Early 22 GM Thread! (Trade Ideas here)

[FFRva]

A former high ranking prospect stays healthy and flashes dominate stuff at mlb level but kept eligibility, so they went and gave him love. I get it.
I was referring to all the scouting reports and high rank love early in their careers that loved ending “when he grows into his frame” in comparison to Espino at the same age is “he has maxed out that frame”. Bottom line both have put up some dominant lower level numbers as high school arms

 

[FFRva]

A former high ranking prospect stays healthy and flashes dominate stuff at mlb level but kept eligibility, so they went and gave him love. I get it.
I was referring to all the scouting reports and high rank love early in their careers that loved ending “when he grows into his frame” in comparison to Espino at the same age is “he has maxed out that frame”. Bottom line both have put up some dominant lower level numbers as high school arms

Edit - if Espino does what he did this year at AA next year just watch he will skyrocket.

 

[Criznit]

Edit - if Espino does what he did this year at AA next year just watch he will skyrocket.

Absolutely - looks like a top 25 or higher type to me. Wouldn't surprise me if he ends up so dominant he gets his 1st MLB action in 2022.

I was inspired to look up Dontrelle Willis while thinking about it.. Surprised me to see he isn't even 40 yet and never pitched a ML game after his age 29 season.. Just goes to show ya how easy comes easy goes.

 

[CDAV45]

Ask yourself as an Orioles fan if this trade works for you.

I think very highly of those players that would be going to Baltimore, so yeah, in their current situation that would be a good return.

Now ask yourself as a Cleveland fan if Cedric Mullins' excellent season is a one off or is that who he is going to be? There isn't a long track record there. Pretty much this season and that's it.

Mancini and Scott don't seem to be on the same timeline with Baltimore's expected window, but admittedly they could extend one or both.

 

[CDAV45]

Edit - if Espino does what he did this year at AA next year just watch he will skyrocket.

Some already believe he is Cleveland's top prospect, and they have a legitimate case. I think I agree even though Arias and even Rocchio have a case as well. Freeman is an awesome hitter, but his bat isn't a run producing one. He's not our best prospect IMO. I'd probably rank them 1. Espino 2. Arias 3. Rocchio 4. Valera 5. Freeman, but that's just me. Arias and Rocchio are interchangeable IMO.

 

[Gson]

Some already believe he is Cleveland's top prospect, and they have a legitimate case. I think I agree even though Arias and even Rocchio have a case as well. Freeman is an awesome hitter, but his bat isn't a run producing one. He's not our best prospect IMO. I'd probably rank them 1. Espino 2. Arias 3. Rocchio 4. Valera 5. Freeman, but that's just me. Arias and Rocchio are interchangeable IMO.

There was a prospect ranking thread sometime back.. take a quick look to see how things change.. or how they stay the same..

 

[FFRva]

There was a prospect ranking thread sometime back.. take a quick look to see how things change.. or how they stay the same..

I meant more nationally recognized in publications. He seems to be consensus top pitching prospect in our organization. I think if he repeats or builds on what he did last year at AA, there is no way he’s not a top 50 in all of baseball and imo I think top 25.

 

[Gson]

Some already believe he is Cleveland's top prospect, and they have a legitimate case. I think I agree even though Arias and even Rocchio have a case as well. Freeman is an awesome hitter, but his bat isn't a run producing one. He's not our best prospect IMO. I'd probably rank them 1. Espino 2. Arias 3. Rocchio 4. Valera 5. Freeman, but that's just me. Arias and Rocchio are interchangeable IMO.

Top prospect listing from the "Midseason" listing:

1. George Valera
2. Daniel Espino
3. Angel Martinez
4. Tyler Freeman
5. Nolan Jones
6. Gabriel Arias
7. Brayan Rocchio
8. Bo Naylor
9. Cody Morris
10.Ethan Hankins

Still works..with the possible inclusion of Gavin Williams and/or Ritchie Palacios.. I'm just not sure who to remove from the list.. The other aspect of the list is the belief that:

-any one of the top two.. can be considered for any one of the top two spots..
-Brayan Rocchio/Gabriel Arias should be right behind the top two..

now..

 

[CalBuckeyeRob]

So I guess the top guys should be the almost untouchable rather than untouchable?

The prospect strategy becomes more difficult if you have to play on a low budget. To have a chance you are going to need to get serious production from several guys making well under market rate. So that means finding guys that really produce in years 1-5. While in hindsight, most prospects will disappoint, Jose Ramirez and Lindor together and cheap helped make the team very good. That almost forces Cleveland to let their prospects fail in Cleveland or maybe bunch several for 1 cheap guy elsewhere.

 

[Criznit]

I think very highly of those players that would be going to Baltimore, so yeah, in their current situation that would be a good return.

Now ask yourself as a Cleveland fan if Cedric Mullins' excellent season is a one off or is that who he is going to be? There isn't a long track record there. Pretty much this season and that's it.

Mancini and Scott don't seem to be on the same timeline with Baltimore's expected window, but admittedly they could extend one or both.

Im not a BAL fan but if I was and I just heard on the telly that we traded Mullins and Mancini for that package, I would immediately start screaming the F word over and over and assume the owner, GM, everyone involved were complete and total crackheads.

 

[CalBuckeyeRob]

I don't know the Baltimore system, but their pitchers that did reach the majors seemed remarkably bad. In that division it could take a long time to make progress.

 

[Gson]

If the Guardians don't make a deal with the Orioles..that's the Orioles problem.. They're a shit organization to deal with, anyway..

 

[CATS44]

I dont know how to define run producing.

But as GM, I watch my team play half our games within the division, and I see a lot of Arreaz...and I think to myself...what if I had an Arreaz that could run? And I see Merrifield in my sleep...and I see Madrigal and Anderson...and Nicky Lopez this year.

And then I see Amed and Straw, both players I targeted, up close....and I like what I see.

And I see Gimenez, Freeman, and Rocchio as the same type of players....

There used to be a runs produced stat (R+RBI-HR=RP) that has fallen out of favor, but I think still has validity.

Over a full average 162 game season...

Madrigal....134 RP
Anderson...146
Merrifield...154
Arreaz........135

I want more of this...guys that get on base, cause havoc on the bases, and play solid to elite defense.

 

[CATS44]

As GM, I'm looking at contending now and for two years after that, while my present rotation and back end pen are intact. Nobody can see five years ahead.

I do not expect any of my MiLB position prospects to have a meaningful impact next year, because it seldom happens...even with the best of prospects. Of all the fine prospects we've had over the last ten years, only two have made an impact (2 WAR)...Naquin and Lindor...and only Lindor has made a major impact.

I expect several to become very good players, but there are many more that ascend slowly, like Brantley and JRam, than there are Lindors.

I also know that historically 70% of top 100 prospects don't average even 1.5 WAR over their first six years in MLB.

While the fans look at a bevy of prospects that are sure to be impact players immediately...I see a bunch of players I already have that are far more likely to produce next year, and over the next three years, than anybody I have in Columbus and Akron.

If I want to fill holes in the lineup for 2022, it almost has to come from outside the org.

If I was the GM of Baltimore, Pittsburgh, or Arizona, I'd want to see all these kids play in Cleveland. I'd do what Detroit has been doing, or what Minnesota and Chicago did earlier. But I am not in that situation.

Fans talk a lot about seeing these kids come up and play. But that's not what they really want. They want to watch a team that wins. Notice that nobody is talking excitedly about the chance they got to see the 'can't miss instant upgrade' Owen Miller. They are talking about the first losing season weve had since Tito took over. The great Owen Miller isn't even in the conversation for a starting MIF position. The fans have already moved on to the next can't miss instant upgrade....Gabriel Arias.

Or Steven Kwan or Oscar Gonzalez.

I know that I could put all three in the lineup next year, and the same fans calling for them now would be yelling about how cheap Mr Dolan is in March and insisting I should be fired when the Guardians were fifteen games under .500 at the deadline.

In the end...when all is said and done...the only thing fans care about is winning. Its what I get paid to do. Fans don't care how it happens...out slug the opposition...pitch and play defense...run them out of the park...as long as the Guardians win. They dont care if it happens with a young team, old team, or one in the middle, just so we win. They dont care if its done with a $150 mil payroll or on a budget, just so we win.

Winning ball games is the name of the game. Everything else is merely details.

As the GM, I plan to put a winning team on the field in 2022, and it can't be done by going thru yet another year of tryouts.

 

[sportscoach]

I dont know how to define run producing.

But as GM, I watch my team play half our games within the division, and I see a lot of Arreaz...and I think to myself...what if I had an Arreaz that could run? And I see Merrifield in my sleep...and I see Madrigal and Anderson...and Nicky Lopez this year.

And then I see Amed and Straw, both players I targeted, up close....and I like what I see.

And I see Gimenez, Freeman, and Rocchio as the same type of players....

There used to be a runs produced stat (R+RBI-HR=RP) that has fallen out of favor, but I think still has validity.

Over a full average 162 game season...

Madrigal....134 RP
Anderson...146
Merrifield...154
Arreaz........135

I want more of this...guys that get on base, cause havoc on the bases, and play solid to elite defense.

When it comes to the type of bat is our favorite we have pretty much the same ideas... I think you would like my OOTP teams lol