Two-Gun Pete

We don't have the ammo for Montas, IMO.

This. This is why I hope they prioritize getting ~2-ish fWAR and ~120 IP in a FA long man/SP over RF. Well, this, and the fact that all of MLB will be after SPs, making it all the more important to solve first, IMO. There's competition for OF solutions in FA, but not the league-wide "Great Game" in play for SPs.

Well, the Samardzija trade alone cost 24 years of control over Bassitt, Phegley, Semien, and Ravelo. It cost some ~25 FWAR to pickup Samardzjia. It also extended the decade of shit we all got to enjoy while we were "mired in mediocrity." So yeah, I'm not excited to see KW/RH get robbed, again. In any case, none of what Oakland has on offer projects to be that much better than what can be gotten in FA.

Has Kopech really proven that he's capable of starting and staying healthy at the MLB level? I mean, of his 48 appearances in MLB, only 8 were starts; if memory serves, at least one of those 8 was as an opener. Hes also been significantly injured in both of his MLB seasons. Relying on Kopech to deliver 150 injury-free IP is shortening your margin for error. Adding a ~2-ish fWAR SP/long man adds that bit of depth that covers you from injury, ineffectiveness, or workload management. As it stands, you've got to squint to hope that Lopez is fixed, and that's about it, in terms of SP depth.

This is why I want no business making a trade with Oakland. Just use money in the FA market.

I think I recall @ptatc saying that ~24 or so starts for Kopech would be a reasonable workload for him in 2022. This means that another SP will be required. I for one don't want 33 year old Chris Bassitt being added to a rotation that includes a 34 and a soon-to-be 35 year old SP. I also don't like Bassitt's road splits, which suggest that he's rather ordinary away from Oakland. Especially, since you'd have to trade with an org thats already robbed this one blind a few times. Just use money. Go get Rodon, Kikuchi, or Kim. Bring Kopech along slowly, even if it means he's in Charlotte on OD. Kopech will be more valuable in October, in any case. Start with Keuchel in the rotation, and then move him to the pen as he wears out over the season, and replace him with Kopech. This would help to solve Kopech's workload, and preserves his arm for October. This could also prevent Keuchel's option from vesting. Lastly, this preserves trade ammo for the TDL. Problem solved.

Yeah, the 2b choices are all a letdown. RF & SP are where the real opportunities for gains are right now.

Meh, I don't think that a 33 year old Bassitt away from Oakland is better than Kikuchi or Rodon. All trading does is to remove an asset, in exchange for the right to pay a guy. Just sign Kikuchi or Rodon for SP. Then, either Suzuki or Bryant for RF. Then, I dunno, Villar or Miller for 2B. Then, let's fuckkng go.

I wouldn't mind Bryant, TBH. Positional flexibility, above average defense at multiple positions, and proven above average production year over year? Yes, please. And while he's not LHH, a career 128 WRC+ v. RHP is within spitting distance of Conforto's 136 career wRC+ v RHP. (Bryant's @ 155 wrc+ v LHP, while Conforto's only a 94.) I agree its unlikely, but I'd take Bryant ahead of Conforto or Castellanos.

I'd defer to PTATC on this. In looking at his 2021 numbers, he threw 69 IP, and landed on the DL for a month in June. His 2nd half FIP went up, from 2.41 to 3.55, his OBP allowed went up from .239 to .313. So, on it's face it looks like Kopech isn't exactly "stretched out" to give this team ~150+ IP over a regular season and post season. Going from 69 IP to 150+ would be a huge ask, IMO. At the same time, this roster just lost 4.9 fWAR when Rodon walked out the door. Asking Kopech to provide both the IP AND replace the fWAR lost is foolish, IMO. The other elephant in the room are Keuchel and Lynn and their war against Father Time. Whether or not those two can stave off the invincible ravages of aging is another question. Meanwhile, the MiLB depth looks suboptimal at the moment, if Lopez is the best we've got. So, from my view, given questions about how "stretched out" Kopech might be, how durable a 34 year old Keuchel and a soon-to-be 35 year old Lynn could be, and an abject lack of MLB-ready depth, I'd like another SP, please.

Jack, if "should" is part of your viewpoint, it isn't an argument. Its a wish. And it isn't really simple. The best talents would overwhelmingly go to the biggest pocketed teams, and/or the most marketable, if there was no draft.

The length of a draft is a reasonable discussion to have. But not having a draft at all would be stoopid.

Or with Cincinnati or Baltimore or Milwaukee. Or if you're a pitcher, you'd never sign with Colorado. Yeah, not having a draft seems pretty stoopid.

Thats disappointing. Most of those kids being exploited won't end up as good as Nomar Mazara, or Micker Adolfo. And trying to forecast them at 12, 13, or 14 what they'll become as grown men is nigh-impossible. If MLBPA don't want a draft, given that it seems to work elsewhere in sports, then they should come up with a solution for the current corrupt system.

Three things: 1. Holy shit. 2. Yeah, I think I was still on WSI, so of course I missed that. 3. I can't imagine anyone, other than the corrupt turds working that system, wanting to keep it that way.

Wait, what? How did I miss this?

Jack, two questions: 1. How would your proposed solution differ from the current, exploitative system? 2. More importantly, how would your proposal, IN ANY WAY, prevent abuses, prevent child exploitation, and end "pre-agreements" and other under the table gamesmanship?

In soccer leagues overseas, young players do have the ability to go wherever they want. As a result, pretty much every European league is top-heavy, with the same ~2 or so teams winning the title each and every year. Germany = Bayern Munich Spain = Real Madrid or Barcelona France = Paris Saint Germain Giving youngsters complete free agency would trash competitive balance in MLB. It might cause a team or two to fold, as they do more frequently in soccer leagues in Europe. That aside, the current system in Latin America for baseball is trash. It places children in harms way, traffics them, and fails to protect them. They had every opportunity to reform, but the buscones, agents, and trainers failed to do so. So here we are, with like the ONE ISSUE that the fans favor MLB over the PA, with the draft. Im all in for a draft, if it ends the exploitation of children.

This is tough. Stay strong for her. It sounds to me like you and her medical team have done all that can be done up to this point. Best wishes to you and to her. Keep us posted.

Dude, relax. All of what you posted here agrees with my view that all contending BPs need additional depth. None of what you posted here suggests that a closer was needed. Let alone at the price that was paid. (Recall that none of us wanted to trade away anything from the 26 man last season.) So no, there is no "context " that justified Kimbrel, or really, any other closer being added here. Not the needs of more talented/MiLB rich teams, such as LAD or TB. And not the needs of the 2021 White Sox.

These.

Look, the numbers are the numbers. I can agree that every contender needs to add a piece to their bullpens as injury and/or regression insurance. But in no way do the numbers indicate that the bullpen was anywhere near the most pressing need.

Andrew Friedman's LAD had different needs than the SOX. Friedman's LAD had more resources on hand than the SOX. The numbers don't lie. The bullpen wasn't anywhere near that team's most pressing needs. And that team could ill-afford the price that it took to get Kimbrel.

For the first part of your post, I'll disagree. The bullpen wasn't anywhere near their top needs, beyond adding "a guy" as depth/regression & injury insurance. Kimbrel was (and is) extremely talented, but is (and was) a poor fit and a poor use of resources. For the second part of your post, I can agree that a competent manager would have done better handling Kimbrel and Hendriks. But that should have been part of the calculus in trading for Kimbrel in the first place. If your manager is incompetent, and there's a questionable fit, then I dunno? Maybe don't blow your wad on a piece you don't need, that your manager doesn't know how to use, using resources you can't afford to spend.

I did watch them extensively, and the numbers don't lie. If you don't like the numbers, let us know how they're lying to us. All contenders need "a reliever," as insurance against injury or regression down the stretch. But that team didn't need an expensive closer.