Position Players In your dreams: Seiya Suzuki - He's going to get $30+ million a year for at least 4 years. I don't think we have that kind of money. Ideal: Mauricio Dubon - He's going to be pretty expensive for a utility guy, but he's the kind of player a team like this needs (and can afford). He also makes a lot of contact, which can help balance out the swing and miss in the lineup. Plays good defense everywhere. He can fill in for Braden or Sam against LHP in the corner OF spots. He had reverse splits last year, but his splits over his career are favorable vs. LHP. The problem I see here is that he's probably going to get at least 3 years and $30+ million and he's already 32. Luis Robert - I'd love to see him be a platoon OFer with us, but I think he'll get better opportunities elsewhere. Realistic: Ramon Laureano - Injured last year, but really good 2 years ago, especially against LHP. Plays a good RF and can platoon with Braden until he figures it out vs. LHP. Randall Grichuk - I don't see an issue with bringing him back. Clearly a good clubhouse guy. I just don't think he can be as good as he was last year. He's also not somebody you should throw out on defense regularly, especially not RF. Taylor Ward - This guy was absolutely pitiful in Seattle, but he wouldn't be the first guy to hate hitting there. His numbers in Baltimore were really good, but the decrease in power can't only be attributed to the far fences in LF in Baltimore, can it? Can play both corner OF spots just fine and is more or less split neutral throughout his career. Tyrone Taylor - Great platoon bat that should fit this team well. He can play everywhere in the OF and has great speed. Starting Pitchers In your dreams: Tarik Skubal - not happening Freddy Peralta - He's probably earned himself another $30 million with his postseason performance this year. Definitely out of our financial reach now. Ideal: Trevor Rogers - He might be out of reach for us because he's only 28 and has come off a season with great peripherals. His good but not great results along with his injury history could make him a bit cheaper, but I can see him getting $120+ million over 5 years. Reminds me somewhat of Zack Wheeler when we tried to sign him in 2019. Will Jerry break his rule for a large pitcher contract for Trevor Rogers though? I doubt it, but I wouldn't say it's impossible. Shota Imanaga - He gave up 35 homers last year, but it would have been 30 had he played at the Rate. Still terrible, but he's really one of those guys who's really good when he's on, but absolutely terrible when he's not. I think he's within our financial reach, as I don't think teams rate him as anything other than a middle of the rotation guy at this point. But he will eat innings and keep you in games minus the blow ups. Foster Griffin - I think I actually prefer him over Imanaga. He clearly showed he can pitch well in the postseason. Stuff isn't amazing, but he has good command and a lot of pitches. Despite his poor ERA with the Guardians, his peripherals were still solid with them. I think people were so fixated on Peralta doing well in the playoffs that they forgot about Griffin. He didn't walk anyone in 10.1 playoff innings and struck out 15. Realistic: Dustin May - His peripherals were better than his results last year. But I have to wonder just how reliable he is given his injury history. Still only 29, so if you hit on him, he's still got some prime years left. Jack Flaherty - Could be a relatively cheap innings eater who gives you an ERA around the mid 4s. David Peterson - Very unlucky on the Mets last year, was much better when he went to the Cubs. Decent back end rotation option. Relief Pitchers: Ideal: David Bednar - We badly need an actual closer so Grant Taylor can either be used as a multi-inning setup man or a starter. Grant had to be a setup man and a closer last year and that's just way too much to ask from him. Unfortunately, I don't think we can spend big on a guy like Bednar and still upgrade the starting rotation in a meaningful way. Raisel Iglesias - The only problem is that he's 37, but that could also mean a shorter and cheaper contract. He's still a very good closer and should keep things up for another year or 2. After all, Kenley is still closing games at 39. Realistic: Bryan Abreu - Minus his terrible start to the year, this guy was absolutely dominant. The only concern with him is that he gets wild sometimes. I think we saw the entire spectrum of Abreu in game 2 of the ALWCS. Where he got behind Chase 3-0, then hung a slider for a 3 run homer, and then struck out almost everyone else after that for 2 innings. We badly need a trustworthy right handed relief option besides Taylor. Sean Newcomb - I have no issues bringing him back, provided it's not for $10+ million AAV. If Vasil recovers from TJS well, he can take over Newcomb's role. A lot of his late-season struggles were due to fatigue. We really used him and Taylor far too much last year because of how bad the starting rotation was.
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