OT: Baseball offseason and free agents 2019-2020 edition
- Thread starter Alvious
- Start date
Because they can keep the price of his arby years and the first two FA years lower by guaranteeing him both somewhat higher pre-arb years as well as a bucket of money and stability he might not otherwise have. Rays did it with Longoria after just a few games in MLB and it led to their best era in franchise history. It’s a huge win if you invest in the right player for it.
I get that for a guy with some ML track record (the Cards did it with DeJong) but as impressive as Robert was last year across 3 levels, I question doing this before he’s had meaningful PAs in MLB
It’s not risk-free, but it carries the potential to save mondo cash down the line. Cleveland and Boston are probably wishing they did it with Lindor and Betts.
This would be similar to the Eloy deal. He could start the season in Chicago if he signs it and it'd guarantee 8 years of team control instead of 7
I get it. Robert fairly raked as a 21-year old in AAA. The power is real. His K rate at AAA was 25%, which is pretty good for a young kid. But that walk rate < 5%...
You just don't want him to end up as an out machine (.300 OBP) with occasional power who can play a premium position well. That's basically Randal Grichuk, who's a serviceable guy, but not someone whose arb years you buy out.
You just don't want him to end up as an out machine (.300 OBP) with occasional power who can play a premium position well. That's basically Randal Grichuk, who's a serviceable guy, but not someone whose arb years you buy out.
HJ, if Robert turns out to be Randal Grichuk, Willy’s dreams will come true.
As long as his team maintains popularity at the gate, Willy will always be on cloud 9.
Willy really doesn’t know much about baseball. He just enjoys a good show at a beer garden.
I was fairly convinced Javier Baez lacked enough contact skill to survive in the bigs. He makes a lot of hard contact to be a very valuable player.
Edwin Encarncion to White Sox on one-year $12M deal with a club option for 2021. Seems like a low risk even if he is a fossil. Merry Christmas Rick Hahn.
Called this one. Perfect sense for the Sox at the DH spot. His 132 OPS+ last year is really good. He’s Nelson Cruz-lite and should mash in that park. $12M is a steal. He’ll put up the numbers necessary to support that in half a season or so, with no long term risk for the Sox at all.
Took you off ignore so I could say "the White Sox extended Eloy prior to him playing a single MLB game so they could avoid the Cubs/KB situation"
I spoke with the Sox director of pro scouting about this a few months back. I watched about 1/2 of Robert's games throughout the 2019 season. When I do this, I don't really look for results as much as I look for processes. He was so much more physically advanced than just about anyone he played against, but his process/approach wasn't always great.
For instance, he'd pull balls on the outer half of the plate out of the park. Not many people can do that, but he won't get away with that often against big league pitching. I said this on Twitter and Sox fans crucified me for it. I asked the scout if I was crazy or not and he said no, that he'll get exposed against big league pitching for a while. He has a hard time laying off the out/off the plate breaking shit. Think Eloy early last year, it was all he saw and he was wayyyy more polished than Robert at this stage.
To me, Robert's approach is the exact opposite of Moncada. Moncada was WAY too patient. Took everything. I knew he'd be a star because it's exceptionally easier to teach a young hitter to be more aggressive than to be more patient. Low and behold, Moncada swung more last year and was a stud across the board.
I think there are going to be a lot of growing pains with Robert initially, but he possesses more "loud" tools than anyone in the organization, Moncada included. Just need him to take his lumps and learn to adjust, then it'll be off to the races. I think he'll be a perennial 30/30 guy with OPS >.900. Just going to take a minute to get there
I am not so sure we should expect a Division champion next season. Sox still a year or two away. Kopech and Cease are critical in my view. Just don’t think they will be there next year. Eloy, Moncada, and Robert could be the top young trio in the Bigs in 2021.
The Cubs screwed the pooch by being cheap on this one. If KB is traded it will point back to their decision to screw KB out of a year of free agency.
I'm not expecting them to make up 28 games or whatever it was on the Twins, but the Twins rotation STINKS. Berrios, Odorizzi, a suspended Pineda, three miles of shit and more shit after that.
Cease will improve big time. Kopech will be a star. I'm not really too worried about the starting rotation for the Sox right now. 85 wins will about be their O/U, with the Twins around 90-92. Tribe somewhere in between.
If I'm wrong about Robert (I really hope I am) then they could ride their offense to a good amount of early wins before Kopech/Rodon return
I think we will see a competitive Sox team next year. I think TJ pitchers will be away for awhile - no Rondon , Kopech, Dunning. If Gig repeats, then I expect kuelch and Lopez will help anchor. Some flashes from Cease and Gio will impress.
I also think we have plenty of relief in the minors and if Herrera does anything, then the pen will be fine and probably the mid season trade upgrade.
Like csf, I don’t think Roberts will emerge and dominate next year - too soon. So lead off or three hole - no. And I’m not convinced Maddy will come up and rake either.
So I see a lineup usually of TA, Moncada, Abreu, Edwin, Eloy, Roberts (someone behind him to protect), Grand, RF platoon, Maddy or Leury or some stop gap.
In 2021, that lineup boasts power and speed up and down w strong OBP and OPS. Solve RF and DH and the Yankakees can go screw for years, Cubs who? Don’t they play AAA?
Spot to regular starts for TJ and RP pitchers throughout. At least of the OF prospects not named LuBob to emerge. And very little Collins - maybe traded for RP at the deadline.
Assuming the TJ guys make it back (big assumption), I would like to see Sox draft hard on high ceiling as they should be ok for awhile. Maybe trade some of Collins, Burger, even Vaughn - to load up even more in the minors and add international money.
Now, can they hire a few guys that develop talent once in the system please?!?!
Also... it's not as much being "cheap" as it is guaranteeing 7 years of club control against 6. It sucks that that's the system, but most clubs would rather take the 2 weeks in a player's rookie season if it guaranteed them the 7th year of club control. They'd still have to pay him through 4 arb years, so that 4th arb year could/would be REALLY expensive. I.E. - Betts is due about $28MM this year in ARB4. Bryant could be due something similar
I would prefer to keep Vaughn. DH and eventual 1B replacement for Jose. Vaughn looks like a Potential Joey Votto type.
I think the two rookies will be fine, it will take awhile, but long term good starters. Robert should be a Star in a couple of years. I am higher on Madrigal than 24 is. I think he fits this power line by giving them someone that can get on base and rarely whiffs.
The bullpen is a mess. Colome, Bunmer and Marshall ( is still on the team) are the only guys that should be back. Need 3 RP’s now, especially with the starters coming back from Injury. Can’t see those buns they ran out there last year or they will need to score double digits most games.
24, the scuttlebutt still is linking the Sox potentially to Puig or Castellanos. Is this possible, platoon in RF? Does this make sense with McCann lined up for some AB’s at DH?
If they go to 3 years on Puig, they’ll get him. Otherwise, if it’s 2, he probably ends up in Miami, with STL maybe sniffing around a little bit.
HUGE revelation... Mazara still has three (3!!!) options left. So it's FAR from a given that he makes the opening day roster. With that said, he offers massive flexibility and the trade is/was already a massive win IMO. It allows them to assess him over spring training and if he dominates, he makes the team. If not, he has two options. I was also told today that the Puig stuff is all a "smoke screen" so take that for what it's worth
If Michael Kopech spends 6 weeks in AAA, does that push back his free agency by a year, or has that clock already irrevocably started?
Don’t see Mazara in triple A. He’s already been in the Bigs 4 seasons.
I hope for Robert to have a Ronald Acuna type of first year and I could see his stats being that good. This will be an interesting team if they shore up the pen. Power at every spot except 2B. Exceptional speed in Robert, Moncada, TA, and Madrigal. selective hitters in Grandal, Encarnacion, Moncada. A platoon RF May give more options. Minny won’t moonwalk to the division title this year.
I imagine the Sox would have a grievance on their hands if he didn’t make the big league roster, assuming he was healthy and didn’t totally bomb in the spring. And even then...
I don't totally know how it works, but I assumed he had zero. I would imagine it provides them a ton of flexibility though if they do choose to pursue an upgrade over him. That said, was told the Puig stuff is all fake news, so it looks like they're rolling with him anyways.
I don't mind it as much as I did when they first made the trade. They think they can tap into his potential and if they do, look out. He could be another 30+ HR guy
We just do a terrible job developing talent. So I would send off guys w potential: Sheets, Burger, Vaughan, Henz, Booker, just about a anyone not named LuBob and Maddy. Then load up on international money (an area we have succeeded) and a smaller number of better developed minor league talent.
We know Jerry won’t fire guys. So we can’t expect to do any better developing talent in his lifetime - so trade multiple potentials for something developed and a couple years away.
I would love Puig, but I don’t see him coming anytime soon. Did Grandal cost a draft pick?
Fine. Grieve. And learn how to hit lefties and improve your D as you do so.
worse case, he becomes highly talented and refuses an extension. We get several years of better than hoped and a compensation draft pick. All for Steele Walker. Big win.
They bought low on a talented player. He hasn’t taken a star turn yet, but he’s been a pretty durable and consistent (at his level) performer, and he hits the ball hard. If he develops enough patience to draw 1-2 more walks a week, he’ll get better pitches to hit, and he can drive them. And they didn’t give up much for him. Good deal - high upside, low risk. I’ve liked a lot of what Chicago has done this offseason. They know their window is opening as Cleveland’s closes and their own talent ripens, and they’re making acquisitions to support it.
Options are simple: once a player is placed on the 40-man roster, he can be optioned to the minors in 3 different seasons. (He can be optioned down and called up as many times as the team wants within one season.) Because Texas aggressively promoted Mazara, from what you’re saying we can conclude he never got optioned after they put him on the 40-man. So he’d have three left. However, because he’s pretty much an established MLBer, I’m sure his camp would be pissed if they started playing service time games with a veteran. He refuses the assignment, things get sticky, his agents guide other players away from this front office, etc. I don’t think it’s worth it. If he can’t hack it, which would be surprising, I’m sure they’d find a taker.
