The various ratings places seem somewhat split on the system, and now who knows after a year of no real minors information, but I think the system is still fairly strong, especially if Hayes is included. Once Hayes graduates, especially with Cruz being uncertain, then most of the upside is still pretty far away, so in that regard the 2021 draft will be important.
There are options to pop up next year but it's not a lot of depth. Cruz, Bolton, and Swaggerty could all figure to be in the mix, especially given the aggression we've started to see. I think 2021 should really be about testing what we have and what kind of supplemental pieces we need for 2022 and otherwise. In that regard Riddle being DFA'd today is a good sign. Reclamation/give-em-a-chance guys like Alford and Evans should certainly be given a long look, but we don't need the kind of Riddle, Herredia type fallbacks. I'm as anti-owner as they come, but strategically we should be doing some clearing house this winter in terms of DFAs and not tendering guys.
With Hayes, my attitude has long been that the question is if he's more or less a star or a superstar. I don't really see a lot of holes in his game, especially in what he showed with the ability to make very quick adjustments at the plate if necessary. I do not expect him to keep up the exact pace, because if he does, then we'll be talking about an MVP candidate next year, not a rookie of the year frontrunner. For me, heading into 2021 the two biggest questions are probably Keller and Reynolds, in terms of exactly what they'll be able to do going forward.
