2019 Offseason Thread

[jay87shot]

I don't mind keeping Schoop, he can easily play up to a 1/10 tender but I feel like we could use a 2 hole hitter and there are a bunch of good option on the market who can transition to a utility role or play some short if Arcia struggles. Schoop can be a great 5/6 hitter but we have a bunch of those and his obp. and streakiness make him a liability.

I do like Ramos a lot but I think there will be a ton of suitors and his price will get a little crazy. He has been a 2/3 WAR player with injury problems the past 3ish year, which to me makes him a 2/20 or 3/30 type of salary. I almost guarantee he will get 3/42 or 3/45 if not 4 years. Another player I would be extremely happy with but I think we could do a little better but spending elsewhere. Especially since Manny can be a 2/3 WAR type player with a bat like 2016.

Clippard would be a great add, big arm with late game experience that wouldn't cost a ton. I am all for adding a arm or 2 like him.

Would Jacob Barnes or Taylor Williams have any value in a trade? I could see us flipping one of them for some depth in the infield or even outfield (if we move Santana or Broxton) maybe a AAA player who has some upside but not big prospect status.

[twellner9]

My concern with going after a better middle infielder is that we have a lot of young players that should be ready soon. It doesn't make sense to make that we'd go pay a guy big dollars to come in for a few years, when we'll have someone ready soon enough that would be cheap. The exception would be if we decide we want to trade Huira for a catcher/pitcher.

I think Williams has a slight bit of value. Barnes doesn't. He's had a long enough track record of struggles where the best you'd get for him is someone else that does the same. I think it makes more sense to keep them both as they're young controllable arms that can potentially get outs, especially if the command is there.

I don't typically like a team like the Brewers spending big dollars in free agency when you have depth in the minors at a position. Seems like more risk than its worth with a team that has payroll limitations. We cannot afford a bad contract the way the Cubs/Dodgers can.

[jay87shot]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/....html#comments

Rosenthal reporting there is a strong chance we non-tender Schoop. I have felt this was coming there are lots of respectable free agent options Lowrie, Asdrubal, LeMahieu, Kinsler, Dozier, Murphy, Harrison, Walker, Descalso, Beckham, Forsythe most which could be had on a one year deal at less than 10 million. With a bunch of trade options as well, also we seem to still have interest in Moose making a return to 2B for Shaw a possibility (which I don't like). I like the idea of Dozier on a one year deal, Lowrie, LeMahieu, and Murphy likely get multiyear deals leaving Dozier as a clear option on a cheaper 1 year deal if we don't find a nice trade for a player like Matt Duffy.

Another article I read on mlbtraderumors put our estimated 2019 payroll at about $110 million and we would be at 94/95 if we cut all our borderline non-tenders (Schoop, Perez, Jennings, Saladino). I would think we would try and shed Thames (6) and Davies (2.4) and/or Anderson (6). I doubt we let Perez go unless we find a steal of a utility guy. So if we trade Thames and Anderson that would leave us about 20-25 million in spending.

We were also mentioned to be in on Syndergaard, I would personally give up Huira and Woodruff or Burnes for him as long as it isn't much more in high end prospects. He would be a risk I would be 100% willing to take for the electricity that comes out of his arm. 3 years of a cheap controllable ace would be worth it in my book.

We could do Huira, Woodruff, and 2 mid-level prospects for Syndergaard and a throw in pen or infield option. Then sign Lowrie and a pen piece (Kelvin Herrera 1/8 ish). We would solidify our contender status for 3 years. Especially since we could still move Anderson, Thames, and Davies (maybe Broxton) for some depth or prospects.

[twellner9]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/....html#comments

Rosenthal reporting there is a strong chance we non-tender Schoop. I have felt this was coming there are lots of respectable free agent options Lowrie, Asdrubal, LeMahieu, Kinsler, Dozier, Murphy, Harrison, Walker, Descalso, Beckham, Forsythe most which could be had on a one year deal at less than 10 million. With a bunch of trade options as well, also we seem to still have interest in Moose making a return to 2B for Shaw a possibility (which I don't like). I like the idea of Dozier on a one year deal, Lowrie, LeMahieu, and Murphy likely get multiyear deals leaving Dozier as a clear option on a cheaper 1 year deal if we don't find a nice trade for a player like Matt Duffy.

Another article I read on mlbtraderumors put our estimated 2019 payroll at about $110 million and we would be at 94/95 if we cut all our borderline non-tenders (Schoop, Perez, Jennings, Saladino). I would think we would try and shed Thames (6) and Davies (2.4) and/or Anderson (6). I doubt we let Perez go unless we find a steal of a utility guy. So if we trade Thames and Anderson that would leave us about 20-25 million in spending.

We were also mentioned to be in on Syndergaard, I would personally give up Huira and Woodruff or Burnes for him as long as it isn't much more in high end prospects. He would be a risk I would be 100% willing to take for the electricity that comes out of his arm. 3 years of a cheap controllable ace would be worth it in my book.

We could do Huira, Woodruff, and 2 mid-level prospects for Syndergaard and a throw in pen or infield option. Then sign Lowrie and a pen piece (Kelvin Herrera 1/8 ish). We would solidify our contender status for 3 years. Especially since we could still move Anderson, Thames, and Davies (maybe Broxton) for some depth or prospects.

Not sure I want to mess around with Syndergaard. Electric arm no doubt but he already has problems staying healthy and from what I've read the Mets consider him an accident waiting to happen (which is why they're so eager to move him). They anticipate he has major arm issues soon because he doesn't take care of himself.

I'm comfortable enough with our young, cheap, controllable arms that I'd rather just keep them. I'm okay with moving Anderson or Davies but I don't want to move both. If given the option I'd rather keep Davies because he's been more consistent throughout his career.

[long ball]

My final non-tender predictions with the deadline coming today at 7pm

Schoop
Jennings
Cedeño
Saladino

I suppose Jennings, Cedeño, and Saladino are cheap enough that they could be tendered and traded or released during spring training, but they need a couple 40 man spots.

[long ball]

Saladino signed a one year deal. I didn’t realize he had one option remaining. So that definitely makes sense.

Schoop, Jennings, and Cedeño were expected.

[crewfan13]

Non-tendering Schoop was the right move I thibk. It really depends on how thd market shakes out. But in theory, we should be able to get someone for cheaper than $10 mill for 1 year.

That being said, I hate the whole process of the Schoop deal and it's the first real misstep by the Stearns front office. I just dont get their logic. If they liked Schoop, who's always been hot and cold, to give up what they gave up, then they should have tendered him. They shouldnt have let 125 at bats change their opinion of a player with 2500 career at bats.

And if they were willing to non tender him after him struggling in a bit of an uncertain, platoon style role, then they shouldnt have made the deal.

Ultimately they made what felt like a 1.5 year deal. Put the player in a kinda wierd, inconsistent spot, then non tendered him when he didn't succeed in that spot. That's just a bad situation in general and feels now even more like panic trade than it originally did.

[jay87shot]

I wouldn't be completely surprised if we sign Schoop back much later in the offseason. We have seen Sterns wait until January and Feburary to sign players and make trades. It seems like he waits until the teams that overspend on top players to make an early impression on the fanbase have spent their money and we find the cheaper player that bring their asking price down. I could see other teams overspending on Murphy, LeMahieu, and Lowrie and we get Schoop or Dozier cheaper than you would expect later in the offseason on a 1 year incentive laden prove-it deal.

[crewfan13]

I think Schoop will get a good deal. He's younger than most guys that hit FA. He has a decent track record. The biggest problem is that he had a bad 135 plate appearances for us. No one else will care much about that. They'll look at his career numbers and give him a solid deal and it will probably be a multi year deal.

Edit: and I'm wrong. 1 yr $7.5mill for Schoop from the twins. Probably a decent sign that we can get a short term deal for a decent stopgap 2nd baseman.

[jay87shot]

Mariners have basically traded away their entire team at this point, I would have been interested in Segura if we would have been able to get rid of a bad contract. Braun and Arcia for Segura would have been an interesting trade. Dee Gordon and Kyle Seager are still there and could be traded but I'm not sure I want either Gordon is interesting but the M's would need to eat most of his contract to give him a shot at 2nd. Seager would be interesting at 2nd but is making a lot for a while.

[crewfan13]

Segura is a strange case. He's been pretty good but it's rare to see a guy who's played as well as he's played get traded so often. I don't know if it's just coincidental circumstance or if there's something behind the scenes teams don't love about him. But just odd to see him dealt so frequently.

[Pcs Papa]

Need to sign Ramos and Tulo, then trade for a pithcher.

[twellner9]

Tulo? No thanks.

Need to go out and sign a 2B and some relievers. I'd also think we need to pull off a few trades. Depth is a good thing when the players have options, but I don't think you can start the season with Santanta, Thames, and Broxton all on the roster. I also think we can afford to move some pitching. Too many guys with too few spots in the rotation. If we can land an ace I'd be willing to move a few arms.

[jay87shot]

I thought the couple packages that I've seen mentioned for Corey Kluber were pretty respectable. Would something like Santana, Anderson, Ray, and Zach Brown interesest the Indians, they would get 2 big league contributors, 2 good prospects and save a bunch of money?

[crewfan13]

I don't think there's any way both hiura and burnes are left out. My best guess for a package would be something like burnes, ray, Santana and another mid tier type prospect.