2019-2020 Offseason Discussion

[lou]

Not sure I agree with that last sentence, but I do agree I'd expect he'd get selected before Stewart or Castano.

I think Castano (lefty) would be first, but that's irrelevant. We'll see what happens

Maybe the thought process is this:

Sixto, Sandy, Pablo, Smith, Neidert
Guzman, Cabrera, Brigham, Hernandez, Holloway/other
Rogers, Garcia, Vesia/Quijada

It would be a little aggressive, but you could really see that August 1st and that's all in house. Shuffle the SP/RP as anyone likes.

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Cubs didn't protect PJ Higgins - https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa875573&position=C

He can play 1B/3B. Seems like a strong candidate for selection but I'll wait to see the full lists.

[fish16]

Am I the only one who would like to take a buy low shot on Schwarber? They seem like they are ready to blow up their core slightly and I think he could improve our 1b position tremendously and him getting out of the outfield would improve his overall war a lot as well. His bat is phenomenal he just doesn’t have a position with rizzo there. Throw them one of our sp prospects that we aren’t as high on and maybe give him a slight extension if he expires in the next few years. He is the type of pure power bat we are lacking currently

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Move him to 1b, Cooper to left field, and then all you’d need to find is a cf (likely one of our guys that is already in house) and then a 3b or rf depending on where we want to put Anderson.

[lou]

Am I the only one who would like to take a buy low shot on Schwarber? They seem like they are ready to blow up their core slightly and I think he could improve our 1b position tremendously and him getting out of the outfield would improve his overall war a lot as well. His bat is phenomenal he just doesn’t have a position with rizzo there. Throw them one of our sp prospects that we aren’t as high on and maybe give him a slight extension if he expires in the next few years. He is the type of pure power bat we are lacking currently

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Move him to 1b, Cooper to left field, and then all you’d need to find is a cf (likely one of our guys that is already in house) and then a 3b or rf depending on where we want to put Anderson.

Lewin, Isan, Jazz, Sanchez, Bleday - all lefties. Kyle would be useful for a year or two and then get phased out with cheaper options. Also, he isn't a bad LF. He dipped "nominally" below average last year, and for his career is above average. See his UZR/150 over 3,200 innings. He is not as bad as people think. You can stick him in LF and not get creamed like Adam Dunn types. He's good, I like him, but he's not a fit for me. They need short term cheap guys to fill spots, or a big time right handed longterm bat.

Also, is he a buy low? He has back to back 3.2 and 2.6 WAR seasons. He's good? That's who he is? He's 26 with 2 years of control?

How about doing the opposite - offering them Sanchez/Bleday, L. Diaz, and say Fitterer/Soriano/Momka for RIZZO - and then sign Castellanos. Bring both South Florida kids home. Extend Rizzo for 3 more years (so he'd be around 5/$100 overall. He is signed cheap for 2 and would take an extension I'm sure. He will age gracefully with hit tool) and give Castellanos the 4/$60 deal.

All of sudden in 2022:

Jazz
Rizzo
Bleday/Sanchez
Castellanos
B. Anderson
I. Diaz
Monte/Sierra/VVM/Scott
Alfaro

And you didn't trade any of your top 15 pitchers.

This is the kind of shit I want to see. Cubs would just use the money for Bryant, Schwarber, and Baez - all much younger than Rizzo

This makes sense to me.

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Rizzo and Castellanos would cost $30 million in 2020.... so their payroll is under $80, adding another $8-10 million in free agents on top of them.

I like this pie in the sky one. Give the Cubs payroll flexibility, two young lefty bats, and let them sign their younger guys. They won a WS. They can shake it up.

[fish16]

I’m not all that worried about the lefty thing. That’s a problem in the situation that every single prospect works out, which won’t happen. I just want good players who can immediately Improve the lineup who I don’t view as someone who will take a ton to acquire. You’d still have righties in Anderson, Alfaro, Rojas for the next few years, and any other potential additions

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I think if you offered to Cubs something like neidert plus a lower level guy they like you can add an impact bat immediately to a team who will have really fucking good pitching this year without depleting your top top prospects like bleday and sixto. As important as impact stars are, quality role type players and lineup depth are also equally important to me. The angels are the most obvious example of that

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Also, the lefty issue isn’t really an issue. If In the best case scenario everyone works out you have a lineup full of too many lefty quality bats you can always make moves down the line to bring back balance to the lineup via future trades.

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Also why is having too many lefties an issue but these teams that have 7 or 8 of their 9 lineup positions as righties notnviewed as an issue. It doesn’t really matter as long as they are quality hitters

[fish16]

Grandal signs a stupid big contract with the white Sox. Never understood why he was brought up here but glad we weren’t the ones to give him that dumb money

[lou]

Grandal signs a stupid big contract with the white Sox. Never understood why he was brought up here but glad we weren’t the ones to give him that dumb money

He has 25 WAR the last 5 years.

It's high, but I only argue it's 1 year too long

[tjfla]

Here is who Miami was looking at however all were protected

P-Yajure,Gil,Nelson,Szapucki
C-Ali Sanchez,Yermin Mercedes,Tyler Stephenson
OF-Jorge Ona

We were also the reason Houston protected P Nivaldo Rodriguez

They are looking at Andy Ibanez 2B from Texas,Esteury Ruiz 2B from SD,PJ Higgins(good call lou) C/1B/3B from CHC,TB C Not sure who as they have 5 C's in it and Resly Linares LHP from TB(was hurt LY)

Some talk we might take 2 guys in Rule 5-1st would be guy like Ibanez,Higgins or TB C and 2nd would be a Linares or very young high ceiling prospect and try to stash them

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wait we didnt protect Eveld when he needed to? He's the guy who will be selected. That was a mistake given some of the names we have on our 40 man right now. He is a future back end of the bullpen type arm.

He was before LY. They like him but have so many RP arms its nuts. They like Chad Smith just as much

Eveld,Castano,Stewart,Lee at least 1 will likely be picked however there are so many arms we might be ok

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Grandal signs a stupid big contract with the white Sox. Never understood why he was brought up here but glad we weren’t the ones to give him that dumb money

Anyone who was in sign Castallanos camp this will help us. Miami and CWS were the 2 crappy team favorites for him and CWS pretty much just gave Grandal what Castellanos would have cost

[Lee Stone]

With White Sox getting serious (great looking young team) it seems an opportune time to swing a deal for one or more of their hitting prospects that may be blocked. They definitely need starting pitching (C Smith, Alcantara??)

[lou]

With White Sox getting serious (great looking young team) it seems an opportune time to swing a deal for one or more of their hitting prospects that may be blocked. They definitely need starting pitching (C Smith, Alcantara??)

They don't have anything the Marlins need, unless they dip into Robert, Madrigal, and Vaughn and that's not happening.

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They are looking at Andy Ibanez 2B from Texas,Esteury Ruiz 2B from SD,PJ Higgins(good call lou) C/1B/3B from CHC,TB C Not sure who as they have 5 C's in it and Resly Linares LHP from TB(was hurt LY)

Some talk we might take 2 guys in Rule 5-1st would be guy like Ibanez,Higgins or TB C and 2nd would be a Linares or very young high ceiling prospect and try to stash them

Just looking at those names, Ibanez, Higgins, and Linares look pretty solid "for free." Considering they have the 3rd pick, that would be a nice speculative add.

Who are the TB catchers?

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Anyone who was in sign Castallanos camp this will help us. Miami and CWS were the 2 crappy team favorites for him and CWS pretty much just gave Grandal what Castellanos would have cost

I think it shows Castellanos ceiling, as while younger, Grandal is better at a tougher position.

4-60 something gets it done

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I’m not all that worried about the lefty thing. That’s a problem in the situation that every single prospect works out, which won’t happen. I just want good players who can immediately Improve the lineup who I don’t view as someone who will take a ton to acquire. You’d still have righties in Anderson, Alfaro, Rojas for the next few years, and any other potential additions

Also, the lefty issue isn’t really an issue. If In the best case scenario everyone works out you have a lineup full of too many lefty quality bats you can always make moves down the line to bring back balance to the lineup via future trades.

Also why is having too many lefties an issue but these teams that have 7 or 8 of their 9 lineup positions as righties notnviewed as an issue. It doesn’t really matter as long as they are quality hitters

Or you can just create balance by getting a right hander.

Let's face it - Anderson is the only good right handed bat they have. Alfaro is what he is. Maybe he turns a corner, but he's just a solid unspectacular 8th hole hitter. Maybe Monte is good, but he's behind the "5" better lefty prospects.

They just need another guy to create balance. I don't think it's Cooper or Monte. Maybe I'm wrong.

[tjfla]

TB Catchers are

Mac James 26
Rene Pinto 23
Chris Betts 23
Roberto Alvarez 20
Luis Leon 21

Its likely Pinto or Betts just never got the name

I would be all for

#3-Ibanez OR Higgins
2nd Rd-Resly Linares(60 Day)

Give u a older backup RHB at multiple positions and a solid LHP when healthy

There are probably other names they are looking at too. They were really hoping 1 of those 10 guys were left off the list however none were

[Lee Stone]

2018 BLX SOU AA 9 1 2.44 22 21 1 1 0 0 125.2 95 44 34 8 5 36 1 116 .207 1.04
2018 JAX SOU AA 12 7 3.24 26 26 0 0 0 0 152.2 142 63 55 17 4 31 0 154 .250 1.13
2019 JAX SOU AA 8 4 2.53 18 18 0 0 0 0 103.0 87 33 29 5 3 19 0 97 .225 1.03

The pitching lines above are top, Zach Brown's 2018 in Southern League, middle, Nick Neidert in the same year, and bottom, and Sixto Sanchez in 2019. In 2019, both Neidert and Brown pitched in AAA with similarly dismal, +5 ERA results. I point all this out because Zach Brown has been left available for the Rule 5 draft by Milwaukee. Should be worth a flyer.

[Nick]

2018 BLX SOU AA 9 1 2.44 22 21 1 1 0 0 125.2 95 44 34 8 5 36 1 116 .207 1.04
2018 JAX SOU AA 12 7 3.24 26 26 0 0 0 0 152.2 142 63 55 17 4 31 0 154 .250 1.13
2019 JAX SOU AA 8 4 2.53 18 18 0 0 0 0 103.0 87 33 29 5 3 19 0 97 .225 1.03

The pitching lines above are top, Zach Brown's 2018 in Southern League, middle, Nick Neidert in the same year, and bottom, and Sixto Sanchez in 2019. In 2019, both Neidert and Brown pitched in AAA with similarly dismal, +5 ERA results. I point all this out because Zach Brown has been left available for the Rule 5 draft by Milwaukee. Should be worth a flyer.

Why just ignore the context of Neidert's "dismal" season? Or the fact that Brown had 25 starts vs. Neidert's 9? Neidert had two very bad starts at the beginning of the season and was subsequently put on the DL for 3-4 months which would lead you to believe that he was injured in those 2 starts. He was excellent after he came back from injury and even better in the AFL. I know you know this context, so why would you posit that Neidert and Brown's seasons are comparable?

[lou]

2018 BLX SOU AA 9 1 2.44 22 21 1 1 0 0 125.2 95 44 34 8 5 36 1 116 .207 1.04
2018 JAX SOU AA 12 7 3.24 26 26 0 0 0 0 152.2 142 63 55 17 4 31 0 154 .250 1.13
2019 JAX SOU AA 8 4 2.53 18 18 0 0 0 0 103.0 87 33 29 5 3 19 0 97 .225 1.03

The pitching lines above are top, Zach Brown's 2018 in Southern League, middle, Nick Neidert in the same year, and bottom, and Sixto Sanchez in 2019. In 2019, both Neidert and Brown pitched in AAA with similarly dismal, +5 ERA results. I point all this out because Zach Brown has been left available for the Rule 5 draft by Milwaukee. Should be worth a flyer.

Lee, again buddy, those line of numbers are unreadable. If you want to convey information, can you use a minimum effort.

Zack Brown, RHP: I’m not as concerned about Brown’s delivery as some, but I think he’ll find his niche as a reliever in the Majors. And I’m fairly confident he’s a big league pitcher. He has a max-effort, high-energy approach on the mound and may pick up a couple more ticks on the heater with a role change. He has the athleticism and the potential in the three-pitch mix to start. His intensity could really help him blossom as a high-leverage bullpen arm, while it could hurt him as a starter where he might gas out too often in the fifth or sixth inning. - Fangraphs pre 2019

Brown had a .257 BABIP in 2018 explaining his nice looking stats, and then (shockingly!) got drilled in 2019 with a level jump and .342 BABIP. Hinting he is similar to Neidert and Sixto is a bit odd as they are well more established prospects at this point.

He seems like a fine guy to pick in the Rule V though (he was rated as Milwaukee's # 3 prospect in FG midseason update, which is sad for their system), although Milwaukee could use young controlled pitching so it speaks volumes he wasn't protected.

[Lee Stone]

Minimum effort is exactly what I used. I assumed the handful of readers would find their way through lines that are perfect on the draft copy of the post and then change once I hit the submit button.

During Neidert's breakout 2018 season at AA JAX, Brown was actually named Southern League POY. So there's that.

The entire point of the post was positive ... pointing out that an unprotected pitcher might have some hidden value.

[Lee Stone]

How high do you go in a bidding war for LF Corey Dickerson? 131 OPS+ and 2018 NL Gold Glove winner. I'd be willing to spend $25M in Marlin bucks for THREE years - because that's what I think it will take. I see him as a perfect fit.