2023 Guardians Offseason Thread!

[KluberSociety]

The Nimmo deal seems less bad to me than the Bogaerts one. Bogey is already not a very good SS so his bat is going to have to carry the vast majority of the contract and while very good just doesn't have enough there for that kind of money. Even in 2023 I see him projected for 122 wRC+ Look at how much we gave J-Ram and he's a better ballplayer to me.

 

[CATS44]

A few thoughts...

1) Gimenez was the key to the Lindor trade. The FO didn't view him as merely another in a list of solid MIF prospects. He was the highest rated prospect in this org... #1 the moment we got him.

2) I highly doubt that the A's view Houston as a viable trade partner.

3) Allow me to offer a hypothetical...but a realistic hypothetical:

The FO has had serious discussions about three major acquisitions...with Oakland, Toronto, and Pittsburgh. In each of those discussions they have laid out the parameters of an offer.

They also believe that the worst case scenario at catcher is that they can bring in a defensive option to team with Bo. Perhaps they already have one...or two...in their back pocket.

While the FO may have a preference, the present situation puts them in a situation where any of the three trade scenarios is more than satisfactory.

While at this moment none of the parameters suggested have been accepted, they are very competitive with others...perhaps in at least one case the best offer on the table.

This would put the other prospective trade partners...not Cleveland...on the clock.

 

[CDAV45]

And all the sudden Myles Straw's extension is turning into a bargain right before our eyes...

No......no it's not. He's a $5M a year bench player/defensive replacement. Hopefully another team sees it as a good deal and makes an offer that Chernoff accepts. Much to my chagrin, I'd guess I have to watch him play excellent defense in CF and hit like a little girl.

 

[Criznit]

No......no it's not. He's a $5M a year bench player/defensive replacement. Hopefully another team sees it as a good deal and makes an offer that Chernoff accepts. Much to my chagrin, I'd guess I have to watch him play excellent defense in CF and hit like a little girl.

He'll be making 2.9 mil for 2023 and had 2.7 bWAR in 2022..

He should have to fight off Brennan next season, but Brennan is a decent trade chip and also another lefty... Granted his contract could/will get gross towards the end it is 7.4 million in 2026 (but again that might still be good value) with a 1.75 million buyout for 2027 or a 8 million team option.

I'd love for Brennan to knock him out (how's that not a win?) but Straw clearly is premium defensive value at a crucial position and has shown some on base ability in stretches... Out of the nine hole? Give him another chance fellow poster... See if he can sustain a 250/333/350 or better one more time?

Myles Straw:

 

[sportscoach]

He'll be making 2.9 mil for 2023 and had 2.7 bWAR in 2022..

He should have to fight off Brennan next season, but Brennan is a decent trade chip and also another lefty... Granted his contract could/will get gross towards the end it is 7.4 million in 2026 (but again that might still be good value) with a 1.75 million buyout for 2027 or a 8 million team option.

I'd love for Brennan to knock him out (how's that not a win?) but Straw clearly is premium defensive value at a crucial position and has shown some on base ability in stretches... Out of the nine hole? Give him another chance fellow poster... See if he can sustain a 250/333/350 or better one more time?

Myles Straw:
View attachment 13483

Myles Straw starts the season in CF, with Brennan being a 4th OF... Brennan is going to play almost everyday, but not always in a starting role...

If Straw struggles again with the bat and Brennan is hitting, Straw will lose playing time, while Brennan gets more and the roles could be reversed.

@CDAV45 if Straw starts hitting again like he first did in Cleveland, you will see that with his defense, he is the top CF in baseball... If he doesn't, he rides the bench. He's got spring til Juneish to show his bat and he's one of the few players I will ever tell to... Pull the dang ball and once in awhile, try to pull a HR

 

[CDAV45]

He'll be making 2.9 mil for 2023 and had 2.7 bWAR in 2022..

He should have to fight off Brennan next season, but Brennan is a decent trade chip and also another lefty... Granted his contract could/will get gross towards the end it is 7.4 million in 2026 (but again that might still be good value) with a 1.75 million buyout for 2027 or a 8 million team option.

I'd love for Brennan to knock him out (how's that not a win?) but Straw clearly is premium defensive value at a crucial position and has shown some on base ability in stretches... Out of the nine hole? Give him another chance fellow poster... See if he can sustain a 250/333/350 or better one more time?

Myles Straw:
View attachment 13483

Brennan looks to be a much better offensive player and I can't stand 1 dimensional players whose strength is defense. For the life of me, I cannot understand how folks are not extremely excited about Brennan because he is similar in many ways to Kwan and he hasn't disappointed. If it were me I would go ahead and name him my starting CFer and use Straw as the 4th OF/defensive replacement. Low and behold, it's not up to me so...........

 

[CDAV45]

Myles Straw starts the season in CF, with Brennan being a 4th OF... Brennan is going to play almost everyday, but not always in a starting role...

If Straw struggles again with the bat and Brennan is hitting, Straw will lose playing time, while Brennan gets more and the roles could be reversed.

@CDAV45 if Straw starts hitting again like he first did in Cleveland, you will see that with his defense, he is the top CF in baseball... If he doesn't, he rides the bench. He's got spring til Juneish to show his bat and he's one of the few players I will ever tell to... Pull the dang ball and once in awhile, try to pull a HR

Are you f'n high? I'll argue that he is the best defensive CF in baseball regardless of his offense, but he is not and will never be the best CF in baseball. Goodness!

How Brennan cannot be seen as the one deserving of the starting role is beyond me. Straw can protect him against tough LHP even though Straw doesn't hit them well either because Straw doesn't hit anything well. I was excited when he was traded for, but now I know why Houston traded his ass out of town.

 

[sportscoach]

Are you f'n high? I'll argue that he is the best defensive CF in baseball regardless of his offense, but he is not and will never be the best CF in baseball. Goodness!

How Brennan cannot be seen as the one deserving of the starting role is beyond me. Straw can protect him against tough LHP even though Straw doesn't hit them well either because Straw doesn't hit anything well. I was excited when he was traded for, but now I know why Houston traded his ass out of town.

I'm not high, you just aren't seeing reality, so I bet you are the one chewing on some fun shrooms haha

To be sincere, only 9 players played enough CF to qualify for the batting race in CF... Only one other one had a positive fielding mark really in CF and that's Julio Rodriguez and Straw has triple the CF defensive value that he did. He had the same dWAR in 22 that Lofton had in his best defensive season...

Myles Straw hitting league average (100 OPS+) he's likely in the 5+ WAR range... Cleveland is going to give him the chance to see if he can right the ship. I'm not saying Brennan can't take it from him, but Straw is starting in CF for Cleveland in 23 and its Straw's to lose/Brennan's to win.

If hindsight could happen, Straw would be in Florida right now with Brennan in CF and Call ridding the bench, but Cleveland committed to Straw, so we are stuck with him...

 

[KluberSociety]

I wonder why people wouldn't want to take out someone out of the lineup who has averaged 2.6 fWAR over the last 2 years to replace him with someone slow for a CF who so far in his MLB career has had BABIP fueled success over a few weeks while chasing more pitches than OGonz and Javy Baez before finishing off on a completely terrible ote.

 

[sportscoach]

I wonder why people wouldn't want to take out someone out of the lineup who has averaged 2.6 fWAR over the last 2 years to replace him with someone slow for a CF who so far in his MLB career has had BABIP fueled success over a few weeks while chasing more pitches than OGonz and Javy Baez before finishing off on a completely terrible ote.

Which player are you talking about?

Brennan played 11 games with the big club and some post season games... He pressed in the post season pretty bad...

Brennan is actually a very solid CF in all aspects of the game. He's more of a Franklin Gutierrez in CF, no he's not the fastest CF, but he takes solid routes to the ball. Gutierrez became the best CF defensively until he got really sick...

I'd be very surprised if Brennan wasn't a solid everyday CF. He got away from his game in the bigs and you will see, as he calms down and slows himself down, he is a very good player.

If we get Pablo Lopez from the Marlins, he's likely in the deal...

 

[CATS44]

Brennan is not a starting caliber CF on an upper level team. He can be better than average defensively in the corners, but below average in center.

Kwan is elite in left, below average in center, and doesn't have the arm for right.

Straw is our centerfielder. He doesn't have to hit much to remain there. He pretty much is what he is...a 2.5 WAR player by common measurement, but worth more than that to this team, which is built on pitching and defense, maybe more so than any other team in MLB.

He isnt as good offensively as he was when he first came from Houston, and he isnt as bad as he was last year.

We are not stuck with him. We are blessed with him.

*********

I like Brennan, but he is a LH corner OF in an org with a seemingly endless supply of LH corner outfielders....and a need for RH punch.

I know I will get flak for not being enamored with Brennan defensively in center, but it fits his scouting reports.

The FO feels that he is excellent in left and right, just okay in center. Another report says that he profiles defensively as a corner OF.

 

[ajz20]

Does not have to hit much is not a phrase most fans love to hear in the offseason when the team ran out of offense in the playoffs.

 

[sportscoach]

Brennan is not a starting caliber CF on an upper level team. He can be better than average defensively in the corners, but below average in center.

Kwan is elite in left, below average in center, and doesn't have the arm for right.

Straw is our centerfielder. He doesn't have to hit much to remain there. He pretty much is what he is...a 2.5 WAR player by common measurement, but worth more than that to this team, which is built on pitching and defense, maybe more so than any other team in MLB.

He isnt as good offensively as he was when he first came from Houston, and he isnt as bad as he was last year.

We are not stuck with him. We are blessed with him.

*********

I like Brennan, but he is a LH corner OF in an org with a seemingly endless supply of LH corner outfielders....and a need for RH punch.

I know I will get flak for not being enamored with Brennan defensively in center, but it fits his scouting reports.

The FO feels that he is excellent in left and right, just okay in center. Another report says that he profiles defensively as a corner OF.

Read what Bimbo stated about Brennan, he's actually better in CF than in the corners and because of his strong arm (he used to pitch and would get into the low 90s) his second best position is actually RF. His worst OF position is LF. The scouting report you have is incorrect and even going by his defensive stats, it actually supports that. It's not common, but Brennan is one of those, he's better as a CF than a corner guy. Brennan's best position is CF and he is above average at the position.

I trust Bimbo way more than the scouting reports, which some places (aka Fangraphs) never even really had him ranked as a prospect...

Cleveland Guardians Top 48 Prospects

This system may only have one guy we project to be a star, but it has many who we think will produce like good regulars and many more who look like high-probability role players.

blogs.fangraphs.com

Fangraphs doesn't even have him rated in Cleveland's top 48, but they have guys like Artiles and Frias on the list... No Pries, Brennan etc...

 

[petes999]

Here are the Bimbo quotes...

When talking about Palacios still having value "but Brennan producing the way he did when he was called up and his inability to play CF have him on the outside looking in" (inability to play CF is Palacios thus key is below)

Also, when asked about Brennan early summer, "In order I'd go: Benson, Kokx, Durango, Brennan. Yes. He's a legit MLB CFer

 

[macbdog]

We are not stuck with him. We are blessed with him.