Even with decent health we will need eight SPs next year to navigate 162 games. As GM, I'm not trading Plesac, unless I get a MLB ready SP in return.
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If Espino is as highly valued by other teams as some fans think, I have no problem with him being the centerpiece for a long term bat. Of our top five prospects, he is most likely to not meet expectations...and in any case (outside of disaster), he isn't gonna help us for at least two years...unless you don't believe what you are saying about all the SP prospects above him.
As I've said multiple times in this thread, as GM I'm tired of always talking about three years from now. If I can put a team on the field for the next three/four years that can go toe to toe with everybody in the division, I'm gonna do it....all the talk about how good our prospects are be damned. Prospects and potential have never won a MLB ball game. Production wins ball games. I will gladly pay potential for young, under control production.
We could trade five prospects today, and still have more than we can ever use.
Exactly why do we want to hold onto ten pitching prospects when we already have a very good rotation in place for the foreseeable future? Why do we want to hold onto SIXTEEN (Go ahead, count them) combined 40 FV or higher MIF prospects, including the ones already in Cleveland?
Its insanity not to use excess assets to make this team significantly better. Its the same as if Dolan came out tomorrow and said the bookkeeper just discovered that we have an extra $200 mil, but I'm not gonna spend it on the team.
Ask yourself these questions...
Do we NEED a significant young, controllable corner OF in order to hang with Chicago?
If we had one, do we NEED Lavera, or is he a luxury?
With our present rotation down thru Akron, do we NEED Espino in the next several years, or is he a luxury?
With four fairly young MIFs already in Cleveland, and three more either in Columbus, or due to be there, do we NEED all 16 MIFs, or is having more than we can use a luxury?
Can the Guardians contend in 2022 if one third of the 40 man consists of prospects who have never played in MLB?...almost one half of the position players?
If we don't trade some of the prospects...and if you protect the kids that have to be kept, along with Vargas, Jones, and Arias, we will only have 27 players with any MLB experience. Plus many of those 27 will only have minimal MLB experience.
Insane is probably not a strong enough word.