Criminally Undervalued Free-Agent Roster for 2019

In an effort to defy the de-humanizing trends of the mighty mlb empire -- in this case the owners siphoning all the excitement and anticipation out of a fast-approaching Spring Training by colluding to keep veteran wizards unemployed -- I'm obliged to construct a roster of remaining free-agents entering the 2019 season.

If some of us place an aesthetic appreciation of the beautiful game of baseball (as a player, fan, dreamer, etc.) and, in particular, an aesthetic appreciation of all those highly skilled mlb players who make it look so easy as the primary source of our enjoyment (even above winning), such an opinion would no doubt be lambasted by the fiscally anal mob of trolls on the web just as much as the number-crunching poindexters pontificating the virtues of wOBA on their insular little forums.

So be it.

Before I introduce the new team, conceived as an expansion team formed in protest against the collusion of mlb owners, based in .... say .... Montreal (and still going by the name of Expos), let me be frank in addressing the key to my team's success: stylized defense, unorthodox lineups, intelligent hitting approach, and the inherently unquantifiable qualities of spirit, style, and aggressiveness hiding therein.


25-man roster

C: Martin Maldonado (R)
1B: Hanley Ramirez (R)
2B: Brandon Phillips (R)
3B: Yangervis Solarte (S)
SS: Jose Iglesias (R)
LF: Marwin Gonzalez (S)
CF: Adam Jones (R)
RF: Carlos Gonzalez (L)
DH: Evan Gattis (R)

UTIL: Josh Harrison (R)

Bench:
OF - Cameron Maybin (R)
OF - Gerardo Parra (L)
IF - Danny Valencia (R)

Starting Rotation:
1. Gio Gonzalez (LHP)
2. Bartolo Colon (RHP)
3. Ervin Santana (RHP)
4. Brett Anderson (LHP)
5. Edwin Jackson (RHP)
6. Doug Fister (RHP)

Long relief:
1. Jorge De La Rosa (LHP)
2. Jake Diekman (LHP)

Late relief / Closers:
1. AJ Ramos (RHP)
2. Drew Storen (RHP)
3. Santiago Casilla (RHP)
4. Sergio Romo (RHP)


BATTING ORDER:

1. Gonzalez, Marwin - LF
2. Gonzalez, Carlos - RF
3. Hanley Ramirez - 1B
4. Gattis, Evan - DH
5. Solarte, Yangervis - 3B
6. Jones, Adam - CF
7. Phillips, Brandon - 2B
8. Maldonado, Martin - C
9. Iglesias, Jose - SS


Bring it on.