Offseason 2022-23 MLB Thread

Heating up in the bullpen

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Jeff Passan
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The Houston Astros also fired assistant general manager Scott Powers, sources told ESPN. Powers was a former R&D executive with the Dodgers who was brought in as an AGM by James Click in January. Now Click and Powers are gone from the World Series champions on the same day.
Those guys were clearly holding them back. Would've swept if not for them.
 

Max Power

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The Astros and Rays seem to be able to turn any mediocre pitcher into an unhittable reliever. I don't get spending money on one of them after they get the pixie dust. Just find the next one and repeat the process.
 

Ale Xander

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Both Montero and Abreu had horrible 2021 but I think Abreu is the better bet going forward based on age/salary as the prime setup. Obviously the more good bullpen arms the better but this seems like an overpay (given age and 2021)
 

Sad Sam Jones

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It seems really easy to get it... it's a terrible contract for a 31 year old coming off the only good full season of his career, but with no GM to get in his way, Crane can't be saved from himself. He's going to spend like an idiot to keep the band together. It was said that he went over Click's head to get the Verlander deal done the last time, so I expect he'll overspend on him any day now.
 

simplicio

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Is there any good writing on the Astor's plan behind the Click/Powers firing? I don't follow the team to know what either did right/wrong, but jettisoning your front office immediately following a WS title is interesting.
 

Whoop-La White

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Is there any good writing on the Astor's plan behind the Click/Powers firing? I don't follow the team to know what either did right/wrong, but jettisoning your front office immediately following a WS title is interesting.
If you have The Athletic, Rosenthal has an article here, but even he sounds perplexed. It seems to boil down to philosophical differences--e.g., size of the baseball ops staff, and Crane wanting to leave his fingerprints on a large part of the roster--along with Crane's refusal to extend Click with anything beyond a 1-year deal after his team won the World Series.
 

jon abbey

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Not sure if there is a joke I am missing, but this is just TB's annual clear-out of guys who won't fit on their 40 man, Ryan Yarbrough etc. They generally have some talented guys worth jumping on, but it's also easy for the trade to backfire on the other team (Austin Meadows for Isaac Paredes plus a high draft pick, Jake Bauers for Yandy DIaz), so vultures beware.
 

E5 Yaz

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Not sure if there is a joke I am missing, but this is just TB's annual clear-out of guys who won't fit on their 40 man, Ryan Yarbrough etc. They generally have some talented guys worth jumping on, but it's also easy for the trade to backfire on the other team (Austin Meadows for Isaac Paredes plus a high draft pick, Jake Bauers for Yandy DIaz), so vultures beware.
Oh, I'm just so sick of election talk that I want some trades/signings to start happening
 

jon abbey

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Normally I think one of the best ways to build talent if your system is one of the lower ones is to scoop up whoever you can that shakes loose from the top systems, but I'd be pretty scared to trade with the Rays at this point if I was another team.
 

Heating up in the bullpen

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Not sure if there is a joke I am missing, but this is just TB's annual clear-out of guys who won't fit on their 40 man, Ryan Yarbrough etc. They generally have some talented guys worth jumping on, but it's also easy for the trade to backfire on the other team (Austin Meadows for Isaac Paredes plus a high draft pick, Jake Bauers for Yandy DIaz), so vultures beware.
JA, I agree with the bolded. I fully expect the Rays to win any trades they make.
 

moondog80

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I wonder if the deal with the Rays is that trading your guys a year or two before FA has an extremely high payoff rate -- the only downside is that is pisses of your fan base, so not having fans works to their advantage.
 

jon abbey

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Jason Heyward DFAd, the Cubs eat the final $22M on his deal. He had a grand total of 8.9 bWAR in his 8 year deal (including 2023) and was paid $184M.
 

moondog80

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Jason Heyward DFAd, the Cubs eat the final $22M on his deal. He had a grand total of 8.9 bWAR in his 8 year deal (including 2023) and was paid $184M.
What happened to him? Signed as a FA coming off his age 25 season, with 4 season of 5+ WAR already on his resume (and 6.9 WAR in his most recent season), he never again had a season above 2.5 WAR.

The Braves traded him a year out from his FA -- presumably because they knew they would not meet his price and perhaps because they had an inkling? They got Shelby Miller in return, who they turned into Dansby Swanson.
 

jon abbey

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I don’t think there’s much else happening until 40 man rosters are set tomorrow.
 

SemperFidelisSox

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Jesse Winker might be a good gamble for a team. He dropped off a cliff this season and he will be 29, but was an All Star last season. He could rebound as a solid 4th outfielder.
 

E5 Yaz

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Jesse Winker might be a good gamble for a team. He dropped off a cliff this season and he will be 29, but was an All Star last season. He could rebound as a solid 4th outfielder.
I thought so, too, and then I did some digging around and found this:
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-trade-candidates-rafael-devers-corbin-burnes-among-20-players-who-could-move-shohei-ohtani-staying-put/

The meat of the matter is here, from a Seattle beat writer:

"I think he was home (during the postseason). I was curious because he didn't make the trip when we went to Toronto and then Houston, and I asked. And they said, 'Well, he wanted to get a second opinion on his neck.' … I think they probably just told him to go home. I mean, it speaks to that. I think by the end of the season, it's what scouts call a tired act. I just think some of his teammates were done with him, were just tired of putting up with him. I think the team is frustrated with him. Everything that Mitch Haniger does to prepare for a game to get ready, Jesse Winker's kind of the opposite.
I mean -- I can say it, he may not like it -- I think he's not very physically strong. I don't think he puts in the time to be better defensively or to have a better arm or any of the work that should be done. And really it is counter to what has made this team great. The last few years, this team prepares more than any team I've ever seen on a daily basis to be ready to play that day, and he doesn't. He doesn't always. It's just not there. And it's noticeable. Players notice it.
I think part of it is, too, when he didn't post for that doubleheader (on Oct. 4) and guys were having to play 18 straight innings, I think that bothered some players. And once you lose your teammates, why be there? So there's gonna be some hard conversations either with Jesse from this front office, or they're just gonna move on. And (manager) Scott Servais has said that a lot of times like, 'We have a plan. We have a way we play. We have a way to prepare. If you don't like it, we'll find somebody else that does.' If you can, do it. And I mean Scott's preached it, all the time. But it takes all these guys to embrace it … They do it, they believe that's why they're good. And Jesse Winker just hasn't followed through on that a lot."
 

moondog80

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Fangraphs crowdsource had it as 3/45. Good sign that the mid-level pitching may not be crazy expensive.
Odd that he would settle for 3/39 this early in the process when he could have accepted the QO? He's not gambling that he can beat 2/19.5 next year?
 

jon abbey

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Odd that he would settle for 3/39 this early in the process when he could have accepted the QO? He's not gambling that he can beat 2/19.5 next year?
He's almost 33 and has never been good before last season, I would definitely take the 3/39 if I was him.
 

jon abbey

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That seems like a home team discount to me. Solid deal for the MFY.
But also he has a bad back that seems like it could go for good at any point, a la Mattingly, so I think a fair deal both ways. NY probably could have hardballed him a bit, not sure anyone would want to outbid that given his back and the draft pick compensation, but they love him on and off the field, as well they should.
 

RedOctober3829

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deep inside Guido territory
But also he has a bad back that seems like it could go for good at any point, a la Mattingly, so I think a fair deal both ways. NY probably could have hardballed him a bit, not sure anyone would want to outbid that given his back and the draft pick compensation, but they love him on and off the field, as well they should.
He's also pretty close with Judge so the Yankees are going to try everything they can to make Judge happy.
 

jon abbey

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He's also pretty close with Judge so the Yankees are going to try everything they can to make Judge happy.
Yeah, I have been saying this for a while, and both Sherman and Curry mentioned it today. If making Judge happy by surrounding him with his buddies is really a goal, Matt Carpenter will be next, the three of them were all very tight.
 

Sad Sam Jones

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After Anderson has played for 5 teams in the last 4 years, I'm guessing that taking less per year for a 3-year contract had some appeal.
 

Max Power

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I thought so, too, and then I did some digging around and found this:
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-trade-candidates-rafael-devers-corbin-burnes-among-20-players-who-could-move-shohei-ohtani-staying-put/

The meat of the matter is here, from a Seattle beat writer:

"I think he was home (during the postseason). I was curious because he didn't make the trip when we went to Toronto and then Houston, and I asked. And they said, 'Well, he wanted to get a second opinion on his neck.' … I think they probably just told him to go home. I mean, it speaks to that. I think by the end of the season, it's what scouts call a tired act. I just think some of his teammates were done with him, were just tired of putting up with him. I think the team is frustrated with him. Everything that Mitch Haniger does to prepare for a game to get ready, Jesse Winker's kind of the opposite.
I mean -- I can say it, he may not like it -- I think he's not very physically strong. I don't think he puts in the time to be better defensively or to have a better arm or any of the work that should be done. And really it is counter to what has made this team great. The last few years, this team prepares more than any team I've ever seen on a daily basis to be ready to play that day, and he doesn't. He doesn't always. It's just not there. And it's noticeable. Players notice it.
I think part of it is, too, when he didn't post for that doubleheader (on Oct. 4) and guys were having to play 18 straight innings, I think that bothered some players. And once you lose your teammates, why be there? So there's gonna be some hard conversations either with Jesse from this front office, or they're just gonna move on. And (manager) Scott Servais has said that a lot of times like, 'We have a plan. We have a way we play. We have a way to prepare. If you don't like it, we'll find somebody else that does.' If you can, do it. And I mean Scott's preached it, all the time. But it takes all these guys to embrace it … They do it, they believe that's why they're good. And Jesse Winker just hasn't followed through on that a lot."
I can't really blame a guy for having trouble with a neck injury when his neck is 3 feet long. He's the only guy whose shoulders aren't visible in his picture on the scoreboard at Fenway.

 

radsoxfan

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Odd that he would settle for 3/39 this early in the process when he could have accepted the QO? He's not gambling that he can beat 2/19.5 next year?
Pitchers in their 30's are probably very aware of how quickly things can go south.

I think an extra 19M is pretty life altering, it's not like the guy has made 200M is his career.

Any of these guys that can lock in 30-40M... makes sense to me. The next 10, 20, 30+ million is a lot less important.
 

SemperFidelisSox

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The Angels need pitching, so a slight overpay of a vet was probably expected. If I was an Angels fan, I’d be pretty happy if this ends up being the rotation.

Ohtani
Senga
Anderson
Detmers
Sandoval/Suarez
 

VORP Speed

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Rays traded Chargois, Mastrobuoni, Wisely and a slapdick prospect for a variety of low minors guys from Marlins, Cubs and Giants
 

DeadlySplitter

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"The 3-year deal for Tyler Anderson is the first Angels multi-year FA contract for a starting pitcher since they signed Joe Blanton in 2012. "