2023-24 Off-Season Discussion

[imref]

Yeah, we got Juan!!

[Natsinpwc]

Conor Seabold would be a decent acquisition on a minor league deal. Rockies released him. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

https://twitter.com/jonheyman/status/1732490112787689510

LET'S GOOOOO

holy crow, we got one we called! WNFF has value!

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Conor Seabold would be a decent acquisition on a minor league deal. Rockies released him. 

agreed if he can be signed to a minor league deal.

[Slateman]

holy crow, we got one we called! WNFF has value!

Just put us in charge

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Quantrill dealt to Rox.

Juan Yepez has had some hot streaks for the Cards. Might be a guy to look at. Bad 2023 in 60 or so at bats after  a nice 2022.

Id take a shot on Juan Yepez

Now he just has to turn into Randy Arozarena.

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/juan-yepez/18400/stats?position=DH/OF

Minor league deal makes this even better.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Yepez has long shown big raw power in BP, enough that he was once acquired via trade (from Atlanta for Matt Adams) and was on prospect lists before the power output really began showing up in games. He struggled to stay healthy early in his career and didn't slug over .400 at any level until 2019, when he broke camp in the Midwest League for the third straight year. The home runs finally began to pile up in 2021, when Yepez suddenly hit 27 combined between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis, mostly at the latter. He then went to the Arizona Fall League, where he faced pitchers who were worse on the average than those he had seen throughout the regular season. He homered seven more times in just 23 games in Arizona, creating some perhaps overzealous buzz. While Yepez easily has plus power, the track record for 1B/DH-only types who strike out as much as he does, especially for the swing-happy reasons he has tended to, isn't great. Yepez had walked at a 5-6% clip in the low-to-mid minors, but showed a year-over-year increase in 2019 (9% in a 72-game sample) and ’21 (12% in 134 games, including the AFL), and he's has presented some visual evidence that he’s refined his approach (he’s ditching his leg kick with two strikes).

Now in the big leagues (enough that he graduated from rookie status prior to list pub), Yepez has tended to expand the zone. So far in 2022, his chase rates (38% O-Swing) are among the top 25 chasiest in baseball (the big league average is 32%). While all of that is true, his power is huge and Yepez's feel for contact is actually quite good; when he's swinging at strikes, he tends to find a way to put the bat on the ball and pull it with power. In addition to developing an actual two-strike approach, Yepez has also slimmed way down even just since the 2021 Fall League, and he's learning at the wing of Albert Pujols as a big league rookie. These are all reasons for Cardinals fans to hope I'm going to end up being light on Yepez's projection, and indeed, if he gets regular at-bats, it won't surprise me if Yepez has several 25-plus homer seasons. But at the 1B/DH end of the defensive spectrum (Yepez has mostly played the outfield corner in the big leagues and hasn't been good), even amid a big peak year or two, players like this tend to perform close to the 1 annual WAR range as part-time corner role players or low-end options at their position, like Christian Walker, Michael Chavis, and Ryon Healy. Yepez has better tactile feel to hit than those guys, and maybe the more precise comp is Franmil Reyes. This is a dangerous hitter who I think has a place in a good big league lineup (like the current Cardinals lineup), but I have to factor the approach-related bust risk (and year-to-year volatility) into Yepez's grade, since that specific trait tends to create highly variable year-to-year performance.

https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/the-board/2022-graduates?search=yep

[imref]

minor league deal, absolutely no downside.

[IanRubbish]

Candy to the Reds.

Considering House and Morales are in our system, not a big deal, one of those guys should be starting at 3B in 2025.

[nobleisthyname]

We signed Nick Senzel.

Nick Senzel to Nationals  $2M plus $1M PBs

https://twitter.com/jonheyman/status/1732649370175095295?t=bsTHbtMSqHXbNGi0vWP8hw

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Senzel is not that bad of a signing. Doesn't move the needle much but it is another dice roll on a busted prospect. Feels like a waste of a roster spot. Predicted by many outsiders.

[madj55]

Only $2M so it doesn’t really matter, but don’t understand this move. He’s essentially an older Carter Kieboom at 3B and a worse fielding Alex Call in the outfield.

This move lets me know Rowdy Tellez will be the big lefty power bat they keep talking about. Thrilling.

[Natsinpwc]

All very predictable.

Senzel is not much different keeping Robles.  Hoping for the next Lane Thomas.

All in for the 2024 Tank.  3 of the 4 major DC sports teams tanking and the other should be.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Only $2M so it doesn’t really matter, but don’t understand this move. He’s essentially an older Carter Kieboom at 3B and a worse fielding Alex Call in the outfield.

This move lets me know Rowdy Tellez will be the big lefty power bat they keep talking about. Thrilling.

definitely feels like they are throwing 3 or 4 pieces of monkee poo against the wall to see what sticks. Figure one of Kieboom, Alu, and Senzel will be below predictions, one spot on, and one a pleasant surprise. If none stick, then there's always Vargas - every day, every play. ~) . Feels like a waste of a roster spot, TBH.

I am not even sure Tellez is somebody they go after unless he's less than $5 million.

[UMDNats]

I didn't really care to give Candelario $45 million.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I didn't really care to give Candelario $45 million.

It probably makes more sense for the Reds than the Nats, so that's why it happened the way it did. It's not necessarily LAC, it's more about not blocking House / Lipscomb / Morales.

2024 will be painful to watch until some position prospects come up, and it will be painful to watch after that unless they flourish.

[Natsinpwc]

I didn't really care to give Candelario $45 million.

Well they are not spending $15 million a year on anyone.

[UMDNats]

It probably makes more sense for the Reds than the Nats, so that's why it happened the way it did. It's not necessarily LAC, it's more about not blocking House / Lipscomb / Morales.

2024 will be painful to watch until some position prospects come up, and it will be painful to watch after that unless they flourish.

I think the first month or so may will be trash especially given Davey's track record but once summer rolls around and Crews is up the vibe will change. Second half should be really fun.

[Slateman]

Quantrill dealt to Rox.

Juan Yepez has had some hot streaks for the Cards. Might be a guy to look at. Bad 2023 in 60 or so at bats after  a nice 2022.

Id take a shot on Juan Yepez

Cammerato drops 3 potential free agent names and gives a little profile - Tellez, Senzel, and Vogelbach.
https://www.mlb.com/nationals/news/free-agent-candidates-for-nationals

Her thinking is that between 3rd and 1B/ DH, there's room for one signing, either to pair with Meneses or to compete with Kieboom / Alu / Vargas.

Trade Irvin and Thomas for Alek Manoah

Sign Yepez, Senzel, and one of Suter/Stephenson/Bush and see what plays out

freak yea, we run this town tonight

[nobleisthyname]

Feels like a waste of a roster spot, TBH.

Between this and the Nasim Nuñez pick I don't really get it either. I guess this means Jacob Young and Jake Alu are probably sent back to the minors. Kieboom is out of options so would need to be DFA'd I believe if they want him sent down. Call could be another option to send down, not sure what his roster status is exactly off hand.

[Slateman]

Honestly, I don't know why you'd hang on to Vargas at this point. Maybe they think they can flip him at the deadline.

[Slateman]

Between this and the Nasim Nuñez pick I don't really get it either. I guess this means Jacob Young and Jake Alu are probably sent back to the minors. Kieboom is out of options so would need to be DFA'd I believe if they want him sent down. Call could be another option to send down, not sure what his roster status is exactly off hand.

We have open competition at second, third, and center at this point. Its not like you can't just DFA Nunez if you decide he's not worth it either.

[nobleisthyname]

I think taking a pitcher in the Rule 5 would have made more sense to me. Hard to imagine a guy who was overmatched in AA will suddenly figure it out at the big league level.

[Natsinpwc]

It probably makes more sense for the Reds than the Nats, so that's why it happened the way it did. It's not necessarily LAC, it's more about not blocking House / Lipscomb / Morales.

2024 will be painful to watch until some position prospects come up, and it will be painful to watch after that unless they flourish.

Reading comments from Reds fans it makes no sense to them that they would replace young guys with Candy.  I guess they will rotate him between 3B, 1B and DH. Nats had and gave the more obvious hope at 3B. You can rationalize it any way you want but it’s the owners not willing to spend to improve the team. Looks like a 65-70 win team.

[nobleisthyname]

Reading comments from Reds fans it makes no sense to them that they would replace young guys with Candy.  I guess they will rotate him between 3B, 1B and DH. Nats had and gave the more obvious hope at 3B. You can rationalize it any way you want but it’s the owners not willing to spend to improve the team. Looks like a 65-70 win team.

I do think we overachieved a bit last season, so 65-70 wins is probably about right.