Second half 22 GM Thread!

[KluberSociety]

Sure, Straw plays a great CF. He also hits like a 5 yr old. Brennan plays an above average CF and hits like Kwan or better. Which is more desirable?

If they can make a move for a big RH hitting RFer that plays good defense moving OGon to DH and Straw to 4th OFer then I could live with that. Use Valera to help get that for all I care.

He plays like a true-talent 80-85 wRC+er. Which, with the defense he plays and his speed on the bases, makes him an ideal guy to bat 9th in the lineup and play CF every day, until he shows evidence that he is not that guy. Guys who rely on BABIP can have very volatile production from year-to-year despite not really changing much. We saw the lucky Straw in 2021 now we saw the unlucky Straw in 2022 and overall I think we should set our expectations roughly between them.

Bad Straw was still worth 2.0 fWAR / 2.7 bWAR and he has looked in prime form recently and certainly not hitting like a 5 year old.

Brennan well... his speed numbers aren't looking so great although it might need a larger sample size but saying he plays an above average CF is still a huge stretch when the 30 MLB CFs are 30 of the most talented OFs in the world. Straw is basically at the top of that list. Being simply good at CF means you're more likely to slot in as a corner OFer.

According to Statcast, he's also got a stronger arm than Kwan and Kwan has a stronger arm than Straw. OGonz is a toolmaster who has a massive arm and is very fast too but doesn't have the instincts to play a good OF, at least not yet so I think Brennan is an obvious candidate for RF.

 

[KluberSociety]

We need Jansen or somebody like him. It comes down to that really because the AB are at C and 1B.....maybe. Even then Naylor is likely to DH when he isn't playing 1B so that basically creates a similar issue to what I mentioned.

The price tag on the C that can hit (Jansen-like) is just way too high to not be using them as a primary catcher IMO. It's like buying a nice car and then rarely using it and letting it pick up rust on your driveway. Maile did fine against LHP and if we're talking about someone who can play C for the 30% of the time that Bo doesn't (mainly against lefties) I think he's the answer and actually would act more as a stopgap for Lavastida anyway if everything goes right. If Bo really flails away we can always call up Toronto in the middle of the season and see if they have any catchers on sale.

Picking up someone like Ruf or Santana or Gurriel or Myers would be extremely unsexy but getting good bang for the buck and ultimately I think that's what we go for when we're talking about a platoon guy. There's just such a huge difference in cost between the C and 1B routes.

 

[DCTribefan]

He would be a mentor for the young hitters in my mind...

Expensive PT player/mentor.

 

[sportscoach]

We need Jansen or somebody like him. It comes down to that really because the AB are at C and 1B.....maybe. Even then Naylor is likely to DH when he isn't playing 1B so that basically creates a similar issue to what I mentioned.

If we keep two catchers, we aren't going to DH one of them, especially since our second catcher is going to be pure defense...

 

[BimboColesHair]

I'd be very, very surprised if the 2nd catcher with Bo Naylor next season isn't Hedges or Maile.

 

[KluberSociety]

If we keep two catchers, we aren't going to DH one of them, especially since our second catcher is going to be pure defense...

If our second catcher was Jansen, our second catcher wouldn't be pure defense. But if our two catchers were Naylor and Jansen, our second catcher would actually be Naylor, which is one reason why I don't understand picking up Jansen.

Toronto is probably going to be splitting C and DH duties with Kirk and Jansen for the foreseeable future but we have enough DH options so I don't get the point of crowding things up.

 

[KluberSociety]

Expensive PT player/mentor.

I don't think he'd be very expensive but we might be outbid by someone who would play him more full-time. This might mean looking elsewhere.

 

[DCTribefan]

@Gson @CDAV45 @petes999

Baseball Trade Values: Accurate Player Trade Values: Trade Boards

Imagine you’re the GM of your favorite team. Review values of all major and minor baseball players. Use our trade simulator, figure out a deal, and debate trades with fellow baseball fanatics.

www.baseballtradevalues.com

I didn't get everything right on that proposal since the numbers didn't work out right, but the main idea was... Dodgers get Lopez, Cleveland gets Vargas and Marlins get prospects...

Cleveland Guardians get...
1B Vargas (LA)
C Ronald Hernandez (Mia)

Dodgers get...
SP Lopez (Mia)

Marlins get...
SS Tena (maybe Martinez) (Cle)
SP Allen (Cle)
INF Arias or Freeman (Cle)
SP Burns (Cle)
SP Pepiot (LA)

its just an idea, what do you guys think?

I know Bimbo will be apoplectic about trading Martinez.

 

[DCTribefan]

People are going to laugh at me ... but with Naylor being almost ready and needing mentoring, am I crazy that we overpay to bring Hedgie back for another year? Someone on Bailys was saying he is the soul of the team. He is not a starting caliber MLB catcher but he can split time with Naylor and provide valuable mentoring during the year. Bieber likes him as his personal catcher as does Tito, so why not?

And, there are maybe 5 teams looking for catchers this year (assuming Contreras stays in Chi town with Gomes). But, Yankees, Sox, Tex, Col and Mil are probably most in need. Toronto has 3. Oakland has 3 in Murphy, Soderstorm and Langaliers. Houston has Lee coming up. So, there will be some wheeling and dealing (probably out of our range of being comfortable as it always seems to be). Thus, where does Hedgie go to start (Yankees - really?). He may just want a $6-$8 million contract to be known as that mentor catcher who could be signed in March like Shaw (to avoid 40 man issues). And after Perez and Gomes, that isn't too unreasonable range for a year we still have payroll flexibility.

 

[DCTribefan]

I think the Leon days are over. They very well may decide to keep Maile around in his last season of arbitration, but our future starting C is already on the roster.
Again, if we really take a close look at the current roster and the near ready talent on the farm, what exactly does this team need that it doesn't already have? I've expressed an interest in a RH bat at C/1B, but if that were to happen they will be hamstringing themselves at DH. I do see an advantage to having someone like Jansen to split C duties with Bo. Outside of that, there really isn't much to do.

It's going to get real hairy when Valera and Rocchio are ready to go. They might decide to deal one of Straw or Brennan at some point and I know which one I'd rather see in a different uniform.

And the demise of your favorite avatar.

 

[BimboColesHair]

I know Bimbo will be apoplectic about trading Martinez.

It's probably going to happen at some point.

 

[petes999]

@Gson @CDAV45 @petes999

Baseball Trade Values: Accurate Player Trade Values: Trade Boards

Imagine you’re the GM of your favorite team. Review values of all major and minor baseball players. Use our trade simulator, figure out a deal, and debate trades with fellow baseball fanatics.

www.baseballtradevalues.com

I didn't get everything right on that proposal since the numbers didn't work out right, but the main idea was... Dodgers get Lopez, Cleveland gets Vargas and Marlins get prospects...

Cleveland Guardians get...
1B Vargas (LA)
C Ronald Hernandez (Mia)

Dodgers get...
SP Lopez (Mia)

Marlins get...
SS Tena (maybe Martinez) (Cle)
SP Allen (Cle)
INF Arias or Freeman (Cle)
SP Burns (Cle)
SP Pepiot (LA)

its just an idea, what do you guys think?

Just looking at this again, the other issue that needs to be dealt with is Miami is looking for 40 man space too (too many relievers that they have to jettison in trades or deferral) - maybe why miami fans are not too high on it.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/examining-the-national-leagues-2022-40-man-crunch/

 

[sportscoach]

Just looking at this again, the other issue that needs to be dealt with is Miami is looking for 40 man space too (too many relievers that they have to jettison in trades or deferral) - maybe why miami fans are not too high on it.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/examining-the-national-leagues-2022-40-man-crunch/

It could be adjusted...

I mean, I'll take back a lefty reliever instead of Hernandez since that's a need in my mind anyways... I was just trying to max out the return for the Marlins... That being stated they are only adding two players to the 40 man since they lost one..

 

[CDAV45]

If we keep two catchers, we aren't going to DH one of them, especially since our second catcher is going to be pure defense...

Why does the second C have to be "pure defense"? That makes no sense whatsoever. Look, I fully expect Maile's arbitration to be settled quickly and for him to backup Naylor from the start, but if we're talking about the idea of adding anything/anyone I can see no logical argument against acquiring Jansen if he's available and the price is fair. You keep mentioning the need to add some power to this lineup and specifically RH power. Who do you have in mind that would be a better add than Jansen?

This offseason is going to be similar to last offseason. At least it's looking that way. You can want this or that, but the truth is they pretty much have all the bases covered and then some.

 

[CDAV45]

With the game moved to tomorrow, I'm going to take a look at the ML depth as we get closer to the offseason.
C- B Nalor, Lavastida, Maile(arbitration)
1B- J Naylor, Miller, Arias
2B- Gimenez, Miller, Freeman, Arias
3B- JRam, Arias
SS- Rosario, Arias, Gimenez
LF- Kwan, Brennan, Gonzalez, Palacios
CF- Straw, Brennan, Benson
RF- Gonzalez, Brennan, Benson, Jones
SP- Bieber, TMac, Quantrill, Civale, Plesac, Morris, Pilkington, Curry, Gaddis
BP- Clase, Karinchak, Stephan, Hentges, DLS, Morgan, Vargas, Sandlin

Prospects that should be ready at some point next season:
1. Valera
2. Rocchio
3. Battenfield
4. Williams
5. Bibee
6. Espino is a maybe, but his innings will be a limiting factor

Possible trade candidates due to depth or possible circumstance:
1. Bieber if he doesn't get extended
2. Plesac
3. Civale
4. Miller
5. Freeman
6. Rosario
7. Palacios
8. Jones
9. Brennan
10. Straw
11. Gaddis
12. Pilkington
13. Curry
14. Arias