RealGM

Recently took a look at the remaining pitchers set to hit FA at the end of the season. I know the general consensus around here is that we need 1, if not 2, starting FA pitcher signings.

Who do you think are reasonable targets? And are we looking for ace material or just 3-5 type starters (if Romero of this season is penciled in as our ace for 2013, I'm a little worried.)

Here's a list of who our main targets should be (feel free to add, but I left out players that seemed like downgrades to anything we currently have):

-Gavin Floyd (has a 9.5mil club option with CHW)
-Zack Greinke (unlikely due to $ and no desire to play here)
-Jake Peavy (would be a great signing)
-Dan Haren (has a 15.5mil club option with LAA)
-Edwin Jackson (he would be somewhat realistic)
-Colby Lewis (another realistic signing)
-Kyle Lohse (looks like he could be really expensive)
-Shaun Marcum (a realistic option, but he might be pricy)
-Brandon McCarthy (a good pitcher, but he has a history of injury problems)
-Anibal Sanchez (a realistic option)
-Ervin Santana (13mil club option, could be a buy-low proposition)
-Joe Saunders (could be a decent option)
-James Shields (9mil club option, most likely picked up)

Also, here is the official list: http://www.sportscity.com/mlb/2013-mlb- ... -pitchers/

hope we explore marcum in FA. solid number 2-3 starter. 5/40 would be a nice deal for him. however, i think he'll be signing long-term with the brew crew.

i also think AA will go the trade route for any SP help. i can guarantee that.

I'd like to bring Marcum back

Honestly, I'm not expecting any of those.

Yeah, Marcum would honestly be one of the best options. He's proved he can be a consistent starter in the AL East. Sure would be sweet knowing we snagged Lawrie too!

My dream off-season:

1. Sign any one of the above pitchers to a 10-12mil/yr starting salary

2. Make a trade for Justin Upton WITHOUT sacrificing D'Arnaud and two of (Sanchez/Syndergaard/Nicolino)

3. Pick up options on Oliver and Davis

4. Re-sign Carlos Villanueva starting at 4mil/yr

And then if we were competitive through the first half of the season, make a big trade for a potent offensive bat.

I'd take Sanchez over Marcum! Haren would be interesting if his option doesn't get picked up.. Having said that, i don't think we will spend much of anything this winter..

Rogers not spending this off-season would be a major red flag, especially given the numerous occasions that they have said they will raise the payroll once attendance increases. Forget the backward analogy they are using. Besides, the payroll is looking pretty good for next season already:

Bautista (14m)
Lind (5.15m)
Escobar (5m)
Encarnacion (8m)
Hechavarria (2.75m)
Morrow (8m)
Romero (7.75m)
Oliver (3m)
Janssen (3.9m)
Santos (2.75m)
McGowan (1.5m)

Those players total out to $57 million. Then you have the arbitration players/rookies:

Rasmus (around 6mil)
Happ (around 2mil)
Arencibia (around 3.5mil)
Drabek (around 1mil)
Perez (around 1.5mil)
Alvarez
Hutchinson
Lawrie
Delabar
Cecil (around 500k)
Lincoln
Loup (around 500k)
Gose (around 500k)
Sierra (around 500k)
D'Arnaud (around 500k)

I'm not the greatest with this salary stuff, but after some looking around, I just made a few estimates. Left some blank with having no idea. Main idea is, these above players should have a payroll hit combined no greater than 20 million. That brings us to 80 million (just below our current payroll).

From there, you have to be hoping the payroll will be pushed to atleast $100 million. That should justify adding 2-3 above average MLB players.

Expect AA to address starting pitching. This year he relied to heavily on the youth ala the athletics. He needs to grab a 2-3 starter pitcher via the trade or free agency. We might see JP moved as well.

I think the list you should be looking at is not the potential UFA list, but who the equivalents to Gio, Cahill, and Latos are next offseason. Figure out which young and controllables will be on the block and you'll have a better idea of who the Jays might pick-up.

The desirable UFA list is basically Greinke, maybe E.Santana if they drop him and he comes cheapish (obviously nothing in UFA is cheap), and maybe maybe Anibal (forget Floyd, Shields, and Haren. They shouldn't be on the list as they won't be FA's. I guess Haren's got a 2-3% if they extend Greinke, before July 1st, I'd see a trade first even with his down year).

Or whichever guy on that list is the guy left out in the cold and needs to take the humiliating 1 year deal. Really, I'm hoping for the type of trade above (not 'cause I wouldn't like a 125m payroll, I just don't expect it) and being the team ready to pounce on this year's loser of musical chairs.

I can tell OP is just getting back into baseball this year after a bit of a hiatus, 'cause no one watching baseball regularly post 2009 and pre 2012 would think picking up Peavy is a good idea or say anything flattering about Kyle Lohse around here.

btw, for all the details on baseball contracts, Cot's is king, although it's now hosted at BP:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/

The problem is that the teams which are competitive this season are the teams who were/are willing to increase payroll significantly. That's not to say that all teams who have substantial payrolls have been successful. However, I truly believe Rogers plan was to build a winning team a la Rays, and then spend conservatively via free agency and trades once we had a winning record, with no intention of nearing a payroll of $120M. The problem with this strategy is that they got caught with their pants down, as they probably weren't expecting teams like the Angels to sign Pujols and have a young player like Trout be such an instant powerhouse, in addition to adding Greinke at the trade deadline... the Rangers have been committed to spending for a few years now, so the fact that they continue to increase payroll/talent isn't that surprising... the Athletics have been intriguing with the group they've assembled... Detroit added Fielder (which is what we should have done), giving the Tigers one of the best 3-4 combos in baseball with Fielder-Cabrera, and the Yankees are the Yankees, continuing to win despite an aging core.

If Rogers doesn't give AA a longer leash heading into next season we're going to be sitting here questioning their motive/strategy next August as well because hidden gems can't compete with the diamonds of the American league.

I think Colby Lewis would be a good target. Not a 1/2 starter, but he's reliable and because of his injury, might only warrant a one year deal.

In terms of the trade market, either Dan Strailly or Brett Anderson could be options. And if the Phillies are rebuilding, I wouldn't rule out a Halladay return either (especially since 2013 will be the last year of his contract now).....

FA market is weak this year. More and more marquee players signing extensions, which makes me wonder if AA knew this all along and decided to completely overhaul the minor league system.

Still a few good ones available, but I'm guessing AA's gonna have to pull a few trades for the desired marquee guy.

Honestly, after the disappointment of last off-season, I'm not going to have any expectations. I think it's pretty evident that AA much prefers the trade route, as opposed to FA.

Going in with low expectations, but hoping for the best.

My expectations are we add no-one and wait for the A ballers to progress at which point Bautista's decline will slowly begin. Smart managing.

I could see us having "interest" in Greinke. But obviously won't get him. Marcum would be a realistic option, plus it would be awesome to have aquired Lawrie for nothing

A guy we could be going for could be Big Papi. AA expressed interest in him last year before he picked up his option, plus he boys with Bautista, so you never know there.

Back to pitchers, like I said Marcum is prob the best bet as for a signing. But we will most likely make a trade for anything else.

diddykong wrote:i think he'll be signing long-term with the brew crew.

Marcum wanted to discuss a long term deal last offseason and the Brewers had no desire to do that. I doubt they've backed off that stance now that he's missed two months this year.

trwi7 wrote:

diddykong wrote:i think he'll be signing long-term with the brew crew.

Marcum wanted to discuss a long term deal last offseason and the Brewers had no desire to do that. I doubt they've backed off that stance now that he's missed two months this year.

Wow, 72,000 posts!! I don't believe i have seen more than that, haha

Wo1verine wrote:

trwi7 wrote:

diddykong wrote:i think he'll be signing long-term with the brew crew.

Marcum wanted to discuss a long term deal last offseason and the Brewers had no desire to do that. I doubt they've backed off that stance now that he's missed two months this year.

Wow, 72,000 posts!! I don't believe i have seen more than that, haha

That works out to over 12,000 posts a year=> 33 posts a day.

Sign Cliff Lee off waivers

sci96krusty wrote:Sign Cliff Lee off waivers

You obviously have no idea how waiver thing works.