2018-2019 Offseason Moves

[Trea Burner]

https://twitter.com/dennistlin/status/1105195459092443136?s=21

Solis to the Padres.

Amanda from Winchester stating the obvious in comments.

https://twitter.com/awhite7877/status/1105219107098636294?s=21

[imref]

Or #1 prospects.

[wj73]

Solis to the Padres.

I’ll be at the Angels-Padres game Wednesday in Tempe. I’ll fun to see how he does if he makes an appearance.

[bluestreak]

https://twitter.com/markzuckerman/status/1105822313935749120?s=21

Nationals are signing 35-year-old lefty reliever Tony Sipp, per a source familiar with the deal. (@JonHeyman was first with the agreement)

[Natsinpwc]

https://twitter.com/markzuckerman/status/1105822313935749120?s=21

He apparently sipped under the radar.

[imref]

https://twitter.com/markzuckerman/status/1105822313935749120?s=21

per Zuck: "Sipp posted a 1.86 ERA and 1.034 WHIP last season and held left-handed batters to a .191 average and .557 OPS. Most telling, he made 54 appearances and totaled only 38 2/3 innings, averaging fewer than three batters faced per outing.  Not that righties hit Sipp well, either. They managed only a .209 average and .608 OPS against him last season."

That'll do

MLBTR:

8:50am: It’s a one-year deal for $1.25MM, Dougherty tweets. That includes a $250K buyout on the mutual option, which is priced at $2.5MM, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter link).

[Slateman]

Eh, decent pickup. Hopefully Sipp will pitch like last season and not 2017.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

Eh, decent pickup. Hopefully Sipp will pitch like last season and not 2017.

If he pitches like last year, it's a huge bargain.  If he doesn't, then it's not very much wasted money at all to find out. 

[sixthree175]

This is another value play.  Except for Corbin, all moves this offseason have been value moves.  This means Craig Kimbrel is not in the plans.  Rizzo is done.  Now he can go on a long vacation 

38 2/3 innings is too low for my taste. Can we get at least 50, please?

[DCFan]

This means Craig Kimbrel is not in the plans.  Rizzo is done.  Now he can go on a long vacation 

Even Boz says we should take the plunge and sign Kimbrel.

[Smithian]

Kimbrel would have been nice, but not sure someone can be mad at the Nationals offseason. Outside of San Diego and Philadelphia, no one was more active than the Nats.

[expos1994]

Signing Kimbrel would cause Doolittle to lose his job and create a volatile atmosphere in the clubhouse like what happened when Papelbon came here.. And looking at his price tag I gotta quote Pelosi here and say "he's just not worth it".

[bluestreak]

Signing Kimbrel would cause Doolittle to lose his job and create a volatile atmosphere in the clubhouse like what happened when Papelbon came here.. And looking at his price tag I gotta quote Pelosi here and say "he's just not worth it".

A few days ago, Washington closer Sean Doolittle noticed a social-media buzz that his Nationals might be one of three teams, including the Philadelphia Phillies and perhaps the Atlanta Braves, that were interested in Craig Kimbrel, the unsigned free agent reliever who has the lowest ERA in the majors in the past 100 years.

“I went into [Manager] Davey Martinez’s office and said, ‘I have an empty locker next to me, right between me and Trevor Rosenthal,’ ” Doolittle said, grinning. “If we get him, I would be the first guy at the door to welcome him.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/the-nationals-roster-is-good-not-great-craig-kimbrel-would-be-the-difference/2019/03/12/ac4248ec-44c5-11e9-aaf8-4512a6fe3439_story.html?utm_term=.c89de5b08e7b#click=https://t.co/yQot8FCfrQ

[Slateman]

If you sign Kimbrel, you need to move Doolittle. 

[UMDNats]

If you sign Kimbrel, you need to move Doolittle. 

what?

[UMDNats]

Signing Kimbrel would cause Doolittle to lose his job and create a volatile atmosphere in the clubhouse like what happened when Papelbon came here.. And looking at his price tag I gotta quote Pelosi here and say "he's just not worth it".

Doolittle literally told Martinez he wants Kimbrel.

[Natsinpwc]

If you sign Kimbrel, you need to move Doolittle.

Move lockers?

[Slateman]

Doolittle is a ticking injury time bomb. The only reason hes worth keeping on the roster is because hes an elite closer when healthy. If you're not going to keep him to be the closer, trade him and free up salary space for the deadline.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Doolittle is a ticking injury time bomb. The only reason hes worth keeping on the roster is because hes an elite closer when healthy. If you're not going to keep him to be the closer, trade him and free up salary space for the deadline.

he's set up most of his career and wasn't the full time closer in Oakland when  he was picking up saves.  He'll be fine with working the 8th and filling in for Kimbrel when he needs a day off or there's a ton of lefties to get in the 9th.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

I believe the message that they really want to stay under the luxury tax threshhold this year and reset the penalties.  I don't see them signing Kimbrel.  They have a little bit of wiggle room for the deadline to add pro-rated salary. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I believe the message that they really want to stay under the luxury tax threshhold this year and reset the penalties.  I don't see them signing Kimbrel.  They have a little bit of wiggle room for the deadline to add pro-rated salary. 

Curious if you know:
1) how would renegotiating and signing extensions with Zim and Scherzer impact the threshold?
2) If we signed Rendon on March 29, would that impact this year's competitive balance threshold calculation?

Suppose we signed Scherzer to a one-year extension at $26MM (so he has 4 years, $116MM left instead of 3 years at $30MM AAV) and extended RZ 2 years so his instead of owing $20MM for 2019 (assuming option declined) we owe him $30MM from 2019 to 2021.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

Curious if you know:
1) how would renegotiating and signing extensions with Zim and Scherzer impact the threshold?
2) If we signed Rendon on March 29, would that impact this year's competitive balance threshold calculation?

Suppose we signed Scherzer to a one-year extension at $26MM (so he has 4 years, $116MM left instead of 3 years at $30MM AAV) and extended RZ 2 years so his instead of owing $20MM for 2019 (assuming option declined) we owe him $30MM from 2019 to 2021.

Beats me.  Rizzo himself said it's so complicated that apparently they don't even fully know or understand the figure.

With the news that the DH in NL talk is being tabled and won't be around for next year, so 2021 at the earliest...I can't see extending Zimmerman.  We've already been holding our breath each year he can stay healthy.  Committing another 10 million I don't see.  We'll want to handle his exit gracefully, but I fully anticipate a new 1B next year. 

[Slateman]

he's set up most of his career and wasn't the full time closer in Oakland when  he was picking up saves.  He'll be fine with working the 8th and filling in for Kimbrel when he needs a day off or there's a ton of lefties to get in the 9th.

He was always hurt in Oakland too. If you have Kimbrel,  theres no point in keeping Doolittle, only to shop for a reliever to replace him later in the season

[sixthree175]

He was always hurt in Oakland too. If you have Kimbrel,  theres no point in keeping Doolittle, only to shop for a reliever to replace him later in the season

Doolittlle is at the same time addictive and elusive.  With almost every pitch you wonder, "why didn't that get hit a long way?"  Then when he's on a roll, he gets hurt.  It's a moot point because Rizzo is done spending tons of money this year.   There's just enough left for some Chris Cuomo caliber hair plugs.

[Five Banners]

Curious if you know:
1) how would renegotiating and signing extensions with Zim and Scherzer impact the threshold?
2) If we signed Rendon on March 29, would that impact this year's competitive balance threshold calculation?

Suppose we signed Scherzer to a one-year extension at $26MM (so he has 4 years, $116MM left instead of 3 years at $30MM AAV) and extended RZ 2 years so his instead of owing $20MM for 2019 (assuming option declined) we owe him $30MM from 2019 to 2021.

It could be worth it for the cost calculators if for the sake of dodging the threshold they'd examine the feasibility of the singing bonus route that Philly did to lower their threshold hit on Harper.