Author Topic: 2025 Off-season - general thread  (Read 7063 times)

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Offline Slateman

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2025 Off-season - general thread
« Topic Start: September 30, 2024, 08:51:47 AM »
The Cardinals are looking to unload Sonny Gray. Do we want? I would assume he either comes dirt cheap or the Cards eat some money.

He signed  a three year, 75 million dollar deal last offseason, so its not like the contract would be an albatross

Offline Smithian

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Re: Re: Now we’re having fun: 2025 Nats Roster
« Reply #1: September 30, 2024, 09:35:53 AM »
The Cardinals are looking to unload Sonny Gray. Do we want? I would assume he either comes dirt cheap or the Cards eat some money.

He signed  a three year, 75 million dollar deal last offseason, so its not like the contract would be an albatross
That would be an ideal trade. Nationals have a couple years before the arbitration game may get tricky. This is the ideal example of a situation where a team would let go of some real talent for a not big prospect return if you're willing to eat some contract.

Gray and Gore would be a solid 1-2 you can place at the top of the rotation in 2025, even if Gray has some decline. If Gray falls apart, the Nationals payroll situation next couple years isn't going to be devastated by his contract. I think the difference in Corbin's regulary salary versus deferrals alone would cover the Gray contract if the Cardinals ate a small but of it.

Offline imref

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Re: Re: Now we’re having fun: 2025 Nats Roster
« Reply #2: September 30, 2024, 10:57:00 AM »
Gray would be a heck of an addition to the rotation, and we've got prospects to trade.

Now what do we do about 1B and DH? Seems obvious Chaparro and Yepez aren't the answer.

Offline Slateman

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Re: Re: Now we’re having fun: 2025 Nats Roster
« Reply #3: September 30, 2024, 11:00:45 AM »
So, the biggest concerns are that Gray is going to be 35 next year and that he has health concerns. Since the COVID year, he's made 26, 24, 32, and 28 starts.

For the right price, it would be worth it.

Could we get them to package Nolan Gorman or Alec Burleson with Gray? Its a gamble, but you could pair one of them with Chapparo or Yepez, you'd have a solid platoon set up.

Offline zimm_da_kid

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2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #4: September 30, 2024, 02:18:18 PM »
Gray's contract is backloaded.  $10mil this past year, $25mill 2025, and $35mil 2026.  He's good but meh.

The Cardinals report actually more generally says that they are looking to cut payroll.  I'd like to see if we could get wilson contreras to be our new catcher.  He's a legit #5 hitter in a lineup.

Offline Slateman

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #5: September 30, 2024, 03:04:00 PM »
Gray's contract is backloaded.  $10mil this past year, $25mill 2025, and $35mil 2026.  He's good but meh.

The Cardinals report actually more generally says that they are looking to cut payroll.  I'd like to see if we could get wilson contreras to be our new catcher.  He's a legit #5 hitter in a lineup.

So its Nightengale, but he specifically states that the Cardinals are looking to shop Gray: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2024/09/29/mlb-awards-2024-shohei-ohtani-aaron-judge-mvp/75437739007/

Quote
The St. Louis Cardinals, who will announce a series of personnel moves on Monday with Chaim Bloom taking on a greater role, plan to shop veteran starter Sonny Gray while reducing payroll.

Gray, who signed a three-year, $75 million contract last winter, has a full no-trade clause, with the Cincinnati Reds expected to be among the teams aggressively pursuing him.

But you're right, it is backloaded. Cards will have to include a player/prospect or eat some money.

Offline Senatorswin

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #6: September 30, 2024, 03:36:47 PM »
In 2024 the Cardinals were 13th in revenue and 11th in payroll. As of July Bleacher Report has their minor leagues ranked 18th. If they're dumping salary they're probably not going to contend for anything for a while.

The Nats are 14th in revenue and 19th in payroll. The Bleacher Report has their minor league ranking as 17th as of July.

The Nats can afford to pay a free agent or two or trade for a player making some bucks this offseason. Especially since they're losing Corbin's contract.

Offline zimm_da_kid

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Re: Re: Re: Now we’re having fun: 2025 Nats Roster
« Reply #7: September 30, 2024, 03:38:33 PM »
Quote
Woo also notes that a reduction to the major league payroll could be on the horizon as the club reinvests in player development, echoing a report from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale early today that indicated the Cardinals could shop veteran right-hander Sonny Gray as they look to cut payroll. Woo did not explicitly suggest that Gray will be shopped, but did list the right-hander among a handful of veteran Cardinals players whose futures with the club could be put “into question” by a drop in payroll this winter alongside third baseman Nolan Arenado, catcher Willson Contreras, and closer Ryan Helsley. MLBTR discussed Gray’s potential trade candidacy earlier today in conjunction with Nightengale’s report, which noted the Reds as a potential suitor for the veteran’s services.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/09/cardinals-to-part-ways-with-paul-goldschmidt-this-winter.html

Offline GataNats

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #8: October 01, 2024, 01:55:44 AM »
The Cardinals are looking to unload Sonny Gray. Do we want? I would assume he either comes dirt cheap or the Cards eat some money.

He signed  a three year, 75 million dollar deal last offseason, so its not like the contract would be an albatross

No.  He is a dinosaur

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #9: October 01, 2024, 11:31:54 AM »
Let's not make this too difficult. Roll into next year with 7 line up slots filled, living with Ruiz, Tena, and CJ going with Garcia and the OF. Limit the lineup hunt to 2 hitting upgrades (DH and 1st). One should be a righty better than Yepez and Chappy, the other a lefty. Get another rotation piece, ideally a game 1 playoff starter, and scrounge for 2 bullpen pieces.

Offline Elvir Ovcina

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #10: October 01, 2024, 02:31:15 PM »
Gray also has a no-trade clause.  I don't see that deal coming together for the Nats. 

Offline OfftheBat

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #11: October 02, 2024, 11:27:14 AM »
Gray also has a no-trade clause.  I don't see that deal coming together for the Nats.


Why would Gray not want to play in DC?

Offline Smithian

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #12: October 02, 2024, 12:58:58 PM »
Gray also has a no-trade clause.  I don't see that deal coming together for the Nats. 
If the Nats made a move for Sonny Gray, that would show the organization is approaching next year wanting to make the playoffs. I think Sonny Gray would be in on that.

Online Natsinpwc

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #13: October 02, 2024, 02:52:42 PM »
If the Nats made a move for Sonny Gray, that would show the organization is approaching next year wanting to make the playoffs. I think Sonny Gray would be in on that.
Why would Gray want to come to DC. He is getting older and would want a contender. It’s up to him.

Online Natsinpwc

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #14: October 02, 2024, 02:53:25 PM »

Why would Gray not want to play in DC?
Let me count the reasons.


Offline Elvir Ovcina

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #16: October 03, 2024, 12:59:19 PM »

Why would Gray not want to play in DC?

Every time he's had a choice, he chose to play in the Central time zone. He's from the Central time zone.  Went to college in the Central time zone.  He stunk it up in New York after being traded there and then upon being traded to the Central time zone, he immediately signed a contract extension and became very good again.  When he became a free agent after that contract (during which he was traded to a different team in the Central time zone and was also good), he signed with another team in the Central time zone, with a no trade clause.  In the off-season, he lives in the Central time zone.

Maybe he'd be ok with Atlanta - it is, after all, not far at all from the Central time zone - but he's not coming to DC.

Offline imref

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Offline Senatorswin

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #18: October 03, 2024, 02:36:08 PM »
We'll see what happens this offseason, but I think it was easier for old man Lerner to pay the Scherzer's of the world because he was late 80's and knew he didn't have that many years to see a World Series in DC.

Hopefully Mark Lerner will come up with the bucks as his dad did before.

Offline imref

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #19: October 03, 2024, 05:58:51 PM »
The royals should be a model for us.

Offline Senatorswin

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #20: October 03, 2024, 07:18:19 PM »
If they match their MLB ranking in salary to match their ranking in revenue they should be able to sign some good players.

Offline Smithian

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #21: October 04, 2024, 08:51:14 AM »
The royals should be a model for us.
Yes. I think they added three FAs last offseason in the low $10 million AAV range. If Nats did that, trade for a passable middle of the order bat from a team needing to dump salary, great offseason. It's doable and the Nats would likely still be bottom half of the majors in payroll.

I also have thoughts on adding Woods extension over in the Woods thread. Even doing that right now would mean the Nats have a ton of payroll flexibility.

Offline OfftheBat

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #22: October 04, 2024, 10:51:17 AM »
Every time he's had a choice, he chose to play in the Central time zone. He's from the Central time zone.  Went to college in the Central time zone.  He stunk it up in New York after being traded there and then upon being traded to the Central time zone, he immediately signed a contract extension and became very good again.  When he became a free agent after that contract (during which he was traded to a different team in the Central time zone and was also good), he signed with another team in the Central time zone, with a no trade clause.  In the off-season, he lives in the Central time zone.

Maybe he'd be ok with Atlanta - it is, after all, not far at all from the Central time zone - but he's not coming to DC.


Wow that's very interesting, I did not know that about him. It's crazy how a one-hour time zone difference makes or breaks him.

Offline welch

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #23: October 04, 2024, 04:40:42 PM »
Every time he's had a choice, he chose to play in the Central time zone. He's from the Central time zone.  Went to college in the Central time zone.  He stunk it up in New York after being traded there and then upon being traded to the Central time zone, he immediately signed a contract extension and became very good again.  When he became a free agent after that contract (during which he was traded to a different team in the Central time zone and was also good), he signed with another team in the Central time zone, with a no trade clause.  In the off-season, he lives in the Central time zone.

Maybe he'd be ok with Atlanta - it is, after all, not far at all from the Central time zone - but he's not coming to DC.

That seems odd. In New York, at least, he seemed to have trouble handling the pressure. Many pitchers have that same trouble.

However, is he good enough to lead the Nats rotation?

Offline Elvir Ovcina

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Re: 2025 Off-season - general thread
« Reply #24: October 04, 2024, 08:01:08 PM »

Wow that's very interesting, I did not know that about him. It's crazy how a one-hour time zone difference makes or breaks him.

It was a bit tongue-in-cheek, but he's from Nashville, went to college in Nashville, and every time he gets a chance he goes somewhere fairly close to Nashville.

That seems odd. In New York, at least, he seemed to have trouble handling the pressure. Many pitchers have that same trouble.

However, is he good enough to lead the Nats rotation?

He was also successful in Oakland, another low-pressure environment.  He's a latter-day Kenny Rogers; great outside of NY, a bum there.  And he's not a #1, no, but he's a pretty reliable #2.  The contract is rough for his age, though.