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You Be the GM

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Steve_424

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Let's have a little fun and outline what our plan would be for the Indians this winter. Here are the rules:

1. Trades should attempt to be realistic. While proposed trades will always be debatable, just try to stay realistic...don't go trading Erik Gonzalez for Mike Trout.
2. The Indians have been rumored to have $15-25 Million to spend this season, so if you add more to that total, you have to dump salary elsewhere.
3. For free agent prices, we'll use MLBTradeRumors predictions. For anyone beyond the top 50, takes a realistic guess at it.


Players Under Control

*-Arbitration-eligible players are listed with salary projections from MLBTradeRumors

C - Yan Gomes - $7 M
C - Roberto Perez - $2.25 M
1B - Edwin Encarnacion - $20 M
1B - Yonder Alonso - $9 M
2B - Jason Kipnis - $14.5 M
2B - Erik Gonzalez - $545 K
SS - Francisco Lindor - $10.2 M
2B/3B - Jose Ramirez - $3.75 M
IF - Yandy Diaz - $545 K
OF - Leonys Martin - $3 M
OF - Greg Allen - $545 K
OF - Bradley Zimmer - $545 K
OF - Tyler Naquin - $545 K
SP - Corey Kluber - $15 M
SP - Trevor Bauer - $11.6 M
SP - Carlos Carrasco - $9 M
SP - Mike Clevinger - $545 K
SP - Shane Bieber - $545 K
SP - Adam Plutko - $545 K
P - Danny Salazar - $5 M
P - Cody Anderson - $900 K
RP - Brad Hand - $6.5 M
RP - Adam Cimber - $545 K
RP - Dan Otero - $1.3 M
RP - Tyler Olson - $545 K
RP - Nick Goody - $700 K
RP - Neil Ramirez - $1.3 M
 
1. Trade Jason Kipnis and Adam Plutko to the Phillies for Carlos Santana.

Why both teams do it: The Phillies played Santana at 3B to end last year with mixed results. They did so because they acquired Justin Bour and Rhys Hoskins has never looked comfortable in the outfield. If the Phillies sign Machado and/or Harper - and they're expected to be in on both - they could have even more of a logjam. This trade gives them rotation depth, a solid 2B and essentially an expiring contract, and frees up some cash in the process.

Payroll Impact: Indians add $2 M to the 2019 payroll

2. Trade Edwin Encarnacion to the Mariners, Twins, Astros, White Sox, or Royals for prospects

Why both teams do it: The Indians get off of Edwin's contract and one of those DH-needy teams adds an impact baton a short-term deal.

Payroll Impact: Indians remove $20 M

3. Trade prospects to St. Louis for Jose Martinez

I'm not sure who the Cardinals would want but it shouldn't take any of our elite prospects to get this deal done. Martinez is a man without a position in St. Louis - both because he's so poor defensively and because Matt Carpenter blocks the only position he can play, 1B - and was mostly relegated to the bench at the end of 2018. He'll be 30 in 2019, but is still pre-arbitration and under team control through 2022.

Payroll Impact: Minimal for 2019

4. Sign Kelvin Herrera for 1 year, $8 M

Herrera's medicals would have to be reviewed, but I've always liked him as a reliever and he's shown himself to be comfortable in any role out of the bullpen. If healthy, he and Hand would form a nice 1-2 punch.

Payroll Impact: Indians add $8 M

5. Sign Andrew McCutchen for 3 years, $45 M

The Indians were tied to him last summer and could be again this winter. He'd offer a solid veteran presence and would stablize the outfield situation with Brantley leaving.

Payroll Impact: Indians add $15 M to 2019 payroll

6. Re-sign Oliver Perez for 1 year, $3 M

The veteran was outstanding this year and would be a good fit in 2019.

Payroll Impact: Indians add $3 M

7. Trade Yonder Alonso and Roberto Perez to anyone for a prospects

I think someone would bite on Alonso as a one-year stop gap and on Perez as a defense-minded catcher that can help a pitching staff. You won't get a great return, but free up salary.

Payroll Impact: Indians remove $11 M

8. Dump Dan Otero and Neil Ramirez

Payroll impact: Indians remove $2.6 M

9. Sign Cody Allen for 2 years, $16 M

Cody may even take a 1 year deal, and I'd love to see it here. I truly believe he can bounce back in a big way, and he's a team-first guy.

Payroll Impact: Indians add $8 M

Lineup

LF-McCutchen
SS-Lindor
2B-Ramirez
DH-Martinez
1B-Santana
3B-Diaz
C-Gomes
RF-Naquin
CF-Martin

Rotation

Kluber
Bauer
Carrasco
Clevinger
Bieber

Bullpen

Hand
Allen
Herrera
Salazar
Perez
Cimber
Goody

With this plan, I've only added $2 Million but have put together a much better, more balanced team. I realize it may not be realistic to expect they can dump Edwin, Kipnis, and Alonso, but I think they'll work hard to do just that.
 
Well since we are playing GM then I shall do my GM version! Mwhaha! Also should be fair no one gets ripped in here for their ideas, since this should be fun/informative on what people want to do! (year/mil)

Re-sign to major league deal: Brantley (3/45)

Re-sign to minor league deal with incentives: Melky, Tomlin, O. Perez, Rosales, Barnes

Free agents: Util Marwin Gonzalez (4/36) RHP Kelvin Herrera (2/16 with team option for year 3) LHP Jake Diekman (1/3)

Outright with invite to spring training: Hoyt, Edwards, Ramirez, Taylor

Added to the 40 man roster: 1B Bobby Bradley, LHP Sam Hentges, LHP Rob Kaminsky, OF Tyler Krieger

Trade EE to Red Soxs for Minor League RHP Mike Shawaryn

Trade Kipnis to the Mets for Minor League 2B Luis Santana

Trade Carrasco and Alonso to Oakland for 1B Matt Olson, RHP Lou Trivino, minor league Pitchers James Kaprielian, James Naile and minor league OF Skye Bolt

Trade a package around Chang for OF Adam Eaton.

Sign on minor league invites to spring training with incentives/opt out:
Pitchers:
Clay Buchholz, Greg Holland, James Shields, Doug Fister, Marco Estrada, etc
Position players: Logan Forsythe, Hunter Pence, Danny Valencia, Chris Gimenez, etc

Then my lineup would be:
LF Eaton - SS Lindor - 2B Ramirez - DH Brantley- RF Gonzalez - 1B Olson - 3B Diaz - C Gomes - CF Allen/Zimmer

Bench: Gonzalez, Perez, Martin, Allen/Zimmer

Starting pitchers:
Kluber, Bauer, Clevinger, Bieber and winner of 5th spot between Plutko and veterans like Tomlin, Buchholz etc

Bullpen:
CP - Hand, Setup - Herrera, MRP- Diekman, Trivino and whoever wins all the rest!

7 man bullpen and 5 spots open since Diekman wouldn't be guaranteed a spot.

Not sure if I cut any salary honestly, but I want to win it, and i think these moves allow for a better balance in the lineup and a ton of competition to really make the bullpen stronger.

@The Wizard of Moz this is supposed to be for fun in a lot of ways, so let's here what you would do! :p
 
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Let's look at WAR real quick for the guys that we are replacing:

Carrasco - 3.9 WAR, EE - 1.9 WAR, Kipnis - 1.6 WAR, Miller - 0.2 WAR, Allen 0.0, Alonso 1.6 WAR

Gonzalez - 2.5 WAR, Olson - 4.3 WAR, Trivino - 1.6 WAR, Eaton 1.1 WAR, Herrera 1.6 WAR, Diekman -0.1 WAR

Brantley had a 3.6 WAR so he should be resigned

Diaz projected wise to me, lets do 480 plate appearances,
I expect .280/.345/.362/.707 122 hits, 20 doubles, 5 triples, 2 HRs, 44 BB, 76 SO, etc

Thats kind of based off of what he has done so far in the pros, which isn't great, but isn't horrible either. Hopefully he learns how to use those arms of his! My guess is he has more walks and less SOs in a full season.

Honestly outside of the Oakland deal, the rest are actually honestly going to be easily possible. Olson is a guy I feel you can build around with the future. Oakland I feel wants to get into the playoffs and win now, so do the Indians.
 
Honestly outside of the Oakland deal, the rest are actually honestly going to be easily possible.

The Oakland deal is probably the most likely to happen out of any of your major moves.

-I don't think Washington has interest in dealing Eaton for a SS centerpiece; they have Turner under team control for 4 more years.

-The Red Sox have a loaded OF and JD Martinez at DH. Where does another everyday DH like EE fit in? They can move lineups around and such but I don't see them paying $25m for a declining player that would probably be a net 0 WAR player with extended time at 1B

-Think Marwin at $9m aav and the Indians ponying up that kind of money for Brantley is wishful thinking too.
 
The Oakland deal is probably the most likely to happen out of any of your major moves.

-I don't think Washington has interest in dealing Eaton for a SS centerpiece; they have Turner under team control for 4 more years.

-The Red Sox have a loaded OF and JD Martinez at DH. Where does another everyday DH like EE fit in? They can move lineups around and such but I don't see them paying $25m for a declining player that would probably be a net 0 WAR player with extended time at 1B

-Think Marwin at $9m aav and the Indians ponying up that kind of money for Brantley is wishful thinking too.

Actually I think Olson is one they won't trade even if it is for a legit starting pitcher. I think him and Chapman are cornerstone guys for them going forward.
 

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