2018-19 Offseason Thread

[BigLeagueChew]

Re: Encarnacion , had a 1 fwar season last year, below replacement level and 115 wRC+, projects for 1.4fwar and 118 wRC+...Justin Smoak projects 1.8fwar, 114 wRC+ at more than half the cost.

Carlos Santana returns to Cleveland, costs as much as Edwin but 2.5fwar projection and 124 wRC+.

[C Court]

Elvis Luciano’s nickname is Bruno and he was known as the Dominican Kevin Pillar.

[polo007]

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It won’t help what’s expected to be a patchwork rotation in 2019 — it might not ever pay off — but Atkins went out Thursday and plucked 18-year-old right-hander Elvis Luciano from the Kansas City Royals organization with the 10th pick in the Rule 5 process.

Normally, talking about a pitcher who won’t turn 19 until February as a potential major leaguer would be foolish.

But in the case of a rule-fiver, it’s now or never for Luciano in a Jays uniform because he has to stick on the 25-man roster or be offered back to the Royals for half of the $100,000 it took to steal him.

There are ways to work around that stipulation, but that’s a conversation for late March when the roster is decided.

If all goes according to plan and he shows enough in the spring, the Jays will stick Luciano in a low-leverage bullpen role this season, hoping to get him through 2019 with an eye towards the young right-hander returning to a starting role in 2020.

At that point, the Jays could send him back to the minors to continue his development.

It’s a complete wild-card, but an intriguing one, especially since it’s the only player Atkins and the Blue Jays acquired during an expectedly slow winter meetings in Sin City.

[polo007]

Toronto Blue Jays' GM Ross Atkins talks about the upside of Rule 5 Draft pick Elvis Luciano and the 'significant chance' the teenager has to become a starting pitcher.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/ross-atkins-gives-glowing-review-jays-rule-5-draft-pick/

[polo007]

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[polo007]

Toronto Blue Jays executive VP and GM Ross Atkins joins Hot Stove at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas to discuss the team's prospects and more.

https://streamable.com/m/2520998483

[polo007]

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[BigLeagueChew]

The Athletics announced today that third baseman Matt Chapman has undergone surgery on his left shoulder. Specifically, a “distal clavicle resection” was performed, per the club announcement.

-mlbtr

[BigLeagueChew]

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If the Giants are not rebuilding yet Pillar would be an excellent stop gap CF, his bat might even play better outside of the al east, although he's in a pitchers park.

[polo007]

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[polo007]

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[SharoneWright]

A slight tangent - stream of consciousness - but I've officially bailed on Travis. He's not the 2nd baseman of a playoff team. The air is out of that balloon. I'd trade him for any sort of marginal pitching prospect. Solarte gone. Urena can go (I have a small soft spot).

Question: Are the high minors soon getting crowded with middle infielders?? Will we need to promote a few just for the opportunity to evaluate them in the bigs and clear space in the minors for the next batch?

I want to see lots of Gurriel this year. Looks like I'll get my wish. But the truth is that Espinal, Biggio, and even Smith are of the age where we'll have to dip their toes in the MLB waters very soon. I would be thrilled to rotate Gurriel and 2 or 3 of those guys between SS and 2B later this year. Drury also needs some playing time in the infield after Vladdy arrives in May....

Gives the team a chance to assess these guys before the next wave of middle infielders arrives - Bichette in 2020, and Groshans and Martinez and Jimenez some time thereafter. We cant afford to screw up the assessment of these guys ; who to identify and keep - who to get on longer term value contracts- etc.... Our main organization strength would seem to be up the middle, but there are only so many spots. (And I think you have to keep Gurriel until the end of his deal, even as a backup, considering the excellent value of his contract, [unless he does indeed get passed and you can still get something really nice back in a trade.])

I know having so many young middle infielders on the big league roster this year is "unrealistic" (then again we are carrying a 14 yo(?) Rule 5er....), but they can't all play at AAA either.

I guess I want to make sure all these guys get a really good vetting, so we don't trade away the wrong kid (like a Yan Gomes..) without leaving them all in AA until they are 26 years old. To me, there is no room on the MLB infield roster for anyone older than Gurriel.

[phillipmike]

I’m off the Travis train too but there is likely zero market for him.

Kindler came off a 2 WAR season and only got 8m over 2 years. And Travis was barely replacement level and he is set to make 2.4M and can barely stay healthy.

With Marwin Gonzalez, LeMahieu, Dozier, Forsythe, Murphy, Walker, Lowrie, Solarte, Harrison, and Beckham all FAs I doubt a team calls about Travis.

You either keep him in hopes he rebuilds value or non tender him.

[polo007]

Giants' Will Smith attracts trade interest in crowded relief pitcher market | NBCS Bay Area
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“We’ve gotten a lot of calls on guys in our bullpen,” Farhan Zaidi said. “Both veteran guys and even some of the younger guys.”

The majority of the calls, league sources confirmed, center around closer Will Smith.

The St. Louis Cardinals are among the teams who have checked in on Smith, one of the more attractive pieces potentially available this offseason. Smith is coming off a strong season during which he posted a 2.55 ERA, saved 14 games, struck out well over a batter per inning, and showed his pre-Tommy John velocity and command.

The left-hander could fit just about any team in the majors. Smith is expected to make only about $4.1 million in his final year of arbitration and could slide in as a closer for a team in need of ninth-inning help, or a late-innings lefty for a team already possessing a solid closer. He can pitch multiple innings and proved to be durable once he returned.

The Giants, per sources, are marketing Smith as an appealing alternative to Andrew Miller and Zach Britton, two veterans who expect to cash in as free agents. Zaidi noted that for teams looking at the high end of the relief market, the "cost certainty of the trade targets may be attractive."

The Giants are looking for young outfielders and cost-controlled starters in most discussions. ….

[vaff87]

So what are the Jays planning on doing this year with Brandon Drury? I know supposedly third is his “natural position”, and he was happy to move there full time when he was traded to the Yankees, but are the Jays going to turn him into a full time 2B? Do they have any other option?

[polo007]

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[Lateral Quicks]

Happ re-signs with the Yanks, 2 years $34M. I like the term and the money ain't bad either. But the Jays won't be competitive over that window so it wouldn't have made sense to bring him back.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/j-happ-yankees-finalize-34-million-2-year-deal/

[Cyrus]

Happ re-signs with the Yanks, 2 years $34M. I like the term and the money ain't bad either. But the Jays won't be competitive over that window so it wouldn't have made sense to bring him back.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/j-happ-yankees-finalize-34-million-2-year-deal/

There is vesting option for a 3rd year so it's likely the Jays were offering a 2 year deal, but were wary of a 3 year deal

[Schad]

I doubt the Jays were seriously in contention for his services. We're a rebuilding team, and Happ's entering his age 37 season. We'd probably have been happy to have him if his market failed to develop, but that's a substantial contract for one of the oldest players in baseball, even if his stuff has held up remarkably well.