WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
We asked scouts and executives to weigh in on a number of topics. They were granted anonymity to speak freely. Quotes are lightly edited for clarity.
SURPRISE TEAM
“I’ll go with the Cardinals since they have a good chance of making the playoffs—admittedly in a very crowded and uncertain NL Central—and they’ll be motivated to upgrade in-season and have the pieces to do so. I think the bubble for the NL wild card got softer this offseason as several teams that have been playoff contenders in recent years—Padres, Brewers, Marlins—saw their 2024 competitive outlook dim over the winter.”
“The had an unlucky 2023 and still have quality talent. It appears the Reds and
