Improving the team

[rayhbr]

After losing out on signing Cespedes, any ideas on how to improve roster, more bats or pitchers ?

[rileyn]

I'm fine with losing out on Cespedes.  I'm not fine with Paplebon closing games for us. 

[Mr Clean]

After losing out on signing Cespedes, any ideas on how to improve roster, more bats or pitchers ?

Get Colorado on the phone.

And a big fat no to Desmond.

[dshawg77]

http://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-free-agents-2015-16/

Here is a good list of what's left.

Why not clippard?

[Baseball is Life]

Need another starting pitcher and another closer. Even if you get past the Pap personality, he was just not effective down the stretch and I think he's done as a big time closer.

[houston-nat]

I think roll the dice on a back-end starting pitcher - we don't really need one, so we can afford to gamble on somebody like Mat Latos or Cliff Lee.

And definitely dump Papelbon.

[Slateman]

http://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-free-agents-2015-16/

Here is a good list of what's left.

Why not clippard?

We shat on his best friend twice and then traded him away. Clippard isn't coming back.

[GburgNatsFan]

This kind of drama may be what's keeping other players from coming here.

We shat on his best friend twice and then traded him away. Clippard isn't coming back.

[Slateman]

This kind of drama may be what's keeping other players from coming here.

Some, but right now the big issue is money

[Optics]

I'd look at acquiring a C. Ramos was a big disappointment last year.

We also need another SP. I like Scherzer/Stras of course and I think Ross will be a fine #3 but he's never gone a full season. Gio could be declining though and we don't want a 5th guy who is just an auto loss(i.e. Haren in 2013) in what looks like it could be a tight division race.

[BrandonK]

Sign/trade for another SP, trade for one of the Rox OFers, trade Paps, sign Clip, Rivero as the 'closer'

[NJ Ave]

I'd look at acquiring a C. Ramos was a big disappointment last year.

My issue with this is that at a certain point, you just need your players to perform. You can't just go around giving up big assets (like what Lucroy would cost) to fill every position where you have an underperforming player.

There is absolutely no reason Ramos shouldn't be a 2-2.5 WAR C. He's maybe not a world beater, but there's no reason he should be average or a little above. Even his crappy 2014 offense was good enough to be 2+ WAR over a full season.

I don't know, it just feels like you close your window really fast if you replace guys who should be more productive by selling off your long-term assets.

[BrandonK]

Ramos has never been a great catcher, only average/serviceable. He lived on potential and injuries the first couple of years, but why would anyone expect him to "bounce back" from a season like last year? That's just what he is.

[varoadking]

http://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-free-agents-2015-16/

Here is a good list of what's left.

We should get David Murphy so we can have 2 Murphy's...

[NJ Ave]

Ramos has never been a great catcher, only average/serviceable. He lived on potential and injuries the first couple of years, but why would anyone expect him to "bounce back" from a season like last year? That's just what he is.

Among other reasons, because average players often bounce back from seasons where they struggle?

His Steamer projection is for 1.7 WAR in 400 PA, with offense very similar to 2014 but obviously well below his best seasons. That sounds just about right to me.

Lucroy is projected at 2.7 WAR in 520 PA, which I think is a little pessimistic.

Obviously these are projections, and Ramos could suck while Lucroy is an MVP candidate. I'm just pointing out that in believing that, you are choosing to make assumptions and not believe the likeliest outcome.

The likeliest outcome in my mind is that Lucroy is 1-1.5 WAR better than Ramos each season over the next 2 seasons. Is that worth paying a king's ransom in prospects for?

[mitlen]

We should get David Murphy so we can have 2 Murphy's...

#5 and #10

[varoadking]

#5 and #10

We'd need the Woolworth's for that... 

[mitlen]

We'd need the Woolworth's for that... 

Did yunz have G. C. Murphy?    OTG, I don't recall a Woolworths.    My bad.    I remember Woolworths but I don't recall ever bein' in one (or even seein' one).

[Mattionals]

Since it seems like the Cespedes thing was an ownership move, I doubt the team changes much unless there is a big trade coming. I still have visions of CarGo and/or Lucroy, but I doubt it actually happens. I feel that with one injury or poor production from someone who is being counted on to produce, and the team is sunk.

[BrandonK]

Still want Blackmon or Dickerson > CarGo. One has to be on the move since they signed Parra, right?

[houston-nat]

Some, but right now the big issue is money

??? We made the high bids to Zobrist and Heyward and probably Cespedes.

[tomterp]

Did yunz have G. C. Murphy?    OTG, I don't recall a Woolworths.    My bad.    I remember Woolworths but I don't recall ever bein' in one (or even seein' one).

We had Woolworths and Murphy (Murphies?) around here.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I'd think about offering Fowler maybe 3/$40MM.  Revere is cheap enough to take on what amounts to a starter's salary for a guy who is not locked in as the starter.  Maybe even make that a $4MM bonus and 3 years at $12MM, allowing an opt out after the 1st year if he gives up the bonus.  I'd love it if he played well enough to push Revere to the bench.  They could possibly split time, and at worst he pushes Michael T to the minors.  We do give up the 2d round pick, but he has pretty good power, speed, and OBP.  I'm not convinced about his D, although he'd be playing the easier CF and LF here.  Throws a nice switch hitter who can hit lefties into the bench mix.

[Mattionals]

I'd think about offering Fowler maybe 3/$40MM.  Revere is cheap enough to take on what amounts to a starter's salary for a guy who is not locked in as the starter.  Maybe even make that a $4MM bonus and 3 years at $12MM, allowing an opt out after the 1st year if he gives up the bonus.  I'd love it if he played well enough to push Revere to the bench.  They could possibly split time, and at worst he pushes Michael T to the minors.  We do give up the 2d round pick, but he has pretty good power, speed, and OBP.  I'm not convinced about his D, although he'd be playing the easier CF and LF here.  Throws a nice switch hitter who can hit lefties into the bench mix.

I liked Fowler before the Nats got Revere. I'd still like him over Blackmon and I'd be comfortable with Revere/Fowler/Harper in the OF. Revere and Werth can platoon in LF and can back up 1B with CRob once Zim inevitably lands on the DL with a nasty pinky contusion. I wasn't heavy in on Cespedes because of the defensive liabilities, but it would have been nice to have another big bat in the middle of the lineup for the recently stated issues.

[Mr Clean]

No more FAs. Trade for an OFer and Lucroy.