Originally Posted by
clvclv
Seager has long been my favorite (once Moustakas signed) - the question is will (or more to the point can) AA take the money so he doesn't have to climb particularly high up the prospect list?
The $18 million he's owed for 2021 is easily covered with Melancon and Flowers coming off the books. Even if you're going to promote BOTH Pache and Waters at the beginning of 2021, you're still going to have money issues. You're still looking for a RH bat with pop to hit behind Freddie (ideally), and that's going to have to be someone really cheap (unless you're going to move Acuna down and hit Ozzie and Dansby 1-2 in some order) if you also want to make a play for Bauer.
Hamels, Folty, Markakis, and Greene gone gives you ~ $34 million - that won't be enough to make Bauer answer the phone.
In my ideal world, you somehow get Seattle to eat $5 million a year of Seager's money. Riley and which arm does that? Now you're in the ballpark for Bauer.
Bring back Duvall and Camargo as your 4th OF/DH and super utility guys (Camargo becomes the 5th OF) and Duvall could hit behind Freddie if you don't move Acuna or d'Arnaud/Contreras there. Pray that you can get someone to take on half of Ender's money so you can pay for some of the raises with that money and from declining O'Day's option.
Acuna, Ozzie, Freddie, Duvall, Seager, d'Arnaud/Contreras, Dansby, Waters, Pache (Contreras/d'Arnaud, Camargo, Shewmake, ???)
Bauer, Fried, Soroka, Wright, Touki (Anderson/Wright/Davidson/Muller)
Smith, Martin, Minter, Jackson, Matzek, Weigel, Newk, Wilson, Sobotka (Pfeifer/De La Cruz/Webb/Walker)
I'd be willing to roll those dice in the final year of Freddie's deal since I think that group would have a legitimate shot, but I've always been part of the flags fly forever crowd.