Offseason Stuff

[CSF77]

signing cole doesn’t have to mean they are going all in next year. It could be setting up for a year or two out with a rotation of Cole, Marquez, Darvish, Hendricks and maybe an arm you get for Bryant. I don’t think you pass up a TOR arm when it’s available because you don’t think next year is your year.

Cole is going to net 35+ AAV. He is expected to blow Price's record out of the water.

 

[CSF77]

Bryant, Chatwood and Q would only get decent returns from desperate teams, especially when KB wins his grievance. We can hope we get someones Gleybor for the lot of the three of them, but I doubt anyone is gonna be that stupid. We gotta believe San Diego is out of Bryant after signing Machado unless he is ticketed for the outfield. They still have the richest farm, and maybe Bryant would want to sign long term back home.

Seriously, Chatwood, Alzolay, Mills, Rhea and the Graverman investment should be able to find a 5 and a 6. Yeah, I would love to see a 6 man rotation, especially since how many relievers can you use a game when they gotta face 3 hitters, Lester getting older (while some here are considering him and his ego as a 4 or a 5?

Even Bryant at 1 year can get a fringe top 100 arm.

Basically is he worth Marquez or Alozay? Answer is yes because those 2 are not established and they are not top 100. Cease pre promote no. He was top 50 and on the cusp.

But for 2 years then we are talking a nice package.

Q is worth what Dempster got. Hendricks who was not on the radar. So equivalent would be Miller in AAA. More so a MR vs a rotation arm. Or a Abbot. Same thing.

 

[Discus fish salesman]

Cole is going to net 35+ AAV. He is expected to blow Price's record out of the water.

Yeah I’m not saying it is going to happen, no matter how much I’d like it to, but just saying that you can’t pass someone like him up simply due to expectations for next year.

 

[CSF77]

Yeah I’m not saying it is going to happen, no matter how much I’d like it to, but just saying that you can’t pass someone like him up simply due to expectations for next year.

My prediction.

LAAthey are getting Otani back. But they need an anchor. They have proven to be big time buyers in Pujos and giving crazy money to retain baseball God.

So them putting up 250M on Cole is expected. Add to it they commited to a winning manager. They are aiming at taking down the Astros next year.

Again with Theo signing Ross the signal is not big play. It is retool and get David established as a manager. This is a mini window situation not a major play situation.

So this year for myself. If they sign a legit 8th inning guy and make the pen outstanding. Get Alozay out there every 5th day. Push Abbott to AAA and Marquez to AA. I'm ok

Even if they don't trade Chatwood, Q or Bryant. I would rather let it ride to June vs take a bad return.

 

[CSF77]

On Rea. He was part of Jed's Padre tenure. Was traded to FLA and forced to return in a shaddy deal by the current GM. Hiding injury. Then he got DFA kicked later by them. Last year he signed with Iowa due to it being his home state and to be honest it is convenient to re-establish in your back yard.

So he is a feel good story and ya know I would have no issue with it. But he was never moved to the 40 man so it doesn't seem that he is or ever was on the radar. He had great success last year vs AAA talent. But we really don't know if that transcends to the next level. Shoot thy brought up Mills who was in and out with injury vs add Rea. So that tells me that they are not serious about him and he will catch on with another opertunity.

 

[anotheridiot]

Rea was 14-4 in 26 starts with a 3.95 era. 120K 60 bb, 146 innings. Iowas best starter, PCL all star and he never got to sniff the big league club.
You would have figured a 29 year old would have gotten one of the spot starts, maybe he was on normal rest with the opportunities, I dont know. Apparently they knew enough about him to count him out.

 

[CSF77]

He was a 91-93 with great command of a curve and a split-change.

He comes at a downhill angle from his 6-5 frame that generates ground balls. His strike outs are a bit low but he walks few also.

To be honest he is a guy that they should gamble on with the 5. The command part and he feels that he has more velocity in the tank post TJS.

I like starters that don't beat themselves.

 

[TL1961]

I absolutely do not understand how someone who complains ceaselessly about Contreras' framing, though he is a net average defensive C even with framing taken into account, can turn around and advocate that Ian Happ should be the starting CF next year. It's just wildly inconsistent.

Contreras framing is nowhere close to average.

His arm is good, but he makes a ton of throwing errors and is bad at catching pitches and throws to the plate.

If you honestly believe he is league average defensively you aren’t watching others.

 

[TL1961]

He was a 91-93 with great command of a curve and a split-change.

He comes at a downhill angle from his 6-5 frame that generates ground balls. His strike outs are a bit low but he walks few also.

To be honest he is a guy that they should gamble on with the 5. The command part and he feels that he has more velocity in the tank post TJS.

I like starters that don't beat themselves.

Who is “he”?

 

[fatbeard]

Contreras framing is nowhere close to average.

His arm is good, but he makes a ton of throwing errors and is bad at catching pitches and throws to the plate.

If you honestly believe he is league average defensively you aren’t watching others.

If you can back this up, I'd like to see it.

Every defensive metric I've seen indicates he's an overall average defensive C. Unfortunate for him, he plays in a division with Yadier Molina, so most of the fan community has seized on how bad he looks in comparison to the greatest defensive C in MLB history.

 

[CSF77]

Who is “he”?

Sorry Colin Rea

14-4 3.95 ERA Iowa. 148 IP 1.36 WHIP 120 SO,

He performed nice last year and is a ground ball pitcher with strong command of his curve.

 

[Steve_A]

Yeah I’m not saying it is going to happen, no matter how much I’d like it to, but just saying that you can’t pass someone like him up simply due to expectations for next year.

Agree 100%.

↓The reason why next year won't do.
https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/free-agents/2021/starting-pitcher/

 

[anotheridiot]

Contreras framing is nowhere close to average.

His arm is good, but he makes a ton of throwing errors and is bad at catching pitches and throws to the plate.

If you honestly believe he is league average defensively you aren’t watching others.

His arm is exceptional, please dont just talk him down saying it is only good.

Framing is a two way street. You get pitchers being a ball width off the zone, you get a good cheater, I mean framer. You get a guy like Lester berating umpires for not giving him a zone 6 inches big, the catcher does not get much help.

Dont rule out he is a career 11.5 war guy, 3.1 last year. Other than 2018 where he hit .249/.339/.390 after a dismal second half (after being the all star game starter) he is giving you .275/.350/.500 offensively.

Theo brought up the point he has been trying different ways of cheating and thought he liked where he is right now. You watch other guys move their gloves a foot to frame and are being called the good cheaters. Its just bringing it back to the corner that makes a great one. But yeah, lets just get him cheating better and accept a .240/.300/.390 offensive player.

 

[CSF77]

Agree one 100%.

↓The reason why next year won't do.
https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/free-agents/2021/starting-pitcher/

I agree with you on the pitching market being much better. But they are not getting Cole. But the Cole market will cause a back up on pitching that most likely will drag out until February again.

My prediction:

LAA: Cole
SDP: Strasberg
NYY: Wheeler
Ordonzzi wild card.
Pinedia wild card
Wood wild card
ATL: MadBum
LAD: Ryu
Hou: Rick Porcello
Bos: Rich Hill
Phi: Smyly
CWS: Dallas Keuchel

 

[fatbeard]

I agree with you on the pitching market being much better. But they are not getting Cole. But the Cole market will cause a back up on pitching that most likely will drag out until February again.

My prediction:

LAA: Cole
SDP: Strasberg
NYY: Wheeler
Ordonzzi wild card.
Pinedia wild card
Wood wild card
ATL: MadBum
LAD: Ryu
Hou: Rick Porcello
Bos: Rich Hill
Phi: Smyly
CWS: Dallas Keuchel

Strasburg is not going to opt out. He likes DC and signed a below-market deal to stay there instead of hitting FA when he had the chance.

 

[CSF77]

His arm is exceptional, please dont just talk him down saying it is only good.

Framing is a two way street. You get pitchers being a ball width off the zone, you get a good cheater, I mean framer. You get a guy like Lester berating umpires for not giving him a zone 6 inches big, the catcher does not get much help.

Dont rule out he is a career 11.5 war guy, 3.1 last year. Other than 2018 where he hit .249/.339/.390 after a dismal second half (after being the all star game starter) he is giving you .275/.350/.500 offensively.

Theo brought up the point he has been trying different ways of cheating and thought he liked where he is right now. You watch other guys move their gloves a foot to frame and are being called the good cheaters. Its just bringing it back to the corner that makes a great one. But yeah, lets just get him cheating better and accept a .240/.300/.390 offensive player.

If he was league avg at framing then he would be a top 3 catcher in baseball. The only reason why he mentioned in the same breath is because his bat is the best ranked in baseball.

He is Piazza. Don't try to make it more than it is.

 

[anotheridiot]

Is calling him a HALL OF FAME catcher, really making more than it is? Jeez, you are really reaching now.

He had no arm, no quickness, did not speak spanish.

 

[CSF77]

Is calling him a HALL OF FAME catcher, really making more than it is? Jeez, you are really reaching now.

He had no arm, no quickness, did not speak spanish.

U funny guy.

They are both bat first players.

If both were below league avg hitters with 10 HR power they would not be behind the dish.

Every thing else is bull shit.

If baseball was playing the 1980's game still where teams were built to run still then his arm would mean something.

Only 1 team won the world series built on small ball sense 2001. KC. And that was because KC was built to play in their park. Put the ball in play team. But even then their back bone was their pen. That is why the won it all.

That is the only reason why in this day and age Contreras is behind the dish. His bat. Not his cool arm skills.

 

[CSF77]

And to let it be known my opinion on this.

I personally can give a rats ass about the subject.

But my logical opinion is.

It depends on your staff.

If they are finesse and lack balls to the walls ability then you need a finesse catcher that can max out your staff.

If the staff is all 95+ scudd tossers that don't need to screw around living on the edge then ya as long as he can dig it out of the dirt you are good.

 

[knoxville7]

Strasburg is not going to opt out. He likes DC and signed a below-market deal to stay there instead of hitting FA when he had the chance.

I would imagine Strasburg by that train of thought, would opt out to simply resign for more years at the same annual salary to give himself longer term security. I don’t really see a logical reason for him to not opt out at this point