We can argue back and forth forever, and I understand the reasons everyone who hated the Heyward and Markakis deals hated them (and respect their reasons), but after stepping away and taking a breath, I'm now entirely convinced that Hart & Company shouldn't stop where they are. If we can get the rumored potential returns we've all heard for dealing BOTH Justin and Gattis, now is absolutely the time to pounce.
The key to making the extremely quick turnaround hinges on being completely up front with Justin and his representatives and openly explain the method to the madness. Sit down with him and explain in no uncertain terms that we think renting him to Seattle for a season will substantially further the efforts to make us a legitimate contender for several years beginning in 2016 if he'd be open to returning when we've cleared the salary space to give him a market deal when he becomes a free-agent.
The strategy would involve tanking it in 2015, but the payoff could be huge in the long run. We could "fix" our pitching for the next 6-8 years if we could pull it off.
1.) Trade Justin for Taijuan Walker.
2.) Trade Gattis for Andrew Heaney.
3.) Trade Minor for Brandon Drury.
4.) Trade Johnson for Steven Okert.
Our Organizational SP Depth Chart would then have EVERYONE under control for years and would look like...
1.) Teheran
2.) Wood
3.) Walker
4.) Heaney
5.) Miller
6.) Hale
7.) Jenkins
8.) Martin
9.) Hursh
10.) Sims
If Minor and Johnson lands you Drury and Okert, you get your cheap answer at 3B (with a LOT more power than Johnson) and a nasty lefty for the pen, and the pen could become...
Medlen, Carpenter, Simmons, Vizcaino, Russell, Johnson, Shreve
Okert and Hursh replace Russell and Johnson in the 2016 pen for the rookie minimum.
Uggla's salary comes off the books next winter, and you've given yourself - Justin's current money ($14,500,000), Uggla's money ($13,000,000), Johnson's 2016 money ($7,500,000), Minor's 2016 projected money (~$7,500,000), Russell's money ($2,400,000), and Johnson's money ($2,500,000) - $47,400,000 to spend in 2016 to get ready to go into the new park.
Assuming Justin could expect a minimum 8 year/$200 million offer, we could actually then be able to afford to pay him market value, maybe sign Dexter Fowler for 4 years/$48 million as B. J.'s replacement, and have money left to cover arbitration raises plus B. J's money to devote to rising salaries when it comes off the books. The 2016-2017 lineup would then look like...
2B- Peraza
RF- Markakis
LF- J-Up
1B- Freeman
3B- Drury
CF- Fowler
SS- Simmons
C- Bethancourt
The key to making the extremely quick turnaround hinges on being completely up front with Justin and his representatives and openly explain the method to the madness. Sit down with him and explain in no uncertain terms that we think renting him to Seattle for a season will substantially further the efforts to make us a legitimate contender for several years beginning in 2016 if he'd be open to returning when we've cleared the salary space to give him a market deal when he becomes a free-agent.
The strategy would involve tanking it in 2015, but the payoff could be huge in the long run. We could "fix" our pitching for the next 6-8 years if we could pull it off.
1.) Trade Justin for Taijuan Walker.
2.) Trade Gattis for Andrew Heaney.
3.) Trade Minor for Brandon Drury.
4.) Trade Johnson for Steven Okert.
Our Organizational SP Depth Chart would then have EVERYONE under control for years and would look like...
1.) Teheran
2.) Wood
3.) Walker
4.) Heaney
5.) Miller
6.) Hale
7.) Jenkins
8.) Martin
9.) Hursh
10.) Sims
If Minor and Johnson lands you Drury and Okert, you get your cheap answer at 3B (with a LOT more power than Johnson) and a nasty lefty for the pen, and the pen could become...
Medlen, Carpenter, Simmons, Vizcaino, Russell, Johnson, Shreve
Okert and Hursh replace Russell and Johnson in the 2016 pen for the rookie minimum.
Uggla's salary comes off the books next winter, and you've given yourself - Justin's current money ($14,500,000), Uggla's money ($13,000,000), Johnson's 2016 money ($7,500,000), Minor's 2016 projected money (~$7,500,000), Russell's money ($2,400,000), and Johnson's money ($2,500,000) - $47,400,000 to spend in 2016 to get ready to go into the new park.
Assuming Justin could expect a minimum 8 year/$200 million offer, we could actually then be able to afford to pay him market value, maybe sign Dexter Fowler for 4 years/$48 million as B. J.'s replacement, and have money left to cover arbitration raises plus B. J's money to devote to rising salaries when it comes off the books. The 2016-2017 lineup would then look like...
2B- Peraza
RF- Markakis
LF- J-Up
1B- Freeman
3B- Drury
CF- Fowler
SS- Simmons
C- Bethancourt
