There’s a whole lot of What-Ifs going forward. Sox at the 1/3 point and have fallen apart recently- mental mistakes all around…. Poor coaching…. Injuries, offensive struggles, poor starting pitching, Jensen looking like he’s finished at 400…. Sale now injured. Offense struggles to score. Starting rotation is subpar…
I’m not suggesting yet… but asking. Things could suddenly go right and the team could find themselves back in the race real quickly. A lot hinges on the health of Sale.
When should Bloom make a call to sell?
When he is made an offer he should not refuse. There is no urgency to sell this far before the deadline & it would probably send the wrong message at this point.
Almost anything.
The obvious 1st group is players they don't have control over next year. This is actually a really small group.
Duvall - If he can show he's healthy, could have some trade value & a 34 y/o outfielder with his hitting profile probably not someone you want to lock up long term.
Hernández - If someone wants him, sure? Don't see him profiling as more than a part time player next year & unless he wants to go back to a super utility role on shorter $, moving him makes sense.
Mondesi - Can't get anything for him unless he starts playing really well. If he gets back & looks ok, could check in & see if he's interested in taking an incentive-based one year deal to be part of the bridge to Mayer, or see if anyone needs him for something.
Paxton - He seems to like it here, as evidenced by taking the 1/$4m to stick around when he could have thrown your teams/gotten more/ etc. Could check in on him & see where he's at in terms of whether he wants to go to a contender/interest in extending or potentially reuniting after the year, etc. If he keeps pitching well, though, definitely worth at least testing the market for him.
Next is old dudes/JAGs who probably aren't part of the next core/FA after next season:
Kluber - $11m team option for next year. Maybe could have a tiny, tiny bit of value if he pitches a bit better & they eat all his salary? If he's as good of a team guy as everyone says, though, not much point.
Pivetta - Arb 3 next year. Value crazy low right now. If they couldn't trade him in the off season, don't see much point in trading him now unless he gets on a hot steak.
Bleier - $3.8m team option for next year. Another guy with no value unless he pitches better, but if he does, happy to move him for anything.
Joely - $4.3m team option for next year. I think he's sucked this year for health reasons & could actually be good... but they're not picking up that option unless he pitches a lot better & also not getting any value for him unless he does.
Jansen - Under contract for $16m for next year. Happy to move him if anyone wants him & wants to give us something semi-legit in return. Seems unlikely unless, like everyone else he starts playing better.
Turner - He's 38 & has a player option for next season which he probably opts out of because the large buyout means he only has to make over $5.7m on his next contract for it to make financial sense to. Seems like a good guy to check in with & see what he wants to do with the rest of his career, but almost certainly move.
Martin - Has one year & $7.5m left. I would consider moving him only if blown away by an offer because I see him as an integral part of the bullpen again next year.
Arroyo - Arb 3 next year. If someone really wants him? Happy to listen.
Verdugo - Arb 3 next year. I think you need to talk extension and/or see if someone is making you an offer you can't refuse because letting him just walk after next year would be unfortunate. Not really looking to move him, though.
Everyone else is locked up for at least 2 more years. Happy to listen on basically any of them, but seems unlikely you're getting anything that would make it worthwhile to move the longer term pieces... with the possible exception of if Sale starts dealing again...
Probably.
When is too soon to be thinking about this?
Literally never. He should have been thinking about this since before the season started.
When everything is clicking for this team it can look really good and even scary. With Story, Duvall and potentially Mondesi on the horizon maybe they should look to buy?
Whatchall thinking here?
If they start playing better, I guess we'll see in a month or so. Right now their odds of playoffing are not good.
& they are primarily built for '24-'25 & I still don't think they plan on messing up the opening of that window.