2023-2024 Offseason Thread

[sports24/7]

I like the Mancini move. No risk, with some potential to get some value. I don’t think any of us should expect value, but if it doesn’t work out, you’re not losing anything and it’s not like the Marlins have prospects he’d be potentially blocking.

[lou]

I like this. Since it seems unlikely at this point that they going to spend to replace Soler, I would sign a few of these DH types of guys to minor league deals (Eduardo Escobar, Luke Voit, CJ Cron?) and hope one pans out for a season.

As for Mancini, he was bad last year, but is just a season removed from signing a $14 million deal. He's still only 32 and he can play 1B, DH, and some corner OF. If nobody else gets signed, I assume he'll get a spot on the roster as long as he's not an absolute disaster this spring. He's at least a higher upside Yuli for the season. Perhaps they have Bell DH and Mancini and Troy Johnston split time at first?

Still haven't signed a free agent to a MLB deal, so that is annoying. They need to find a SS. Not my favorite, but Amed Rosario is still sitting out there. If they were willing to spend on IKF, why not bring Rosario in for a season to plug the SS hole?

Eduardo is for me if they go the cheap route with another MILB deal. His defense seems to be declining, but maybe he has 1 more year in him to cover 3B 40% of the time (Burger 1B, Bell DH in such scenario), and that's mostly against lefties who he has historically hit. He was good in 21/22 FWIW.

And Rosario same thing. He can split SS with Berti 50/50 to not get killed defensively at SS, and then he can play some 2B and LF another 50+ starts. It would be fine to move him around, but it at least gives some hope at SS if they go with rehabilitation projects.

I hope one day we get out of this level of free agency as primary targets.

[lou]

Some interesting Herald notes. Usually they are fluff, but this one has some real info - https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/s...284603380.html


-Marlins getting calls on Luzardo, Cabrera, and Garrett, but not making any calls of their own to move them. Nothing close with anyone, but will listen

-They are focusing on longterm improvements with what's best over next 2-3 years. Want to improve farm, drafting, and development

-Front office thinks the FA market sucks so that's why they aren't signing anyone. They have some budget but don't want to waste it.

-They want a SS/3B type because they need one and want to give Burger some DH time

-They think they can get something tangible out of SS with Berti, Brujan, Edwards, and Amaya

-They think Edwards could develop into a starter one day, no position mentioned

-They have talked to Soler, but it will have to be cheap

-Comfortable at catcher with Bethancourt and Fortes, and they like Fortes a lot and think bat will be better

-If they add a catcher they want a defense-first guy versus an offensive one

-They think Banfield has some potential

-New regime views Max as a starter and not a reliever



I read this all as they are trying to put on a good face for 2024 by not trading anyone right now, but really punting to 2025 as they don't think the house is in order and they don't have the resources (because of Bruce $$$ and Kim missing on a few drafts) to bring in enough new players that they will need to contend. Frustrating.

[Nick]

I bet Soler ends up with something very similar to the qualifying offer we didn’t offer him. 1 year $20 million.

[fish16]

tim anderson still hasnt signed i believe. i think thats a great stop gap SS that wont command multiple years. they cannot go into next year with no replacement for Soler AND no SS added. Anderson might be just passed his prime but maybe he regains his form and can give us a boost at SS. Berti is not an everyday player.

[sports24/7]

tim anderson still hasnt signed i believe. i think thats a great stop gap SS that wont command multiple years. they cannot go into next year with no replacement for Soler AND no SS added. Anderson might be just passed his prime but maybe he regains his form and can give us a boost at SS. Berti is not an everyday player.

For me, the only hesitation with Anderson is his personality. The Marlins appear to have a good clubhouse. You don’t want to mess that up. Not saying Anderson would mess that up, necessarily, as it’s hard to know from afar. But based on some of his history, and the fact that Chicago had no issue letting him walk for free, I think it’s a legitimate concern.

[fish16]

For me, the only hesitation with Anderson is his personality. The Marlins appear to have a good clubhouse. You don’t want to mess that up. Not saying Anderson would mess that up, necessarily, as it’s hard to know from afar. But based on some of his history, and the fact that Chicago had no issue letting him walk for free, I think it’s a legitimate concern.

I like the personality. Chicago hasnt exactly been the most stable organization for the last 5 years so i wouldnt take their opinion as gospel. It's a pretty great buy low opportunity. Clearly he doesnt have a huge market so if the price and years is low, you're not going to find a higher ceiling guy in our price range.

[lou]

For me, the only hesitation with Anderson is his personality. The Marlins appear to have a good clubhouse. You don’t want to mess that up. Not saying Anderson would mess that up, necessarily, as it’s hard to know from afar. But based on some of his history, and the fact that Chicago had no issue letting him walk for free, I think it’s a legitimate concern.

Me too. I know he sucks defensively at SS, but you go with Rosario among FA choices IMO. He's the perfect age and you take a 1 year shot on him. I still think there is a hit tool bat in there and hes a good reclamation project. Plus, he would be good at 2B defensively I imagine. They could move Arraez to 1B A LOT so Rosario is 50/50 at 2B/SS over 130+ games, and Berti can spend 80+ starts at SS and give Burger the rest at 3B the rest of the time so he's not maxing out too high. You can map it out so it works so 1B is predominantly Arraez, 2B Edwards/Rosario, SS Berti/Rosario, and 3B Burger/Berti, with Brujan filling in 2B/SS/3B off days and Bell at 1B for off days. Bell/Burger get all DH time, etc. Everyone would get their starts coming to them considering Brujan/Edwards would also be pushing...... Garcia and DLC..... at LF and looking to take some games vs LHP for Jazz/Sanchez who would need to sit a bunch.

So yea. Rosario and a DLC/Garcia upgrade would be a bare bones plan and maybe lightning strikes again to get to July. This is the wait out the market plan which at this point is what the maximum may be.

[lou]

I like the personality. Chicago hasnt exactly been the most stable organization for the last 5 years so i wouldnt take their opinion as gospel. It's a pretty great buy low opportunity. Clearly he doesnt have a huge market so if the price and years is low, you're not going to find a higher ceiling guy in our price range.

TBH, why not sign both of Rosario and Anderson and see where it lands. Rosario can play 2B/SS/LF, Edwards can play 2B/LF/CF, Brujan and Berti can play 2B/SS/3B/LF, Tim can play 2B/SS, Arraez can play 1B/2B, Burger 3B/1B/DH, Bell 1B/DH, etc.

It gives Skip matchup potential and the team defense should be pretty good as you can triangulate Arraez to 1B, Bell to DH, and Rosario to 2B/LF a lot there to keep them off 2B, 1B, and SS as much as possible. You could really do worse. Tim and Rosario both hit lefties "enough" I guess.

Why not both since Rosario can move a bit more and their current parts can move?

[sports24/7]

I like the personality. Chicago hasnt exactly been the most stable organization for the last 5 years so i wouldnt take their opinion as gospel. It's a pretty great buy low opportunity. Clearly he doesnt have a huge market so if the price and years is low, you're not going to find a higher ceiling guy in our price range.

I agree with all of the baseball stuff you’re saying. And like I said, neither of us actually know what the personality really is. But if they do some homework, and feel like that’s a real question, I’d stay away.

[lou]

FG didn't give Eder (FV45+) a glowing prospect report FWIW (https://blogs.fangraphs.com/chicago-...-27-prospects/)

......Eder struggled to recapture the arm strength from before his injury, as his fastball sat in the 92-94 mph neighborhood during the 2023 regular season and again in the Arizona Fall League.
His fastball still has some top-of-the-zone whiff ability thanks to its shape and angle, but that pitch isn’t nearly as dominant as it was before he blew out. His slider is still a stunner, however, bending in at 77-81 mph with plus-plus break. Eder was clearly working on his changeup, especially after the trade and in the Fall League, where he used it in a left-on-left capacity a lot of the time. He has starter-quality feel for locating his changeup, though it still needs to fully develop from a movement standpoint. It’s a bit discouraging that Eder’s velocity didn’t totally return after TJ, as it’s often the first thing to be fully restored for most pitchers. At least we can project on Eder’s cambio and command enough to feel comfortable with him as a solid big league starter.


Sounds like major reliever risk ala what Oakland dealt with with Puk. Even if he ends up as a good one.

This seems like it will age well for Kim with a lot of early season projections suggesting Burger didn't luck into those HR and can be a 40 HR guy with the wonderful drop in his K rate as soon as he got to Miami. We'll see.

[lou]

Colt Keith, yet to make MLB debut with 301 PA at the AAA level, has more guaranteed money than Luzardo and Arraez for all of their careers. Also not an insignificant amount in the case of Luzardo - https://www.mlb.com/news/tigers-sign...year-extension

Please sell the team Bruce to an ownership group worth a few billion like a normal franchise. You'll be a hero.

[fish16]

im sure we will sign some sort of major league deal before the start of the season, but has any team in the modern era ever gone an entire offseason without signing a single major league free agent? This is fucking pathetic. this team deserves 0 fans in the stands

[Nick]

im sure we will sign some sort of major league deal before the start of the season, but has any team in the modern era ever gone an entire offseason without signing a single major league free agent? This is fucking pathetic. this team deserves 0 fans in the stands

Didn't sign any extensions either. It's fucking pathetic.

[fish16]

Didn't sign any extensions either. It's fucking pathetic.

the only saving grace is that bendix is being super transparent and realistic with the state of the farm system. We had a great farm a few years ago, the vast majority didnt pan out, and the "waves of talent" bullshit that jeter talked about never panned out, so now we have nothing in the pipeline, at least on the hitting side. I like that bendix is talking about that because it is absolutely what is needed for the long term stability of the organization, but there is 0 excuse to not be able to simultaneously build back the farm while also acting like a professional fucking organization coming off a playoff appearance for the first time in 20 full seasons.

And it's clearly not Bendix. It's all Sherman. In my opinion he is worse than loria. Loria was a fucking buffoon but at least he tried to win at times. He did so idiotically, but Sherman shows 0 inclination to do anything that it takes to win.

Which begs the question, why did this fucking guy buy this team? What is the point of buying a baseball team when you are going to operate it this way? I'm not saying you have to spend like the dodgers, but why buy a team for this much money with 0 ability or desire to spend any money?