Official 2022 Offseason Moves Thread

[Hudson2]

Unless you count offering Duvall arb, I’m going to guess a trade for Matt Olson.

Damn that’s bold. We all know that AA knows why FF number is. And if he’s been told it’s 30-32 million and AA just won’t go there then that’s that. Can’t be mad at AA for putting the team first.

[Hudson2]

AA was close to getting Reynolds at the deadline and rumor was Contreras was a piece they wanted and AA didn’t wanna give him up with so little depth at the time. So if that really was the case then this move makes sense. AA likes to move quick so I wouldn’t be surprised by a big love coming in the next few days by trade. Whether that’s Reynolds or Olson.

[CJ9]

AA was close to getting Reynolds at the deadline and rumor was Contreras was a piece they wanted and AA didn’t wanna give him up with so little depth at the time. So if that really was the case then this move makes sense. AA likes to move quick so I wouldn’t be surprised by a big love coming in the next few days by trade. Whether that’s Reynolds or Olson.

Interesting, where was the rumor about Contreras reported?

[Heyward]

AA was close to getting Reynolds at the deadline and rumor was Contreras was a piece they wanted and AA didn’t wanna give him up with so little depth at the time. So if that really was the case then this move makes sense. AA likes to move quick so I wouldn’t be surprised by a big love coming in the next few days by trade. Whether that’s Reynolds or Olson.

I never saw we were close for Reynolds but it's gonna take a haul for him regardless. There's certainly enough depth to be able to move Contreras especially with Lango probably ready by 2023 sometime (he'll probably be ready by 22 but they dont want to start his clock).

[Hudson2]

Interesting, where was the rumor about Contreras reported?

It was on xm radio right after the deadline. They said us and one other team were after him hard and they asked for Contreras and we balked bc we didn’t have enough depth in case TDA went down. So if that was the case then we have enough to get him.

[Enscheff]

If Contreras is a “haul” for reynolds then it needs to happen tomorrow before the Pirates wake up.

[Carp]

It was on xm radio right after the deadline. They said us and one other team were after him hard and they asked for Contreras and we balked bc we didn’t have enough depth in case TDA went down. So if that was the case then we have enough to get him.

Guessing Pache, Contreras, and possibly Muller as the main guts of a deal if we go for Reynolds. I could see Ynoa instead of Muller.

[Hudson2]

Guessing Pache, Contreras, and possibly Muller as the main guts of a deal if we go for Reynolds. I could see Ynoa instead of Muller.

Pache and Contreras would definitely be in it. I’m guessing Wright and Muller would be in there too.

[Jay212033]

I never saw we were close for Reynolds but it's gonna take a haul for him regardless. There's certainly enough depth to be able to move Contreras especially with Lango probably ready by 2023 sometime (he'll probably be ready by 22 but they dont want to start his clock).

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/...-reynolds.html

[Hudson2]

Rumors are now that the Yankees have been going hard after Reynolds but may not have what it takes to get him.

[zbhargrove]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/...-reynolds.html

That report doesn't sound like anything was close... or that talks had anything to do with Contreras

[ixiXSolidXixi]

I really believe we are working in a trade and Reynolds make sense. Because if you can add a great centerfield and save money then you could have enough money to sign Freeman.

[PawPawMaxwell]

I dont recall ever seeing names mentioned in the package going to Pittsburgh but do recall seeing that AAs off was ONE PLAYER SHORT. Additionally the signing yesterday of Pina would indicate to me that Contreras is not in plans for the future team.

[clvclv]

I've seen a few posters here suggest the Braves will front load Freeman's contract, and they are almost always shut down. However, do folks remember how the Betts contract was structured? It is $365M overall with a $65M signing bonus...a massive front load.

For a team like the Dodgers who are always bumping up against the luxury cap, front loading a contract like this allows them to lower the AAV hit by letting the time value of money work for them.

For a team like the Braves who may have just gotten an unsustainable revenue boost in 2021, giving Freeman a huge signing bonus may be a way to use that cash right now to buy wins in the future. So yeah, a $20M signing bonus for Freeman might be a way to afford that 6/180 contract it will likely take to sign him. Think of it as $20M of unexpectedly found money, plus a 6/160 deal. I don't love it, but it might just work.

For the sake of this argument, let's assume Alex has been given the go-ahead to splurge most (if not all) the additional postseason revenues like this. A $30 million one-time payout could be sold to ownership as Freeman's bonus for winning the MVP and World Series plus multiple Gold Gloves/Silver Sluggers/etc., and they could try to sell his reps that any potential future award bonuses should be considered as paid from that pool. Part of this could come from money not paid to Ozuna during any suspension time as well.

If they can agree at the 6 years/$180 million MLBTR and several other floated projections seem to have - and $30 million comes off the top - the yearly salary hit becomes $25 million. That's right in line with the FanGraphs projections (with one extra year). That's not even a significant raise over what he was already pulling down - just a big bonus for past performance that they wouldn't have to worry about as he ages. That would also keep the "Big Three" together through the end of Ozzie's contract.

[Chico]

I really believe we are working in a trade and Reynolds make sense. Because if you can add a great centerfield and save money then you could have enough money to sign Freeman.

Agreed… Then you sit back and let LF and DH work itself out. They’re the easiest holes to fill

[clvclv]

He’s controlled for 4 more arb seasons, and I’d project him for roughly 15 WAR over that time. I imagine he’ll be paid $40M-$50M over those 4 seasons.

So we are talking roughly $100M in surplus value. Pache would be roughly half that value. Add in 2-3 good prospects and you’d be onto something.

So Pache, Wright, Contreras and another real piece like Harris/Waters would be pretty close. If I’m the Pirates I’d probably look for a better headliner in a Reynolds trade though.

It would seem highly unlikely after watching him hoard prospects to this point, but with most of the big pieces in place (and assuming Freeman is part of that), I wonder if Alex might see this as an opportunity to unload the cupboard while setting the team up as one of the main contenders for an extended window - kinda like the Astros did. Freeman, Acuna, Albies, Riley, d'Arnaud, Pina, Fried, and Anderson would all be controlled through 2024.

Let's assume Pache/Wright/Contreras/Waters is enough to net you Reynolds. You then control him through 2024. Is there any chance he then pivots to Cincy and offers Langeliers/Muller/Ynoa or Davidson/another lower-value arm like Tarnok or Elder for Castillo? Haven't seen anyone mention a guess at Castillo's surplus value, so no idea if that would start to get in the ballpark, but if it would you'd control him through 2024 as well.

That would leave one OF spot to eventually be filled by Harris or Franklin, one rotation spot to be filled by one of Ynoa/Davidson/Strider/Vodnik/Shuster/Estes/Cusick - and possibly Soroka at some point, and you'd still have Shewmake and Grissom to potentially step in for Dansby in 2023 on the cheap and the ability to decline Smith's option to help pay for arbitration raises.

[Hudson2]

Reynolds just fits perfectly with our window and what we are looking for (LH hitting CF). If we did get him and resigned Freeman then this offense is flat out nasty.

[Hudson2]

Angels and Thor making progress on a 1 year deal. Weird bc his QO would be for 18.4 million so that would have to be for more you’d think.

[msstate7]

Angels and Thor making progress on a 1 year deal. Weird bc his QO would be for 18.4 million so that would have to be for more you’d think.

Man, I'd want no part of that for him

[Hudson2]

Man, I'd want no part of that for him

Either the Angels are offering way to much for 1 year or he just hates NY and wants out.