BamaDoc

Thanks for finding all the info on Dickerson. Definitely interesting. Three different injuries last year with the season ending one being his foot. Obviously that would really have to be checked out. The Red Sox put all kind of contract parameters around JDM previous injury. Dickerson will be a really interesting contract. He could take a one year gamble contract but everybody looking for a non qualifying offer corner outfielder will be looking at him. I could see him getting a solid multi year deal just as easily. If his foot checks out you have definitely made me want to kick the tires. At 31 next year and injury history, I bet he takes the multi year deal.

Completely agree. You could have signed a team of 100k guys for what we gave up in the Jones and Castillo deals. I can understand if they feel spreading the money around on multiple players vs one high dollar player is their philosophy but a philosophy of none is not good. This is compounded if you sign free agents who require giving up draft picks. Maybe one 1.25 million dollar bonus guy would help offset losing a second or third round draft pick but having neither will show up in a farm system in a couple years.

I could see Fulmer in a change of scenery trade ala Thornton years ago. A worse team may be willing to give him more time. I am trying to think if getting him thru waivers would be easier now than at end of spring. He has talent and pedigree so I expect someone would take a chance so maybe he has some value.

If you get Grandal, Gardner could hit 6-8 in my eyes but what the heck in the playoffs for the Yankees he hit three so I don't think he lack value.

Josh Reddick, Jay Bruce, Calhoun could all be acquired cheaply and also fit that one year place holder position. I prefer Gardner. I actually don't give up Bummer for one year. With the three batter rule, a lefty without splits should have a lot of value.

Lillian, you realize Calhouns OPS vs LHP is over .225 better than Pedersen. If you sign Grandal, he makes sense as a primary catcher, part time DH/1b and can hit middle of the order. Grandal would allow your RF addition to bat lower thus not requiring as much offense(gloves matter). I totally agree with you that I want a LH RF addition. You weren't around when I started this post but read my original post. Gardner makes a lot of sense to me.

So far everyone is pretty much right on target with the cuts. Probably more interesting when we see the additions.

I offer 3-60 with option for fourth. 24-20-16 and 16 option. The payment structures gives us an advantage over teams near cap and drops salary when we have to start paying our own.

Interesting. He was a guy I mentioned as being effected by three batter rule as he has terrible splits. RH batters crush him. Maybe the AL east has lots of lefties.

Completely agree Yolmer's value is being above average defensively and is a below league average bat. I am not sure what you are saying that comparing by WAR is crazy. WAR is supposed to be a comprehensive way of evaluating all parts of a player's game and allowing comparisons even between different positions. I do not understand the exact calculations of WAR and how they differ between sites. I would love for a more analytical person to explain the differences in calculations. Ozuna by OPS+ was 6% and 7% above league average with the bat. His defense has been considered negative. When I see a guy with a little above average bat and poor defense it makes me think of a ok guy not necessarily a difference maker. Would he be an improvement over what we put out there, yes but so would a bunch of people. It is why I prefer Grandal as an addition as he has been about 20% above league average offensively and fits better. I agree with futureisnear that Yolmer's deficiencies with the bat are enough that I wouldn't want to start him but use him in a utility role. I had only brought him up because by bref WAR he was valued similar to Ozuna. Sorry if that confused things.

Perhaps we are looking at different sets of numbers? I was using baseball reference WAR values . In the last five years going oldest to most recent Yolmer had values of .8, -.1, 3.5, 2.6,2.1 Ozuna .5, 2.6, 6.1 great no argument!, 2.9, 2.2. So by these stats , Yolmers best year beats Ozuna 4 out of 5 years(your pick) . Not debating if Ozuna is decent which I think he is , he is just not a great fit and not a difference maker in my opinion. In the last two years, which I think has some relevance as post Miami for Ozuna, the WAR is 4.7 Yolmer to 5.1 for Ozuna.

I really don't see the love for Ozuna. Bad glove, right handed, one good year three years ago. The last two years have been slightly higher WAR than Yolmer who most don't want to keep at 6 million let alone 16plus. I consider Cole and Stras top of the rotation starters and would gladly sign them up at market rate. Most the others you either hope they improve or have injury/age issues that I don't consider them TOR starters. My plan calls for an innings eater and a second either swing guy or guy who could be moved at deadline depending on the health/performance of our starters. I think our best bet for a top starter is that one develops from within. Most the other FA, I see as 3s on our staff. 2 of Gio, Cease, or Kopech need to be 2 quality or we are in trouble anyway. (for definition clarification, just because a guy is a #1 on a bad staff doesn't make him a #1. I think there are less than 30 #1 pitchers in baseball. I do believe Astros and Nats each have two and Greinke has been but doubt he maintains going forward but certainly could be wrong)

At our current position in the rebuild, I don't think you do a qualifying offer player unless it is Cole or Strasburg. I expect Cole to be an Angel or Yankee. I expect the Nats to sweeten Strasburgs deal by some additional money and years especially if they lose Rendon. The fact Stras signed an early extension tells me he likes his situation and is unlikely to move.

I did see that. I expect a player to be loyal to a guy who helped him. Did you see after the game, the MLB crew all apologized to Eaton for criticizing the trade at the time and that all that was given up for him was fine. LOL

I would add, you have never have a player who has left the team say anything bad about him. He is probably a great human being and an ok x/o manager.

The stories were Grandal turned down 4-60 from the Mets last year. Several big market teams are actually dealing with budget issues. It is actually why on page one of this thread I proposed a 3-60 deal with an optional fourth year. To sweeten it for him and mess with other teams budgets while accounting for aging, I structured it as 24-20-16 per year and then the option at 16. Total max 4-76. This structure also has his salary decreasing when we will potentially need money for more of our own players. Grandal OPS second half .787 solid for the wear and tear of catching and by DHing some you might expect it to be a bit higher. McCann second half .695 though much due to a terrible July.

Check Pederson's splits. His OPS vs LHP was .505 so you will need a platoon partner.

I think the early bidding battles will center around pitchers who don't have qualifying offers. That is where we should be looking but I think many others will as well. It is a no brainer that if two guys are equal to go for the non qualifier.

JDM is a great hitter. The two biggest downfalls I see with him is it pretty much forces you to play Abreu at first a lot. Secondly, what do you do in interleague play as JDM glove is not at all good? I worry about Ozuna's glove in RF and the fact it will take a multi year commitment. I thought about Jose but same issues for JDM come into play for Jose.

I started this thread and if you look, Gardner was a complementary signing to Grandal. If you get a primary bat addition, Grandal in my case, Gardner would hit lower in my lineup to balance handedness and our poor OBP. I agree if RF is your only big bat signing you want more but I don't see it out there this year. If he were younger, he probably wouldn't be on a Yankee roster bubble and may not be. Hell he is batting three for them in the playoffs. His four WAR this year would be third on our team, ahead of everyone but Giolitto and Moncada. The game is not only played with a bat but you also do many other things, which he does better than most options. Since 2015, his WARs are 3.9, 3.2, 3.4, 4.9, 2.8, 4.0 OBP of .327, .343, .351, .350, .322 .325 Father time will get all but with this track record is a WAR of 2.5 unreasonable to expect? For comparison Mazzara has NO seasons with over 1WAR. Nimmo ONE season over 1 WAR. Dickerson 1 season over 2.5 WAR since 2015. Mazzara and Nimmo you have to trade for so you are giving up prospects/players who unless they are scrap I don't wish to do. We need a lot to go right to just contend and I felt Gardner was one of the safest bets out there. It may not mater as the Yankees probably realize his value even as a fourth outfielder for them.

As far as wanting a lot of money and max years, sure. I think his health concerns are much less than Ryu. I think Keuchel is way overvaluing himself. I think the years/value of Strasburg will dwarf the other two. Because they/agent is thinking high values, I was trying to point out they will not be quick signs in my opinion.

Ryu is a Boras client. Boras spinning his bad injury history as a low mileage arm and wants long years at high dollar. Won't be a quick sign. Keuchel also a Boras guy still talks like he thinks he deserves a huge deal. Boras previously inferred he had multi year deals that Boras was okay with but his client said no. Again probably a later signing.

The other point of getting Gardner that I tried to point out is it gives you two options. First it gives time for your non Robert outfield prospects to develop potentially giving you a cheap homegrown replacement. Secondly, Gardner does not keep you from signing someone like Pederson the following year. In that scenario all you have done is spent money and not lost any prospects.

Colinski, thanks for taking the time to present a plan and not bad. I am figuring you are around 125 new money if Abreu comes back so I am doubtful on getting it all done and appreciate the plan B part as well. I agree someone from our relievers steps up and I am not crazy about Colome at 10 million closing as I fear regression. Hopefully Hererra is what he was supposed to be and balances some of it out. As you watch the playoffs, you see little things matter like defense, getting guys over or in from third. Ray Ray awesome stuff. Ive gotta dig into it more. Thanks

It would have been but it does make the assumption that the Dodgers would have accepted it. They actually had a multitude of starting pitching.