Cishek is going to make $7.5 million next year if he stays with the club, unless he agrees to some other longterm contract. He's not an option to be kept even if he was good. That's to much money when the bullpen will have, presumably, Ramos, Capps, Dyson, Morris, Koehler/Phelps, Dunn/Conley, and Hand next year. All those guys are going to cost $9.5-12 depending on if Dunn stays and goes. They can't devote $16-19 million to the bullpen with Cishek. That's arguable 20% of payroll (which is sad).
Haren isn't going to sign here, and they don't need him.
Latos is a wild card if he'll take a 1 year deal to prove health/velocity/etc. I'm not opposed, but it's putting a lot of faith in Latos and Alvarez to eat 350+ innings next year. That would be fine if it was the 3/4 or 4/5 combo, but that's way to much faith for the 2/3. I agree with NNY, they need 2 SP if they sign Latos as one of them.
I think they should get a # 2 or better SP in free agency to match with Fernandez, Cosart, and Nicolino longterm. That should be a pretty good rotation with 2 more years of Alvarez, Kolek the presumable replacement afterwards, and a good amount of 4/5 types (Koehler/Phelps, Hand, Urena, Williams, maybe Brice) to step in if need be.
It's really easy. Trade all/most of Haren, Latos, Prado, Cishek, Baker, Dunn, Morse if possible, and Ramos if you get an overpay, acquire a good young 3B and more young pitching in the process, use that saved money to sign an ace in free agency, and fill out the roster with veteran bats. Team would be bottom 5 in payroll, and have seriously deflected costs of acquiring the ace through getting rid of those guys contracts now. Keeping Ozuna down a month so he doesn't get a Super2 also helps.
Haren isn't going to sign here, and they don't need him.
Latos is a wild card if he'll take a 1 year deal to prove health/velocity/etc. I'm not opposed, but it's putting a lot of faith in Latos and Alvarez to eat 350+ innings next year. That would be fine if it was the 3/4 or 4/5 combo, but that's way to much faith for the 2/3. I agree with NNY, they need 2 SP if they sign Latos as one of them.
I think they should get a # 2 or better SP in free agency to match with Fernandez, Cosart, and Nicolino longterm. That should be a pretty good rotation with 2 more years of Alvarez, Kolek the presumable replacement afterwards, and a good amount of 4/5 types (Koehler/Phelps, Hand, Urena, Williams, maybe Brice) to step in if need be.
It's really easy. Trade all/most of Haren, Latos, Prado, Cishek, Baker, Dunn, Morse if possible, and Ramos if you get an overpay, acquire a good young 3B and more young pitching in the process, use that saved money to sign an ace in free agency, and fill out the roster with veteran bats. Team would be bottom 5 in payroll, and have seriously deflected costs of acquiring the ace through getting rid of those guys contracts now. Keeping Ozuna down a month so he doesn't get a Super2 also helps.
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