2021-22 Offseason Thread

Raider917 · Post #441 » by **Raider917** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 7:07 pm

dagger wrote:Yusei Kukuchi signing with Jays.

im seeing this on twitter. i hope its true but its from mlbrumors so im not sure

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/03/blue-jays-to-sign-yusei-kikuchi.html

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polo007 · Post #442 » by **polo007** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:05 pm

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polo007 · Post #443 » by **polo007** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:14 pm

Blue Jays agree to three-year, $36M deal with pitcher Yusei Kikuchi - Sportsnet.ca

The Blue Jays were interested in Yusei Kikuchi when he first came over from Japan, and now he in essence fills the spot vacated by Steven Matz, who signed with the St. Louis Cardinals for $44 million over four years.

The agreement is the club’s second since the lockout ended after the club reached terms with lefty reliever Andrew Vasquez on Friday night.

They are far from done as the Blue Jays are still seeking an infielder, more bullpen help and possibly a left-handed hitting outfielder, too.

Kikuchi had an ERA of 4.41 with a WHIP of 1.318 and 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings over 157 innings last season and is the type of subtle-tinker job starter the Blue Jays have had success with in recent years.

Opponents last year batted just .176 and slugged .282 against a splitter that produced a 39.6 whiff rate. But it was his least used pitch, thrown 627 times fewer than his worst offering, a mediocre cutter that batters hit .276 and slugged .476 against, underperforming the expected numbers off the pitch.

Kikuchi’s whiff rates on both his fastball (30.3) and slider (31.2) are encouraging enough to believe that some usage changes could generate far better results, akin to the tweaks that helped straighten out Matz.

phillipmike · Post #444 » by **phillipmike** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:19 pm

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polo007 · Post #445 » by **polo007** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:27 pm

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Raider917 · Post #446 » by **Raider917** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:37 pm

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phillipmike · Post #447 » by **phillipmike** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:40 pm

Raider917 wrote:

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Fake account. No blue check mark and there isn’t 2 Ls in Rosenthal.

polo007 · Post #448 » by **polo007** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:41 pm

Raider917 wrote:

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?s=20&t=HTxeVb04ukM4S2z4c-xnCQ

It seems as though, that is unfortunately a fake Ken Rosenthal Twitter account.

Here is a link to Ken Rosenthal's real Twitter account:

https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal

polo007 · Post #449 » by **polo007** » Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:54 pm

Rosenthal: Could the Dodgers add Freddie Freeman and Nelson Cruz? Is Matt Chapman a fit for the Phillies? - The Athletic

Exactly how much payroll flexibility are the Dodgers operating with, anyway?

With Trevor Bauer’s status in question, club officials cannot be sure. Including Bauer, the club’s cash payroll stands at $244.775 million and its luxury-tax payroll at $250.6 million, according to Fangraphs. And that’s with Max Scherzer, Corey Seager, Kenley Jansen, Corey Knebel, Joe Kelly and others off the roster.

The inclusion of a universal DH in the labor agreement makes it possible the Dodgers could add both Freeman and Cruz, who also is drawing interest from the Padres. The Dodgers seemingly believe they could afford both as well; Freeman likely will end up in the $25 million to $30 million range annually on a long-term deal, while Cruz figures to receive about the same salary that he did last season, $13 million, for one year.

The new $290 luxury-tax threshold, designed to thwart runaway spending, has been dubbed the “Steve Cohen tax” in honor of the relatively new Mets owner. But don’t forget the Dodgers. Bauer or no Bauer, their payroll is going to be extravagant, too.

Matt Chapman: A logical target for Phillies

Depending upon how far the A’s go with their selloff, they could alter the landscape of the National League, if not the entire majors.

Prior to the lockout, the Dodgers showed interest in right-hander Chris Bassitt. The Braves, if they lose free agent Freddie Freeman, almost certainly will go hard for first baseman Matt Olson. And the Phillies match up for a number of A’s players — third baseman Matt Chapman, center fielder Ramón Laureano, reliever Lou Trivino.

Chapman, who is under club control for two more seasons, would be the biggest prize from that group. Third baseman Alec Bohm, whom new Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long recently predicted “would be a force in this league for a long time,” would be a natural target for Oakland. Center fielder Johan Rojas, the Phillies’ No. 5 prospect according to Keith Law, is another potential trade chip.

polo007 · Post #450 » by **polo007** » Sun Mar 13, 2022 12:23 am

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polo007 · Post #451 » by **polo007** » Sun Mar 13, 2022 2:12 am

Trade grades: New York Mets add All-Star Chris Bassitt as Oakland Athletics' rebuild begins - ESPN.com

The trade: The New York Mets acquire RHP Chris Bassitt from the Oakland Athletics for RHPs J.T. Ginn and Adam Oller

With Carlos Rodon, Clayton Kershaw and Yusei Kikuchi off the free-agent market and Zack Greinke now the best remaining starting pitcher, the Mets moved to the trade market to add depth to a rotation that has question marks after Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Taijuan Walker. You hate to give up prospects when you're a big-market club like that Mets who can just pay for players, but they acquire one of the most underrated starting pitchers in the game in Bassitt.

Bassitt went 27-11 with a 3.26 ERA over the past three seasons -- ranking 12th in ERA among pitchers with at least 300 innings and 18th in WAR. That comfortably places him among the top 25 starters in the majors. While he's hardly overpowering with a four-seamer that averaged 93.2 mph in 2021, he's developed into a complete pitcher with plus command, a six-pitch repertoire and enough soft contact to more than make up for a below-average swing-and-miss rate (32nd percentile). He's under team control for just one more season, and while the Mets may have preferred the ace-level upside that Rodon pitched at in 2021, Bassitt is a reliable, sturdy option who pencils in as one of the best No. 3 starters in the league.

The only minor concern is Bassitt was hit in the face by a 100-mph line drive last August, suffering facial fractures in his right cheek area that required surgery. Remarkably, he returned at the end of the season to make two starts, allowing one run over six innings, and showing no post-injury nerves. Bassitt does have a notable home/road split in his career, with a 2.58 ERA at home versus 4.34 on the road (2.30 versus 4.16 over the past three seasons), so he loved pitching in Oakland, but at least he's moving to another good pitcher's park in Citi Field.

The Mets might still be in the market for another starter -- Carlos Carrasco, Tylor Megill and David Peterson are the next options, with Peterson coming off a broken foot and Megill's 4.52 ERA the best of the trio in 2021. With Bassitt, they fix a hole without giving up any of their top prospects while still keeping their payroll below the "Steve Cohen" tax level ... for now, anyway. I like this deal a lot for the Mets.

Mets grade: B+

Let the fire sale begin for the A's. Bassitt is the first to go in what could be a mass exodus: Expect Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas to be next out the door as Billy Beane starts over and begins a new contention cycle. Like Bassitt, Manaea is eligible for free agency after 2022, with Olson, Chapman and Montas eligible after 2023. With the Braves, Dodgers and Yankees all in hot pursuit of free agent Freddie Freeman, the two losers in that bidding contest will have deep interest in Olson (as will other teams).

Ginn is the big return here. A first-round pick out of high school by the Dodgers, Ginn instead went to Mississippi State, winning Southeastern Conference freshman of the year honors and projecting as a potential first-round pick again as a draft-eligible sophomore. He underwent Tommy John surgery, however, and the Mets took him in the second round, signing him to an over-slot bonus. Ginn made 18 starts in Class A, pitching 92 innings with 81 strikeouts, 22 walks and 75 hits allowed in his first pro season. He threw a high-octane fastball as a freshman, but returned a different -- yet still effective -- pitcher in 2021, sitting 90-94 and inducing a lot of grounders (he allowed just three home runs). Ginn could be anything at this point, but right now projects as a mid-rotation a starter unless he gains more velocity. It's a reasonable return for one year of Bassitt.

Oller is the kind of pitcher Beane often gets in trades -- such as when he acquired Bassitt years ago from the White Sox. Oller doesn't appear anywhere on Mets' top 10 prospect lists but had a solid 2021 season, posting a 3.45 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 120 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. He's already 27 years old and that was the first real success he had in the minors -- in fact, the Mets acquired him as a minor league Rule 5 pick. He's a low 90s guy, a sinker/slider/cutter repertoire, but the minor league numbers suggest he could at least be serviceable in a big league rotation in 2022 -- which the A's will obviously need if they end up trading three starters.

The future of this trade probably rests mostly on Ginn, so check back in a few years. For now, it's mostly a downer for A's fans, the first sign that 2022 may be a long season.

A's grade: C

polo007 · Post #452 » by **polo007** » Sun Mar 13, 2022 2:47 am

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SharoneWright · Post #453 » by **SharoneWright** » Sun Mar 13, 2022 3:24 am

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It's the only smart play. How about saving 100+ million dollars over the next few years while keeping all your prospect capital at the same time. Keep us with money to spend and be nimble for years. Bet on your drafting skills.