caulfield12

Per Rosenthal, the Padres' discussions with the Indians regarding Kluber led to conversations about Lindor. There's no indication San Diego intends to make a serious push for Lindor, but that could change, as some of the team's baseball people are in favor of it. Part of the motivation could be to keep him away from Los Angeles. San Diego already has a shortstop in 20-year-old Fernando Tatis Jr., but the club could shift Tatis to center field if it acquires Lindor. The 26-year-old could be there for the taking if the Padres want to act, as the Dodgers don't plan to make top prospect Gavin Lux (MLB's No. 2 overall prospect) available, Rosenthal reports. MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM analyst Jim Bowden argues the Indians should insist on Lux being part of any package for Lindor. "If the Dodgers aren't willing to do a deal centered around Gavin Lux, then I wouldn't trade [Lindor]," Bowden said. "If they put Lux in it, I would work with them. ... There's a package to be made if Lux is in it. 'No Lux, no Lindor.' That's all I would keep saying every time Andrew [Friedman] called me." www.mlb.com

Maybe if we have a "Sox Mini-Drone Giveaway Night" for Bauer? That can't possible go wrong, can it? It also wouldn't be shocking to see Tanaka retire, go back to Japan or take one full year off for surgery recovery and then one final go at it with a contending team in 2021.

Found this doing some research, the dollar figures are probably too low, but it's interesting nonetheless as a starting point for discussion. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-free-agent-rankings-way-too-early-2020-21-free-agency-predictions-including-where-mookie-betts-and-others-wind-up/ #3 has a write-up that will annoy Sox fans. The numbers for Joc Pederson will surprise some, as well. Basically, you have Stroman, Bauer, Paxton, Charlie Morton, Robbie Ray, Lester and Mike Minor as the cream of the crop. You also have Tanaka (KW gets his man, eventually??), Arrieta and Jose Quintana. Ten choices. And not all of these guys are even going to be available on the market at this time next year. Lester or Morton could retire, for example. Everyone here pretty much hates Trevor Bauer, but he makes the most sense on a one-year deal. Paxton has obviously been injured frequently, but we need a LH, and both he and Robbie Ray are the two best choices there. Obviously, Quintana, as well. Stroman will probably be the Zack Wheeler of next year's class if he has a really strong season. Either him or Bauer. It should also be noted that the bullpen pretty much has options "ROCK AND A HARD PLACE." Notable free agents for 2020-21 Catcher: J.T. Realmuto, Mike Zunino, Yadier Molina First base: C.J. Cron, Yuli Gurriel Second base: Cesar Hernandez (already a FA), Marwin Gonzalez, DJ LeMahieu, Daniel Murphy (mutual option) Third base: Justin Turner, Zack Cozart, Jake Lamb Shortstop: Andrelton Simmons, Jonathan Villar, Marcus Semien, Jurickson Profar Outfield: Mookie Betts, George Springer, Yoenis Cespedes, David Peralta, Michael Brantley, Joc Pederson, Jackie Bradley Jr., Jay Bruce, Giancarlo Stanton (opt-out) Starting pitchers: Trevor Bauer, Robbie Ray, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, Jake Arrieta (club option), Marcus Stroman, Jose Quintana Relievers: Blake Treinen, Alex Colome, Andrew Miller (vesting option)

Except Burdi and Ian Hamilton looked like the best internal candidates for those roles. They do still have Stiever, but they absolutely cannot go into a contending season with ?'s littering the back end of the pen.

The likeliest scenario is that the Indians can't afford to invest $20-30 million into free agents for the back end of their bullpen. They have to come up with as many cheaper internal options as possible. This is yet another reason why the Burdi pick was so questionable, unless you have an absolutely elite arm who projects to be a closer, there's just too much risk involved in drafting one that high (as opposed to spreading the money around in Latin America and signing bounce-back veterans like Treinen and Stammen). Picking Poreda and Royce Ring so high should have taught them the risks. You should never draft for short-term need unless it's the final player to put you over the top. This wasn't the case with the 2016 White Sox, in even the most optimistic appraisal. For the Indians, the risk is worth the reward because they can't give Daniel Hudson or Betances $10-20 million in guaranteed money.

Clase was 30th ranked for the Rangers. At best, their equivalent of Victor Diaz. This was all about not believing in Kluber any longer at those numbers for a small market team, and payroll flexibility for one more year if they held onto Lindor.

Looking at the Nats, Braves and reinvigorated Mets, not even sure that’s true. As of right now, though, Kopech and Wheeler knocked the competitive part of the rebuild back two years. Without the external injection of five pitchers from those three trades, we’d already be talking about tearing it down. Rodon and Fulmer being the closest things to development after Sale and Q isn’t exactly a crowning achievement on most resumes.

https://theathletic.com/1459378/2019/12/14/editors-column-its-not-just-about-jim-boylen-the-bulls-need-a-major-change/?source=dailyemail Jerry Reinsdorf’s watchword is loyalty and he trusts Paxson. As he should. In Melissa Isaacson’s engrossing feature on Paxson from 2017, Reinsdorf said some of the arrows Paxson has taken should have been pointed at him. “Sometimes, his hands are obviously tied by financial decisions you have to make,” he said. Have to make? Uh-huh. At this stage of Jerry’s life, a change in management would only come from Michael Reinsdorf’s urging with his father’s blessing. Jerry isn’t going hunting for new leadership and Paxson himself has essentially said in interviews that the only way he’s leaving is by quitting. Paxson knows the game and is passionate about his job, but everyone has a shelf life and the Reinsdorfs should have overhauled everything five years ago instead of just firing Tom Thibodeau, the second-best coach the organization has ever employed. Then again, the Bulls would probably be better off if they sold the team. But that’s not happening. Sounds quite familiar...especially the parallels on the coaching, front office and obviously ownership side. One interesting subplot to this season is the team’s rare attendance problems. Going into Saturday’s game, the Bulls were 11th in average attendance and 23rd in capacity, with a decrease of 3,000 fans per game and a drop in capacity of 15 percent since the 2016-17 season, the last time the team made the playoffs. I went to Wednesday’s game as a fan and there were open seats to my right and left in the 100 level. Chunks of empty seats dotted the lower bowl. In the 300 level, there were entire sections with only a handful of people. As a fan, the crowd was actually rather pleasant. Lines were shorter and the concourses were lively, but not packed. It was a breeze getting in and out of the stadium and parking lot. A good deal of fans’ first response to this organization is disgust. They expect to see bad starts and blown leads. A tangible decline in interest can’t excused or ignored or blamed on Rose’s knee injury from 2012. Something has to be done and soon.

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-trade-rumors-blue-jays-164528125.html Sure, but we just traded for Mazara...so the need for a $10 million-ish backup left handed outfielder who will be a free agent in 2021 isn’t that great. Benintendi’s multiple years of control is the much better match. Boston is crazy to think other teams would give up prospects for that (Price/JBJr) without at least $40 million going the other direction.

That would make Fulmer, Despaigne and Detwiler almost interesting again. Well, it could be Adams or Danish, that would arguably be worse, but Covey's all-time win-loss record must be close to an MLB record (in a bad way) for someone for over 20 or 30 career decisions. I guess Mike Norris back in the early 1980's with the A's had a similarly abysmal record.

They completely misread the market...or didn't anticipate it, based on the past two off-seasons (and the exponentially-increasing number of early contract extensions signed, taking high-quality players off the market, one after another). Or they simply invested too much time and effort into Wheeler without considering the possibility they wouldn't end up signing him. Now, it's almost like they're waiting the market out to see if there are any compelling bargains still remaining in February/March. Sigh.

The DBacks certainly don't have to trade Ray...but he's the biggest (somewhat youngish) name out there. They'd not only have to put together a trade package for this year, but they'd have to convince him to forgo free agency. The only way that happens is if he believes he's better off signing now than waiting it out with an uncertain labor situation becoming more and more of an issue. Which means they're going to have to come up a deal quite similar to the one Wheeler just signed for a pitcher who rarely pitches into the 7th inning due to elevated pitch counts/high strikeout numbers. That's a useful quality in GRF, but you also need a lock-down bullpen if you have too many pitchers limited to 5-6 innings.

That's where they can think about one of those two-year deals like the Padres signed with Garrett Richards...this is probably something I wouldn't feel comfortable with until I had a much better idea where Carlos Rodon was going to be for 2021. If there are major pitching issues (again) this season, they're going to have to get REALLY creative if they want to compete next year.

We haven't seen Rich Hill's name out there recently...keep reading where he had some type of surgery and might miss half the season, but, if that's the case, 90% chance he ends up staying with LAD or retires. At any rate, Walker and Wood would be too risky, together. You need to pair one of those names with a more stable outcome. Gio Gonzalez's name will start popping up again, too. KW always gets him man (back)? I'm pretty sure the ticket office is reading those names and thinking how much easier their next 4 months of work would/could have been had they simply been able to get Wheeler into the fold. Of course, the same is equally true in Minnesota, who had Bumgarner as their top target after Wheeler was scooped up. Might have to trade with the Mets if they fall out of it in the first half and decide to get rid of some of their excess pitching (Stroman/Wacha/Porcello)...that's going to be a tough road with the Braves, Nationals and Phillies. Thor and de Grom are likely to be well out of their acceptable price range in terms of prospect targets. 10 names. I could have simply said trade with the Mets, but it's not so simple.

There's no WHOLE CONTRACT to absorb. If he pitches less than 160 innings this year, their (the Rangers) overall commitment is still under $20 million. He also can't be on the disabled list at the end of the season. It's a win-win either way for the Rangers, because the 2019 version doesn't get the 2021-22 options to kick in, the and the pre-2018 version is worth $25-35 million on the free agent market these days and you're happy to keep him.

If we know ANYTHING about the White Sox, it's that much...especially taking any unnecessary risks on the pitching side with their internally-controlled pitchers. Beyond the Dodgers and Angels, you have the Twins, the Phillies (even after Wheeler), Cardinals, Reds, Padres, Blue Jays, etc., connected to the pitching market. Not to mention those really smart teams (A's/Rays/Brewers) circling, that are seemingly always able to identify the right "value" plays at lower contact dollars. Throw in another mystery team like the Rockies with seemingly a hundred different directions they could go. The deck is stacked against us, even with "unprecedented financial flexibility." Crazy how the Wheeler miss has just completely thrown the entire organization for a loop, just like KW was stupefied last year when Machado balked at signing.

http://www.startribune.com/after-raising-the-ante-twins-must-make-major-splash/566214292/ Where’s this article from our local media?

Sure, it would be as if Price’s $32 million salary had the Hahn/KW Special added to wipe out his 2021-22 salaries for only $1 million if he didn’t reach a minimum of 160 innings in 2020... No way they risk/ed trading him to the Twins or White Sox. Call me totally non-shocked if it will come out next week, though, that they supposedly had a better offer on the table, such as Collins and Adolfo, etc.

Sounds pretty darned familiar... ”As usual we trade for garbage! This FO is abysmal. Deshields is another stiff in a long line of stiffs in our outfield! The minor league pitcher has career minor league potential. Move this clown show! One clown show-the Browns- is enough.” ..... As a huge Tribe fan since 1953, it makes me sick to see such a fine pitcher and fine person traded for such apparent little value? Why on earth do we need another center fielder (average at best) when Oscar Mercado is such a fine young talent? Perplexing and makes me want to give up on this ownership! ..... “Fill up yer Xmas stockings with 2020 Tribe season tickets!” “They just traded Kluber for nothing.” “What? Never mind.”

Or LaRoche...

Kluber posted a 5.80 ERA in seven starts during an injury-plagued 2019 season. He did not pitch in the majors after suffering a broken bone in his arm when he was hit by a line drive on May 1 in Miami. He later strained an oblique muscle during an August rehab start. Kluber’s contract includes a $1 million trade kicker and his $18M club option for 2021 will convert to a vesting option that becomes guaranteed if he pitches 160 innings in 2020 and is not on the injured list at the end of the season, according to Rosenthal. $17.5 million risk for 2020. $18.5 million total if he doesn’t get to 160 IP. Daniels will become known as pitching genius if this move works out along with Gibson after Minor and Lynn. Still going hard after Ryu. Basically taking same approach as Mets building as deep a rotation as possible.

Thank god we’re not in the AL West, NL East, etc. Thought the proposed deal for Lindor was Lux, Verdugo and May? Or Seager/May..Seager/Verdugo? https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2019/12/cleveland-indians-trade-corey-kluber-to-texas-rangers-according-to-multiple-reports.html Basically, it’s a salary dump for the Indians. Clase was 30th ranked prospect for Rangers.

They’re not that desperate...$25 million left for two years, they’re not going to trade Marquez even for $75 million of bad deals. Certainly not for Collins and lower tier prospects.

I don’t think they would have signed McCann for 2020 to trade him. They really like his moxie/clubhouse presence and what he brings to the table with a young pitching staff. Collins has always been the likely one to move...signing EE would be the nail in the coffin for both Collins and Sheets, unless they still want to hold onto him for 2021 and beyond.

97.7 average velocity. 29. Three years and $51 million remaining on contract. The closest thing to Wheeler that’s a realistic get. https://www.fangraphs.com/players/nathan-eovaldi/9132/stats?position=P#pitchtype