the cake, considering he's also the top CF-qualifying offensive point scorer.

In yet another knock against Nick Markakis, Marcell Ozuna's right handed bat might be more useful to have on the bench, given that Soto, Gallo, and Inciarte are all lefties. Although Markakis could potentially serve as the DH if one of Story and/or Lindor thought they could handle second base - if not, that job is Asdrubal Cabrera's to lose. Not only did Joey Gallo have a superior offensive season to Eric Hosmer, but he's more versatile to boot. Rounding out the rotation is Japanese import Masahiro Tanaka and Greenfield, IN import Kyle Gibson, who had surprisingly similar overall production for the Yankees and Twins, respectively.

Behind the plate for Scorpio is arguably the open market's top catching option, Yasmani Grandal, whose playoff slump shouldn't impact his trip to free agency, judging by the fate of Yu Darvish last offseason. Skipping Amed Rosario, who's just superfluous shortstop depth, we've got Kyle Seager as yet another left-handed slugger starting at third base. Rounding out the top 20 is even more shortstop depth (although rumor has it that Freddy Galvis might sign somewhere to play a utility role next year) and even more outfield depth (although Ryan Braun has taken steps towards adding first base to his repertoire last year).

The only "starting" players remaining in the top 30 are members of the bullpen. Cody Allen has been a top-shelf closer in the past, but he fell off significantly in 2018. Shane Greene was the ninth inning specialist for the Tigers, but save opportunities were few and far between in Detroit. Looking further down, we have Arodys Vizcaino, who closed for the Braves when healthy, but the emergence of A.J. Minter might push him back into a setup role. Outside the top 30, Ryan Tepera picked up some saves for the Blue Jays, and Greg Holland is just two years removed from a solid bounceback effort, so there are short relief options aplenty.

Looking at starting pitching depth, Jon Gray is joined by Sonny Gray, which means we're only 48 shades away from having the whole 50. Steady veteran Mike Leake has been mentioned in trade rumors involving the always-active Mariners and their trade happy GM Jerry DiPoto (more like Jerry DEAL-poto, am I right?!). Dylan Bundy probably has more in the tank than his Orioles-tainted 2018 would suggest. And Francisco Liriano will still qualify as a starter next year, even if he signs to fill a lefty relief role. In terms of slugging first basemen, Greg Bird of the Yankees has potential if healthy and Tyler White has staked a claim on the Astros DH role in last year's playoffs.


So there you have all 12 Fantasy Astrology Baseball teams, all wrapped up in a neat little feature. Hopefully these musings will help keep you baseball fans warm until the proverbial stove starts getting hot and the transactions start flying.