Early 22 GM Thread! (Trade Ideas here)

[EdMonix11]

Here's where the Indians rank in each offensive category:

Runs - 20th
Hits - 23rd
Doubles - 20th
Homers - 12th
Walks - 27th
Ks - 18th
Average - 23rd
OBP - 27th (a stat you used above to show that we haven't been awful??? might wanna rethink that)
Slugging - 15th
OPS - 21st

In just about every offensive category except home runs and slugging, we rank in the bottom third of the league. There's no real positive spins to that.

FG has the Indians Team OFF rating as 18th in the league (14th in the 2nd half of the season). For the 4th youngest team in the league, that's pretty fucking good. Young teams struggle in the MLB. That's not to say they can't improve the offense a little bit in the offseason but what exactly did you expect this year? The three teams younger than the Indians are well below them. The offense isn't terribly broken and wholesale changes aren't coming and nor should they with the improvements we've seen as the season has progressed with many of our young guys.

I just laid out the positives, and if you choose to ignore it, well, that’s on you for ignoring the signs and choosing to be negative. There’s some young guys showing legit potential at the plate and good things are to come with this core group.

 

[Kevalier]

FG has the Indians Team OFF rating as 18th in the league (14th in the 2nd half of the season). For the 4th youngest team in the league, that's pretty fucking good. Young teams struggle in the MLB. That's not to say they can't improve the offense a little bit in the offseason but what exactly did you expect this year? The three teams younger than the Indians are well below them. The offense isn't terribly broken and wholesale changes aren't coming and nor should they with the improvements we've seen as the season has progressed with many of our young guys.

I just laid out the positives, and if you choose to ignore it, well, that’s on you for ignoring the signs and choosing to be negative. There’s some young guys showing legit potential at the plate and good things are to come with this core group.

The top four in the lineup (Straw, Rosario, Jose and Franmil) are all locks to return.
Chang and Miller have improved in their second stints up here and appear to be at least decent bench bats.
One of Zimmer, Mercado or Harold Ramirez probably stays around as an extra outfielder.
Naylor is an everyday player when he returns.
Hedges will be one of the two catchers on the roster next season.

That leaves, by my estimation, upgrades due in one of the corner outfield spots, either the other corner outfield sport or 1B depending on where Naylor plays and catcher.

They can upgrade externally at those three spots without breaking the bank or giving up top prospects, so I certainly hope that ends up occurring.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

So who do you guys think is the leader in the clubhouse to win the 2B job next season?

• Yu Chang
• Owen Miller
• Andres Gimenez
• Amed Rosario (provided a different SS)
• Not on the roster yet

 

[Kevalier]

So who do you guys think is the leader in the clubhouse to win the 2B job next season?

• Yu Chang
• Owen Miller
• Andres Gimenez
• Amed Rosario (provided a different SS)
• Not on the roster yet

I fully expect Rosario and Gimenez to be the starting middle infielders on Opening Day, although it remains to be seen which of them will start at 2B and which will start at SS. Moving Amed off SS seems like a real possibility.

 

[KluberSociety]

Why would Naylor be an everyday player when he returns? Seems like that would be setting us up for Bauers 2.0.

 

[CATS44]

Unless you see one of Zimmer, Mercado, Harold as legitimate regular OFs...and Naylor not being negatively effected by a bad injury...we need major upgrades at two OF spots.

Major upgrades dont come without paying a lot in money and/or prospects...and we don't have the money to cover two spots.

 

[33Y0]

Why would Naylor be an everyday player when he returns? Seems like that would be setting us up for Bauers 2.0.

Not sure I'd go that far comparing him to Bauers...

Naylor career line: 583 AB, .250, 16 HR, 59 RBI, .306 OBP, .389 SLG, .695 OPS, 88 OPS+, 0.1 WAR
Bauers career line: 977 AB, .213, 27 HR, 110 RBI, .307 OBP, .348 SLG, .655 OPS, 78 OPS+, -0.7 WAR

 

[KluberSociety]

Unless you see one of Zimmer, Mercado, Harold as legitimate regular OFs...and Naylor not being negatively effected by a bad injury...we need major upgrades at two OF spots.

Major upgrades dont come without paying a lot in money and/or prospects...and we don't have the money to cover two spots.

I'd rather go with acquiring one player and some sort of platoon in one slot than Naylor. There's also Kwan and OGon who might be options. Not sure what Naylor has done to warrant playing in OF everyday above those guys even if completely healthy. I think we can figure out a way to fill in one slot in-house even with 40 man crunch. The main issue is filling in that other hole.

Not sure I'd go that far comparing him to Bauers...

Naylor career line: 583 AB, .250, 16 HR, 59 RBI, .306 OBP, .389 SLG, .695 OPS, 88 OPS+, 0.1 WAR
Bauers career line: 977 AB, .213, 27 HR, 110 RBI, .307 OBP, .348 SLG, .655 OPS, 78 OPS+, -0.7 WAR

Per Fangraphs WAR, Bauers is -0.2 WAR and Naylor is -0.7 WAR.

The main problem with Naylor being his terrible defense, which needs to be accompanied by more than what he's shown so far offensively. I guess I'm just seeing him as a future 1B if he gets his stuff together, with the injury only hurting his OF potential which is pretty dismal.

 

[Criznit]

Starting to think (depending on how we attack the the OF in the off-season) that it could end up Bradley vs. Naylor for 1st base in 2022.

I think Bradley will be out of options, so unless Naylor scorches this spring, he might actually start in AAA

 

[sportscoach]

Starting to think (depending on how we attack the the OF in the off-season) that it could end up Bradley vs. Naylor for 1st base in 2022.

I think Bradley will be out of options, so unless Naylor scorches this spring, he might actually start in AAA

Naylor I think may start the season on the DL depending on where he is at in his recovery. I'd rather delay him a bit and make sure he's 100% than rush him...

 

[Criznit]

Naylor I think may start the season on the DL depending on where he is at in his recovery. I'd rather delay him a bit and make sure he's 100% than rush him...

That goes without saying, Naylor has to be able/cleared to play first.

 

[CATS44]

I'd rather go with acquiring one player and some sort of platoon in one slot than Naylor. There's also Kwan and OGon who might be options. Not sure what Naylor has done to warrant playing in OF everyday above those guys even if completely healthy. I think we can figure out a way to fill in one slot in-house even with 40 man crunch. The main issue is filling in that other hole.


Per Fangraphs WAR, Bauers is -0.2 WAR and Naylor is -0.7 WAR.

The main problem with Naylor being his terrible defense, which needs to be accompanied by more than what he's shown so far offensively. I guess I'm just seeing him as a future 1B if he gets his stuff together, with the injury only hurting his OF potential which is pretty dismal.

Here is the problem that everybody refuses to address.

There is NO ROOM on the 40 man to keep holding tryouts/competition for multiple spots in the line up and on the pitching staff.

There is no room for all of Zimmer-Mercado-Harold-Naylor-Kwan-Gonzalez-Valera-Johnson to compete for OF roster spots at the same time that Chang-Amed-Gimenez-Miller-Clement-Arias-Rocchio-Freeman-Palacios-Tena are competing for MIF roster spots at the same time that Karinchak-Clase-Sandlin-Allen sr-Mejia-Hentges-Wittgren-Perez-Gose-Garza-Stephan-Hill-Nelson-Young are competing for bullpen spots at the same time as Biebs-Civale-Plesac-Quantrill-TMac-Morgan-Morris-Moss-Pilkington-Scott-Vargas-Cantillo at the same time that Lavastida and Noel become R5 eligible, not to mention Jones, Bradley, Jose, Straw, Hedges and Berto, or another MLB catcher.

No room...and no more time.

There's no more time left to address the 40 man. Decision time has arrived, and nobody wants to address how to fit at least 51 players onto a 40 man roster.

Nor does anybody want to address how to transform those 51 players...esp the position players...into a viable contender next year.

We have two years left of Jose without an extension. We have three years left of Bieber without an extension. This FO is not going to spend another year holding tryouts and competitions while our time with those two dwindle to nothing.

If you want to hold a never ending competition for outfield spots with a bunch of fringe players and non prospects, fine. Its gonna happen in another org. This org is gonna have real live MLB outfielders.

If you want to hold a never ending competition among utility players for MIF, fine. This org is gonna have two full time MIFs.

And its gonna solve the corner OF spots the same way it solved the years long circus in centerfield. Its gonna go out and get them.

 

[33Y0]

I'd rather go with acquiring one player and some sort of platoon in one slot than Naylor. There's also Kwan and OGon who might be options. Not sure what Naylor has done to warrant playing in OF everyday above those guys even if completely healthy. I think we can figure out a way to fill in one slot in-house even with 40 man crunch. The main issue is filling in that other hole.


Per Fangraphs WAR, Bauers is -0.2 WAR and Naylor is -0.7 WAR.

The main problem with Naylor being his terrible defense, which needs to be accompanied by more than what he's shown so far offensively. I guess I'm just seeing him as a future 1B if he gets his stuff together, with the injury only hurting his OF potential which is pretty dismal.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bauerja01.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/naylojo01.shtml

Here's where I got my WAR stats from.

FWIW, ESPN has Naylor as a career 0.2 WAR and Bauers at -0.4.

 

[KluberSociety]

Here is the problem that everybody refuses to address.

There is NO ROOM on the 40 man to keep holding tryouts/competition for multiple spots in the line up and on the pitching staff.

There is no room for all of Zimmer-Mercado-Harold-Naylor-Kwan-Gonzalez-Valera-Johnson to compete for OF roster spots at the same time that Chang-Amed-Gimenez-Miller-Clement-Arias-Rocchio-Freeman-Palacios-Tena are competing for MIF roster spots at the same time that Karinchak-Clase-Sandlin-Allen sr-Mejia-Hentges-Wittgren-Perez-Gose-Garza-Stephan-Hill-Nelson-Young are competing for bullpen spots at the same time as Biebs-Civale-Plesac-Quantrill-TMac-Morgan-Morris-Moss-Pilkington-Scott-Vargas-Cantillo at the same time that Lavastida and Noel become R5 eligible, not to mention Jones, Bradley, Jose, Straw, Hedges and Berto, or another MLB catcher.

No room...and no more time.

There's no more time left to address the 40 man. Decision time has arrived, and nobody wants to address how to fit at least 51 players onto a 40 man roster.

Nor does anybody want to address how to transform those 51 players...esp the position players...into a viable contender next year.

We have two years left of Jose without an extension. We have three years left of Bieber without an extension. This FO is not going to spend another year holding tryouts and competitions while our time with those two dwindle to nothing.

If you want to hold a never ending competition for outfield spots with a bunch of fringe players and non prospects, fine. Its gonna happen in another org. This org is gonna have real live MLB outfielders.

If you want to hold a never ending competition among utility players for MIF, fine. This org is gonna have two full time MIFs.

And its gonna solve the corner OF spots the same way it solved the years long circus in centerfield. Its gonna go out and get them.

You say that as if I'm in disagreement. I am not suggesting Zimmer-Mercado-Harold-Naylor-Kwan-Gonzalez-Valera-Johnson.

I'm suggesting making a decision on who does stay with contingency plans to fill in the gaps as they arise (for instance by moving Amed to OF).

We still don't need to bring in 2 new OFs to clean out the surplus of players in the system. Even if we just keep Kwan and Valera around for instance we have enough players we could stick in the OF should something go wrong with the condition that we bring in ONE player. There's always the emergency plan of Franmil, or Naylor later on. I prefer not to see them as OFs but alas they are viable subs.

 

[KluberSociety]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bauerja01.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/naylojo01.shtml

Here's where I got my WAR stats from.

FWIW, ESPN has Naylor as a career 0.2 WAR and Bauers at -0.4.

By all 3 sources, both players have been bad and are below the likes of Zimmer and Mercado. I do think Naylor has the most potential of the lot but let him earn his way into starts.