Kyle Finnegan and Tanner Rainey non-tendered

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

WTAF 

[Slateman]

I just don't know what to do think about this.

Do I think Finnegan is "worth" 8 million? No. I think he's pretty much average relief. I don't really put much stock in save numbers for a sub.500 team. If Derek Law had been the closer, he'd have as many saves as Finnegan did. Finnegan's underlying metrics have been a concern for two years. He's below average on getting opposing batters to swing and miss, as well as chase. He tends to walk a lot of batters. He gives up a ton of hard contact. So I can understand that they didn't want to pay him that much for what is, effectively, middle of the road bullpen performance.

But they're not spending money anywhere. Are they really going to commit this 8 million (plus Rainey's ~1.5) to a quality closer? Is Tanner Scott coming here? I doubt it. Maybe I end up wrong, but I think its way more likely they go and spend this money on three or four relievers, and hope one sticks. On th eone hand, I can see the benefit, right? You can find better value with this money. But at the same time ... this wasn't a whole lot of money. This club has committed less than 70 million to payroll next season. Why are we trying to get some sort of super value like we're the Rays?

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

At some point ownership needs to spend the bare minimum required to keep familiar names who are at least passably competent.

[Count Walewski]

Then why the freak wasn't he traded.

[Count Walewski]

I just don't know what to do think about this.

Do I think Finnegan is "worth" 8 million? No. I think he's pretty much average relief. I don't really put much stock in save numbers for a sub.500 team. If Derek Law had been the closer, he'd have as many saves as Finnegan did. Finnegan's underlying metrics have been a concern for two years. He's below average on getting opposing batters to swing and miss, as well as chase. He tends to walk a lot of batters. He gives up a ton of hard contact. So I can understand that they didn't want to pay him that much for what is, effectively, middle of the road bullpen performance.

But they're not spending money anywhere. Are they really going to commit this 8 million (plus Rainey's ~1.5) to a quality closer? Is Tanner Scott coming here? I doubt it. Maybe I end up wrong, but I think its way more likely they go and spend this money on three or four relievers, and hope one sticks. On th eone hand, I can see the benefit, right? You can find better value with this money. But at the same time ... this wasn't a whole lot of money. This club has committed less than 70 million to payroll next season. Why are we trying to get some sort of super value like we're the Rays?

Don't think Finnegan and Rainey are bullpen material for a contending team? Think they would cost too much in arbitration? These are respectable, defensible views even if some here disagree with them. But if that's your view, why not trade them at midseason in 2024? You would save EVEN MORE MONEY that way and get a lotto ticket or two.

[imref]

Then why the freak wasn't he traded.

If the cut had something to do with his 2nd half fall-off, then that would make sense.

[Slateman]

Don't think Finnegan and Rainey are bullpen material for a contending team? Think they would cost too much in arbitration? These are respectable, defensible views even if some here disagree with them. But if that's your view, why not trade them at midseason in 2024? You would save EVEN MORE MONEY that way and get a lotto ticket or two.

I don't think Finnegan is anything more than a 7th inning guy on a contending bullpen.

I don't know why he didn't get traded, particularly since they knew he was going to make this money. Its not like arbitration is some mystery. The only thing I can think of is that Rizzo saw his really good first half and was going to capitalize on it. But everyone else looked at underlying metrics and said he was going to come back down to earth. And boy did he.

I called it a mistake at the time. Heck, I wanted to deal him at the 2023 deadline. If you knew you weren't going to pay him 8+ million this offseason, then there was no excuse to not deal him for what you could get at the deadline. They can't both be the right move.

I dunno, disappointing. Maybe they bring him back on a two year deal with lower AAV. But this does not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling on spending this offseason.

[Count Walewski]

If the cut had something to do with his 2nd half fall-off, then that would make sense.

The advanced metrics have been bearish on Finnegan for a long time, well before the trade deadline in 2024. I'm not sure what fundamentally changed between July 2024 and today other than the actuals catching up a bit with what the metrics were projecting the entire time. Still a bad look for this team if they weren't looking at that.

This just makes the team look disorganized, without a plan or an approach.

[skippy1999]

Well this is a major bummer

[Natsinpwc]

It’s a weird move. Why not just hang in and trade him at the deadline. You will save some of the $8 million that way. They need a new closer anyway for 2026 but better to have someone secure as the closer and audition other guys as setup.

LAC.

[varoadking]

This just makes the team look disorganized, without a plan or an approach.

As they say, "It is what it is "

[IanRubbish]

This just makes the team look disorganized, without a plan or an approach.

Not true, the plan is to squeeze as many pennies and nickels as they possibly can, and have Rizzo tell the media how it's all part of a "cycle".  However much your job might frustrate you, at least you don't have his.

[IanRubbish]

It’s a weird move. Why not just hang in and trade him at the deadline. You will save some of the $8 million that way. They need a new closer anyway for 2026 but better to have someone secure as the closer and audition other guys as setup.

LAC.

$8 million is nothing considering what modern MLB teams pull in, especially those in decent sized markets, and when there's few pitchers still playing making anything on this joke of an org.  This franchise exists to make money off visiting Mets, Phillies, Cubs, etc fans while the cheap owners and their GM mouthpiece BS fans and the press.  Please don't tell me the Lerners are not as bad as Snyder, worst ownership in baseball, and time to have just a few expectations for the owners.