2020-21 Offseason

[Slateman]

Ozuna and McCann are coming off monster performances (relative to their career norms) and are likely a sucker bet to sign at their market value this offseason.

What's the argument against entering a rebuild?

The Lerners have refused every rebuild. Nats had a deal in place for Harper and the Lerners nixed jt.

[UMDNats]

I'd agree that blowing money on a catcher is a bad idea. Gomes is fine so getting someone to play with him would be acceptable.

I wish we had a minor league season to see where our younger prospects end up because we have some decent guys in the low minors who could be trade pieces, but now they're still such an unknown they have 0 value.

[imref]

I'd agree that blowing money on a catcher is a bad idea. Gomes is fine so getting someone to play with him would be acceptable.

I wish we had a minor league season to see where our younger prospects end up because we have some decent guys in the low minors who could be trade pieces, but now they're still such an unknown they have 0 value.

unless he retires, I think they'll bring back Kurt on a 1-year deal.

[CoryTheFormerExposFan]

Sign a guy you know is solid defensively and hope he hits some. We know Suzuki is subpar defensively, and at his age he may not hold up or hit.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Sign a guy you know is solid defensively and hope he hits some. We know Suzuki is subpar defensively, and at his age he may not hold up or hit.

well, you can always adjust the playing time between Suzuki and Gomes if you bring Suzuki back for a year and he shows he can't carry 50% of the load.  It's probably too soon to expect help from Pineda at all next year.

I still like a Realmuto  move because it keeps him off other teams as well as helps your own, but it may just get to silly prices so I would not say Realmuto or bust.  Bauer is interesting to set up the replacement for Scherzer as lead dog for 2022 forward.  They do like getting the replacement a year early, and running a season with Bauer - Scherzer - Strasburg - Corbin would be fun. 

Still, I think the biggest might be a righty bat to pair with Soto, and that probably is a corner OF or 1B.  I might want a corner OF a bit more just because I think RZ will play and give you decent production next year.  If there's a DH, then a 1B makes sense.   

I'm skeptical about multi-year packages for relievers and kind of like the Rainey - Finnegan group with possibly Romero and Suero and maybe a McGowin / Fedde / Braymer giving you a multi-inning guy.  Bring back Doo if you don't have to break the bank, and he's at worst a veteran lefty.   I would be OK with a veteran lefty and Romero for lefties next year.  I think Rainey / Finnegan get the higher leverage situations, and consider shifting roles for Harris and Hudson.

[Slateman]

If you get Realmuto, he plays every day. You just DH him on his "off day"

[JCA-CrystalCity]

If you get Realmuto, he plays every day. You just DH him on his "off day"

Yes.  It's a pivot decision for your off-season.  It probably gives you options for what you do at corner OF and 1B, maybe letting you see if a player drops in the free agent market and will sign short for a pillow contract / bounceback year. It makes you more comfortable bringing RZ back.

[Natsinpwc]

Yes.  It's a pivot decision for your off-season.  It probably gives you options for what you do at corner OF and 1B, maybe letting you see if a player drops in the free agent market and will sign short for a pillow contract / bounceback year. It makes you more comfortable bringing RZ back.

If they sign Realmuto probably $25 million and doesn’t leave much at all to fill other holes after factoring in arbitration for Turner and others.   I think the Mets are going to go all out to make a splash and sign him. He’s had Lower body injury issues late in the season the past two years.  Seems a big risk. 

[Natsinpwc]

If you get Realmuto, he plays every day. You just DH him on his "off day"

That should help with his strained hip flexor!!

[JCA-CrystalCity]

If they sign Realmuto probably $25 million and doesn’t leave much at all to fill other holes after factoring in arbitration for Turner and others.   I think the Mets are going to go all out to make a splash and sign him. He’s had Lower body injury issues late in the season the past two years.  Seems a big risk. 

Why I call it a pivot decision is that the option of going for a #1 SP like Bauer probably falls off the table, and you have less of a need of finding a major righty bat at corner outfield or 1B.

Still, for grins and giggles, I kind of like this lineup:

Turner
Soto
Castro (contact guy around  .300 with a little power)
Realmuto
DH
RZ
Garcia
Corner OF
Robles

If Stevenson ends up holding down a corner, then him leading off, followed by Turner / Soto / Realmuto / Castro or DH / RZ is pretty nice, too.

[Natsinpwc]

Why I call it a pivot decision is that the option of going for a #1 SP like Bauer probably falls off the table, and you have less of a need of finding a major righty bat at corner outfield or 1B.

Still, for grins and giggles, I kind of like this lineup:

Turner
Soto
Castro (contact guy around  .300 with a little power)
Realmuto
DH
RZ
Garcia
Corner OF
Robles

If Stevenson ends up holding down a corner, then him leading off, followed by Turner / Soto / Realmuto / Castro or DH / RZ is pretty nice, too.

Would be quite the lineup.  Phillies proves this year that you could score lots of runs and still have a losing record!  Can I thank you again for Hembree and Workman.

[Slateman]

I think y'all are crazy if you think the Lerners are going to approve Rizzo to spend a ton on another premium free agent. They got their championship. They have a ton of deferred money. They know that they have to sign Soto long term and that is going to take a truck load of cash.

That being said, the absolute best investment that could be made this offaeason would be Trevor Bauer. We know this is a sub .500 team without Stras or Scherzer. It's a mortal lock that neither of them will make it through next season healthy. Bauer basically gives us a reliable ace.

But also, Bauer's mindset and analytics are sorely needed in this franchise. Him talking and working with Cavalli, Rutledge, and Cate would make his contract pay for itself.

[hotshot]

Per Dan Sclossberg, writing in Forbes on Bauer, "The outspoken righthander said he intends to sign only one-year contracts, at a higher annual level than he might attain in a multi-year deal." 

[Slateman]

Per Dan Sclossberg, writing in Forbes on Bauer, "The outspoken righthander said he intends to sign only one-year contracts, at a higher annual level than he might attain in a multi-year deal." 

Yea, I'm gonna call bullcrap. I seriously doubt he's gonna turn down 200+ million

[imref]

Doolittle says goodbye:

https://twitter.com/whatwouldDOOdo/status/1311869887262924800?s=20

[DCFan]

Doolittle says goodbye:

https://twitter.com/whatwouldDOOdo/status/1311869887262924800?s=20

He filled a huge hole for us at a pivotal time and I want to thank him for what he did to get a Series win for us. 

[imref]

He filled a huge hole for us at a pivotal time and I want to thank him for what he did to get a Series win for us. 

Yep. He held things together as best he could in the first half of 2019, and came back strong for the playoff run.

[Natsinpwc]

Yea, I'm gonna call bullcrap. I seriously doubt he's gonna turn down 200+ million

As a pitcher he would have to be a real dumbass to not take a multi year deal.  Of course he seems like a dumbass. 

[Slateman]

As a pitcher he would have to be a real dumbass to not take a multi year deal.  Of course he seems like a dumbass. 

Not sure how you arrived at that conclusion. He's one of, if not the, most analytical pitchers in the history of baseball. His mental prep is continuous and he is constantly researching and taking classes on various subjects to try and get an edge.

I would LOVE to have him in DC on a one year, 30+ million deal. If he got one of our pitching prospects to go to Drive Line or adopt his methods, it would pay for itself.

[Natsinpwc]

Not sure how you arrived at that conclusion. He's one of, if not the, most analytical pitchers in the history of baseball. His mental prep is continuous and he is constantly researching and taking classes on various subjects to try and get an edge.

I would LOVE to have him in DC on a one year, 30+ million deal. If he got one of our pitching prospects to go to Drive Line or adopt his methods, it would pay for itself.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/feb/21/why-on-earth-is-climate-skeptic-twitter-troll-trevor-bauer-mlb-most-hated-man

"Few can quibble with Bauer’s production on the field: he’s an All-Star starting pitcher who went 12-2 last year for the Indians with a 2.21 ERA. He also likes to portray himself as an iconoclastic rebel, the last honest man. “I’m good at two things in this world,” he said in a recent Sports Illustrated profile, “throwing baseballs and pissing people off.” The story also goes into detail about his unconventional training methods, which include pumping electricity into his brain."

"It’s unlikely that these incidents were the Indians’ main “character” concerns regarding their ace. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the biggest sticking point for the Indians was Bauer’s use of social media, which has come into sharp focus over the last few months for all the wrong reasons. To get a sense of how he conducts himself, it’s helpful to know that his Twitter handle is the all-so-self-aware @BauerOutage. He has earned plenty of attention thanks to his skepticism about climate change, HIS BIGOTED JOKES and the occasional blocking spree."

I added the CAPS.

[Slateman]

And?

[NatNasty]

People ranting on twitter about people ranting on twitter??  I don't believe it.  That would never happen.

[hotshot]

Kyle Franzoni, writing in the Halo Hangout in Anaheim, thinks Bauer's agent (a Ms. Luba) is looking at a one-year contract for $40M for Trevor. And, even with the worrying economic situation for MLB, she might just get it.

[aspenbubba]

If you get Realmuto, he plays every day. You just DH him on his "off day"

Everyday is OK. I would have him split time with Gomes and let him play 1B ( can he?) on his "off" days. Preserves his legs.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Bauer strikes me a bit like Kyrie Irving, who says the earth is flat.  Bright guy who enjoys saying stuff to annoy people.  I'm much happier with Kemba, but I don't know the Kemba equivalent among free agent pitchers.