Around the MLB

[Ranma]

Thanks, Quake. I'm peripherally aware of Harper's incredible offensive pace since the 2nd half of last season, but I'll start paying closer attention to him as we get closer to the winter 2018 free agency. His purported asking price has me initially wary along with the other aforementioned issues.

In the meantime, check out this latest Machado highlight:

[tweet]https://twitter.com/MLB/status/724027121262190592[/tweet]

[Ranma]

Marly Rivera, ESPN (4/26/16)

There was a common belief when A-Rod shifted to third base in New York that the best shortstop in the AL played third for the Yankees. Currently, does the best shortstop in the AL play third for the Orioles?
I think I could be one of the best, but I haven't played it long enough to be considered. But I can. I can be.

Do you still have the desire to play shortstop?
It's there. But at this point, I just don't think about it that much. I know I could play the position, but I am so focused right now on being the best third baseman I can be for my team. Third base has gotten me to where I am now. I love the position, but my heart is still at shortstop.

Who did you watch at third to model yourself after?
I watched a lot of Adrian Beltre. I looked up his YouTube videos to see how his pre-pitch was, how he went to his glove side, how he went to his back side, how he came up to make a throw on a slow roller. I still watch him every day and try to see if I can pick up something new.

What was the hardest thing to learn?
Finding the angles. When you're at shortstop, you have so much wiggle room. Third base is about reaction -- a 90-foot reaction. You have no time to move your feet to get in the right position.

Machado on A-Rod, Miami and Mastering Third Base

[Quake Griffin]

Ryan Braun might be available.
Would anybody like to work a deal for him?

All I know is he can still rake and we can throw him in left ala Matt Holliday.

[Neddy]

Ryan Braun might be available.
Would anybody like to work a deal for him?

All I know is he can still rake and we can throw him in left ala Matt Holliday.

how long is his contract? aren't we trying our darnest to shed Carl and Andre as we speak? no. we have Joc, Puig, ****, SVS, Trayce, Alex Verdugo in the minors, even Howie as a LF project. no need to add another dead money that may give us a couple of years of production then go scholarship for the rest of the way.

I would prefer to see what would happen with the angels now that their pitching staff and their farm has been completely decimated.

what would you be willing to give up for Mike Trout?

[Quake Griffin]

Ryan Braun might be available.
Would anybody like to work a deal for him?

All I know is he can still rake and we can throw him in left ala Matt Holliday.

how long is his contract? aren't we trying our darnest to shed Carl and Andre as we speak? no. we have Joc, Puig, ****, SVS, Trayce, Alex Verdugo in the minors, even Howie as a LF project. no need to add another dead money that may give us a couple of years of production then go scholarship for the rest of the way.

I would prefer to see what would happen with the angels now that their pitching staff and their farm has been completely decimated.

what would you be willing to give up for Mike Trout?

He has 5 years and $105 million left on his deal.

I say it because we have no real thumpers in our lineup. We have no Posey, no Harper, no Stanton. We're a bunch of singles and doubles hitters. I want some real power in this lineup. I expected Seager to be that guy but he has struggled to start the year....notthat I expected Seager to have Harper or Stanton Power...but more like hit .330 with a .365 or higher OBP 20+ HRs.

Braun may not be that guy anymore but he can still rake and I'd be more terrified of seeing him than somebody like Howie who is just going to inside out the ball to RF.

If the Brewers are srs about a rebuild, they'd pitch in on his deal like the Phillies did with Hamels. That would make me more inclined to deal with you or throw in more pieces.




Speaking of wanting an anchor bat in our lineup that puts fear in people's hearts....
For Trout?
I'd give up a lot.
Joc, Urias, DeLeon, Verdugo???

[Neddy]

I don't want five years of Braun. it simply delays of what our front office is trying to accomplish and aside from his PED enhanced MVP playing, he is getting older. if he is playing well while being clean, then he is on a typical projection of decline very near, and if he is still on, we risk of having him eat into our payroll while potentially getting a season long ban.

as for the big bat in the line up, I think it would be wise to wait and see what our guys do for the rest of the season anyway. Grandal in a limited at bats has performed to be the best of our guys so far, Puig and Turner are underachieving badly and still serviceable, either one or both can turn it up in a month or so. Seager is the one obviously who should be the best overall hitter on our team by the begining of the playoffs if not by mid season, hopefully. Gonzo is now clear from his injuries of the past and simply now a matter of how soon his father time may come, but we have guys who are near ready down in the minors for 1B.

I guess what I am trying to say, is that 2016 was supposed to be a transitional season anyhow, but we still have a very competitive group and should let it play out before making any rash decisions such as bringing Ryan Braun who will obviously not only block some of our youth movement but delay the original plan of getting rid of bad contracts who will inevitably become deadmoney soon.

Speaking of wanting an anchor bat in our lineup that puts fear in people's hearts....
For Trout?
I'd give up a lot.
Joc, Urias, DeLeon, Verdugo???

I would take Urias outta there, and think the Angels would be willing to get the same amount of contract back if not a bit more as long as they get what they need now with an ample of prospects.

I would trade them

Alex Wood - they need a starter and a lefty if they can
De Leon - he would become instantly their best prospect they will have in their farm and he is nearly ready, and could play now
Joc - a center fielder for a center fielder
Alex Guerrero - finally a position he can play, a DH. he could play their much needed LF as well.
Grant Holmes - this is where it will hurt.
Zach Lee - they could use another MLB ready starter. we have Bolsinger/Ryu/McCarthy coming back. this makes sense.

Joc/Holmes/De Leon are the center pieces and Wood/Lee/Guerrero fills their current need.

in return, I would ask for Trout + JIman Choi

then turn around and trade Choi and AJ Ellis to the Indians for Joba Chamberlain and MIcah Minlard. then promote Barnes to the major league roster, Joba becomes the SU man we desperately need before Jensen and Micah is a good prospect with a great frame and age who is not well appreciated in his current organization.

[Quake Griffin]

I guess I agree. I still think it could be worth looking at if Milwaukee will pitch in on the money. He's a pretty good middle of the order hitter and all we'd need to do is use a defensive replacement late in games. But all the reasons you've mentioned + waiting on Seager to heat up is why I wouldn't pull the trigger.

The Angels should not give up Trout and not take a pound of flesh with them.
A pound of flesh in this case is one of our prized players: Seager or Urias.
I'd do the deal you posted 10 times out of 10 without hesitation as a DOdger fan and that makes me think th Angels would want more/ need something better.


Pretty sad to think that this could be a transition year btw.
Did you hear Adrian Gonzalez make a bet that this FO would make a big deal at the deadline if we needed it to win?
Yikes.

[Ranma]

I agree with Neddy that we should stay far away from Braun. Whatever gains we get from him will be in the short-term while exposing us to risk long-term similar to Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford. Besides, we shouldn't have to trade for a capable leftfielder as that is one of the easiest positions to fill. We need to dump Crawford and possibly even Ethier once he's healthy, not take on another guy who is prone to another falloff in production. Plus, he's another known PED user. No thanks.

Personally, I'm counting on eventually signing Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. and his brother, Yulieski. Yuli can handle 3B and 1B while Tito is so versatile, he can man SS, CF, LF, and 2B. Scott Van Slyke will eventually make his way back as well.

I'd give up a huge package to get Mike Trout, but there are limits, which entails not trading away Seager or Urias. De Leon has been under-rated ever since he went down with injury but his prospect ranking should improve as he gets back into the swing of things. I'm not quite worried about Seager's hitting as he's shown a tendency to need an adjustment period before taking off at every level he's elevated to throughout his professional playing career.

The Angels have the worst farm system in baseball and they're lacking at 2B from what I can tell. That organization is not going to compete for a while, so it would be in their best interest to trade Trout for a quantity-based package of prospects. However, Eppler will be hesitant to be known as the GM that traded Trout and Moreno would hate to send him to the organization he most envies. Still, that may change once Trout's contract gets more expensive in the next year or so and the Dodgers still have arguably the best farm system in baseball.

I'm certainly open to trading Howie Kendrick for them to fill their hole at 2B and even Grandal to have Barnes ease into the role as our starting catcher, especially with Trout coming back. We have to hold onto some prospects for a possible trade for Sonny Gray or whomever else may become available in the not-to-distant future. Plus, we have an opportunity to replenish with the upcoming draft as I like the talent anticipated to be available with our first 4 picks.

If we get beat out by other teams with a package that includes Moncada and Devers from Boston, for instance, then so be it as I'm still not inclined to include Seager or Urias at this point. My current offer would include the following:

• Joc Pederson
• Jose De Leon
• Alex Verdugo
• Ross Stripling
• Alex Wood
• Micah Johnson or Willie Calhoun
• Alexander Guerrero
• Zach Lee

Guerrero and maybe even Lee are mostly seen as throw-ins at this point, but that's still 8 prospects with 2 of our top 6 prospects as well as 2 young players who are MLB ready. We'd probably have to have some filler added in from both sides and I'm reluctant to include Cody Bellinger, but I'd be open to even include him to get a deal done since I think we should be able to find a future 1B prospect fairly easily or transition either Turner, Van Slyke, or Y. Gurriel there eventually.

[Quake Griffin]

Come on.
If you're the Angels, you'd take that deal?

You're giving up a once in a generation player for some #3 starters (#2 starters max) and some potential fringe All Stars??

[Ranma]

Come on.
If you're the Angels, you'd take that deal?

You're giving up a once in a generation player for some #3 starters (#2 starters max) and some potential fringe All Stars??

I actually agree with you. I'm just saying there are limits to what I would give up on my side. I may accept dealing away Urias if the Dodgers eventually did that, but I'm not right now. I don't see why we should at the moment. If there is a bidding war for him, I'd probably change my mind, but if Boston is only offering Moncada and Devers for Trout, then they can have him. To be honest, those guys alone aren't really going to help them that much. There's only so much help you can get from a single player as a trade asset.

The Angels are not going anywhere with Mike Trout for the foreseeable future. Their farm system is barren. If they want to pay his $30-million-per-year salary down the road, then I'm fine with him staying in Anaheim. I'd obviously prefer Trout, but why give up a haul of prospects when you can just sign an UFA like Machado or Harper in a couple of winters from now?

[Quake Griffin]

We're on the same wave length. I see now.

You guys have an opinion on us looking at Lincecum?
Only hitting 91 so he'll never be the 07-08 Lincecum again.

He wants to start.
Kick the tires???

[Ranma]

I'd only be interested in Lincecum as a reliever. I don't really see him as a starter anymore. If he's willing to accept a role as a reliever, sure, bring him aboard. I've always been a fan. If he insists on being a starter, no thanks.

[Neddy]

Come on.
If you're the Angels, you'd take that deal?

You're giving up a once in a generation player for some #3 starters (#2 starters max) and some potential fringe All Stars??

do they have a better offer?

meanwhile, they don't have enough pitching to fill their rotation this year or the next five years, they are going nowhere with Mike. their farm is one of the worst. if they wish to substitute some of the near major league ready or major leaguers in that offer with a lower minor leaguers in the A ball, I guess that could be done.

but no reason to give up the top dollar when nobody else is even close to the initial offer.

or they can continue to suck with MIke Trout on their roster.

[Neddy]

I'd only be interested in Lincecum as a reliever. I don't really see him as a starter anymore. If he's willing to accept a role as a reliever, sure, bring him aboard. I've always been a fan. If he insists on being a starter, no thanks.

If little Timmy was willing to pitch out of bullpen, he would have stayed a giant. I don't think he is willing to be a reliever for anyone else, if he couldnt find it in himself for the SF.

on the other hand, there are plenty of teams who are willing to take on Tmmy as a starter. Yokohama Baystars, Hanhwa Eagles, Adelaide Bite, even Mexico City RedDevils.

[Quake Griffin]

I'd only be interested in Lincecum as a reliever. I don't really see him as a starter anymore. If he's willing to accept a role as a reliever, sure, bring him aboard. I've always been a fan. If he insists on being a starter, no thanks.

If little Timmy was willing to pitch out of bullpen, he would have stayed a giant. I don't think he is willing to be a reliever for anyone else, if he couldnt find it in himself for the SF.

on the other hand, there are plenty of teams who are willing to take on Tmmy as a starter. Yokohama Baystars, Hanhwa Eagles, Adelaide Bite, even Mexico City RedDevils.

[Quake Griffin]

Am I missing something on Ryu going to the 60 day DL?

Was it retroactive to spring training?

[Neddy]

Am I missing something on Ryu going to the 60 day DL?

Was it retroactive to spring training?

yeah it was retroactive to march 25th, if my memories serve me correctly. I think he is due to come off the 60 day DL on 28th of this month. so basically he will get a rehab starts in the minors and come back after 2-3 starts to get his stuff right.

[Quake Griffin]

One more thing I want to note....since we brought up future FA signings.

Stephen Strasburg is an FA this offseason and Washington probably won't be able to keep him.

I think the general view of him is that he has underachieved but if last season and the start of this season are any indicator, he is turning into one of the games elite pitchers and I'd consider doing it. I do want to see him hit 200+ innings this year though (would be the 2nd time he did it in his career).

[Ranma]

I wouldn't mind Strasburg on our team, but I'm wary of the contract he'll get this winter as the only premier pitching talent available in free agency. As you noted, there are concerns with his long-term health and durability. I don't expect us to be in play for him, in all honesty, but I supposed it wouldn't hurt to check in with him. However, his agent is Scott Boras.

I'm hoping the dearth of available pitching will make Kazmir a desirable enough commodity to opt out of his contract with us, thus giving us a 1st-round compensatory draft pick after we give him a qualifying offer (with him turning that down as well).

[Neddy]

One more thing I want to note....since we brought up future FA signings.

Stephen Strasburg is an FA this offseason and Washington probably won't be able to keep him.

I think the general view of him is that he has underachieved but if last season and the start of this season are any indicator, he is turning into one of the games elite pitchers and I'd consider doing it. I do want to see him hit 200+ innings this year though (would be the 2nd time he did it in his career).

I do believe our FO passed on Greinke in part because younger strasburg is available after this season. since Kershaw's option year comes up soon after that, I would say signing another ace on board surely is a good move to make, and by then we should have Urias and De Leon up in the majors too, we are potentially looking at 4 aces going Kershaw-Strasburg-Urias-Maeda along with the surplus of Ryu/McCarthy/De Leon trio whom all have that #2 skills/ potential right behind them as our #5. this possibility alone is a big wet dream and a reason enough to consider this move.