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Originally posted by tjfla
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Let's look at what a major CF does to 2013
C John Buck $6,000,000
1B Logan Morrison $515,000
2B Emilio Bonifacio $2,750,000
3B Hanley Ramirez $15,500,000
SS Jose Reyes $10,000,000
LF
CF Upton/Bourn/Melky $12,000,000
RF Mike Stanton $550,000
B Gaby Sanchez $550,000 < - No Super2 if he stays down, probably worth keeping
B Greg Dobbs $1,600,000
B Brett Hayes $750,000
B Justin Ruggiano $750,000
B Solano/25th Man $515,000
SP Josh Johnson $13,750,000
SP Mark Buerhle $12,000,000
SP Ricky Nolasco $11,500,000
SP
SP
RP Heath Bell $10,000,000
RP Steve Cishek $515,000
RP Edward Mujica $2,000,000
RP Ryan Webb $650,000
RP Wade LeBlanc $550,000
RP Mike Dunn $515,000
RP Dan Jennings $515,000
$103,475,000
First things first, if they keep Nolasco that sucks, but they can get pitching options for Anibal, Infante, Choate, and C. Lee to help this depth chart, and then just find a minimum cost guy to platoon in LF with Ruggiano, and "Gaby" (Lomo shift). Not bad on paper even if the back of the rotation could be weaker. Could have some extra bucks to spend backloading "free agent" CF deal and ditching Mujica.
If they somehow can get rid of Nolasco's 2013 salary, a few things happen.
1 - Payroll is $91.5, and they legitimately have $8-10 million more to spend, to fill whatever hole is leftover. Get a platoon LF, a veteran starting pitcher, and anything else maybe a specialized bullpen reliever.
2 - They will have received players back trading Anibal, Infante, Nolasco, Choate, and Carlos Lee that likely help fill out the pitching staff
How amazing would it be to send Detroit Nolasco, Infante, and C. Lee and all of their 2012 salary ($5.5 mil roughly) above pro rated minimum so Detroit adds ZERO payroll this year and just deals with it next year (Detroit has $45 million coming off payroll next year, but in that money will be arbitration for Max, A. Jackson, Porcello, Fister, Avila, and Coke which is easily $20-22 of that. Basically, they can take the Nolasco hit, and still have some bucks to get some relievers and outfielders. V-Mart comes back for them, so they are going to be feeling great about that), and take back Turner and minor league relievers that don't really matter for now. Detroit's got to win now. Take advantage of that as they got problems when KC is rocking in 2 years and they know it. Then move Anibal/Choate for the best young pitching package available to whoever from Red Sox, Angels, Dodgers, etc lose the Garza/Dempster sweepstakes. Turner slots in to rotation now and longterm forms a potentially nasty 1-2 with Fernandez, and most of that cash could be used on a 1 year starting pitcher (Javy Vazquez? How cool would that be), and the parts received from Anibal battle Hand/Sanabia/LeBlanc for the 5 and back of pen.
That is a good team, potentially great if Hanley, Reyes, and the kids turn out as we hope, it continues to show their "commitment" with the stadium with new free agent signings (and god willingly Stanton buyout) so the fan base won't feel jipped they tank August and September this year, and Yelich, Fernandez, Conley, C. James, Realmuto and I guess Ozuna, are all in Jacksonville to start the year or soon thereafter.
I don't see negatives regardless if they are able to pull off getting a big young SP like Turner or not. Just get the payroll out of there, get the CF, and figure out the short term rotation then. Works on payroll, 2013 and longterm.
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