Around Baseball Offseason Thread
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CrimsonCowboy
Moderator
Reports tonight that the Gnats may be offering their managerial job to Dusty Baker
Horsehide Harry
<B>Mr. Free Trade</B>
That is true, if you want to completely replace Freeman now. But, most don't think 2016 is a real year to be competitive, no matter what the FO says. 2017 is the target. So, you could grab a stop gap 1B, like Morneau (or play Olivera there) or play Swisher there if you think he will be healthy all season in 2016 and go for other needs such as FA starting pitching now. Swisher and Bourn are off the books after 2016. Minor and maybe Markakis might be traded.
I see it as a 2 step process from this point: Now - churn the roster to bring back as much additional young controllable talent, preferably high ceiling, near ready minor league bats as possible. That means shopping every ML veteran for a useful return (don't trade them if you don't get what you want). Sign 2 FA starting pitchers including one TOR guy and fill in the rest from within. Get a veteran catcher with a defensive reputation and the skill to handle and develop pitching. Address the pen with controllable arms would look to be stable and healthy going forward. Protect your draft picks and blow out the budget on international signees (no Cubans because they cost too much) and fill the lower levels with talent. During the season move anybody who isn't a core guy going forward who has value to bring a return (Bourn, Swisher, Markakis?, Garcia, Peterson, Olivera maybe).
After 2016, leading into 2017, fill the holes on the FA and trade market. Be careful trading away young talent in effort to gain instantaneous results. Build for the long haul. Enter 2017 as an up and coming team with potential. Enter 2018 as a division favorite.
CrimsonCowboy
Moderator
[TW]661394049081868288[/TW]
Dusty to Nats would be an early Christmas present. For Braves fans and for Strasburg, Scherzer, Gio, and their entire pitching staff.
bravesnumberone
Well-known member
And we still lost to that bastard in the NLDS....twice.....with homefield advantage.....
50PoundHead
Hessmania Forever
Tapate50
Well-known member
Strasurg's future under Dusty?
Not entirely sure Stras will be around this coming year, but the humor is not lost on me!
Dalyn
Fredi Gonzalez Supporter
nsacpi
Expects Yuge Games
Dusty, Fredi, Mattingly. Should make for some epic managerial chess matches in the NL East.
MadduxFanII
Swallowed by Mark Bowman
I actually don't think Dusty's a bad hire for that crew. The big issue with the Nats last season was that once things started spiraling out of control, Williams had no ability to step in and stop the nonsense. That's pretty much Baker's specialty. Dusty's certainly no strategic mastermind, but he'll actually be an upgrade on Williams in that department. Basically, the most important thing for the Nationals was to find a measure of stability and competence in their manager, and Dusty offers plenty of both.
50PoundHead
Hessmania Forever
Plus, they get Dusty's son to be the bat boy!
[video=youtube;WzV7x8WcR4g]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzV7x8WcR4g[/video]
Dalyn
Fredi Gonzalez Supporter
Dalyn
Fredi Gonzalez Supporter
Who knew the poor kid was just trying to keep from having to pitch for his dad.
Just can't possibly see Freddie being dealt at this point. The problem with dealing Freeman is that this is the last season you have him for below market value ($12 million) - he makes $20+ per starting in 2017. JMO, but the only team that appears to be a 1B away from being a contender is Pittsburgh, and they're not able to pay what he's owed after this season. Someone would absolutely have to "sell out" and overpay to get him (much like Simmons), and I don't see anyone that will. The Pirates NEED a 1B, but they're not going to deal what it would take to get him and then try to turn around and trade him next winter to replace some of those prospects when everyone else knows they have to move him.
Don't get me wrong - Freddie would be great for a lot of teams, but not likely any of them that he fits as that final puzzle piece, The problem with Pittsburgh is the contract. The problem with Cleveland is that he's probably not enough - by himself - to push them past the Royals or Tigers. I'm sure Baltimore would love to have him replace Davis, but I don't think they have the pieces to get him (Jomar Reyes and Chance Sisco would have to be part of the package I'd guess) - even if they did, why unload the farm AND pay Freeman $118.5 million (what's left on his contract) when they could just re-sign Davis? Dodgers, Yankees, Cubs, Angels, White Sox, Marlins, Gnats, Mutts, Giants, Reds, Cardinals, Phillies, Diamondbacks, A's, Rangers, and Rockies are all likely "no's" - and Milwaukee, Seattle, and San Diego likely don't have what it would take to get him.
The Red Sox COULD be a "maybe" IMO, but I doubt Dombrowski would give up what Coppy & Co. would want - probably Devers and Margot and possibly more. An interesting proposal for them might be Miller or Teheran and Freeman for Jackie Bradey, Devers, Margot, Anderson Espinoza, and Sam Travis. That's a deal I don't think the Braves could possibly say no to, but is so far out there it's scary to imagine (as well as one that could get Dombrowski chased out of town in a hurry). They have enough money that they might be able to buy down a little bit of Hanley's contract and pawn him off on someone else for a prospect or two like the Dodgers did with Kemp, and could still go out and get one of the "Aces" and be right back in the mix in a hurry.
2016 Red Sox
CF- Betts, 2B- Pedroia, 1B- Freeman, DH- Ortiz, SS- Bogaerts, 3B- Sandoval, C- Swihart, RF- Holt (with Moncada and Benintendi coming), LF- Castillo
Rotation: "Ace", Teheran, Porcello, Miley, Eduardo Rodriguez (with Henry Owens, Brian Johnson, Steven Wright, and Joe Kelly for depth).
Again, just daydreaming, but that sure would be a *ell of an exclamation point on the rebuild. Our organizational depth chart would be ridiculous when looking at it a year from now with ALL of the long-term commitments (of any consequence) off the books unless you sign Miller to an extension...
SPs - Miller (or Teheran), Minor (if kept and healthy), Wisler, Folty, Banuelos, Williams Perez, Weber, Jenkins, Sims, Gant, Thurman, Allard, Toussaint, Fried, Espinoza, Sanchez, Soroka, Minter
C- Bethancourt, Herbert, Jonathon Morales
1B- Travis, Ruiz, Dustin Peterson, Riley, Juan Yepez, Jonathon Morales
2B- Peterson, Ciriaco, Albies, Dykstra
SS- Castro, Ciriaco, Albies,
3B- Olivera, Garcia, Ruiz, Devers, Riley
LF- Olivera, Garcia, Lien, Peterson, Riley, Ronald Acuna
CF- Bradley, Smith, Lien, Randy Ventura
RF- Markakis, Bradley, Lien, Davidson
and that's before going nuts on international signings this winter adding Maitan and others plus next year's #3 pick and others. You want the best farm system in baseball? You've got it.
Im not a fan of Dusty but I think this is a good point. Kinda like the strategic criticisms of Bobby Cox; but Bobby was able to manage a clubhouse, which may be even more important. I mean, it doesn't get much worse strategy wise than Ned Yost, but he just won a title.
UNCBlue012
Well-known member
Chemistry is the most important thing in the game to me. I understand talent, but you can have all the talent in the world (Nats) and not get jack. I think this is a good and bad signing for them.
Black would of been a much better deal, but of course they fudged that. Dumb franchise.
Not to mention a Manager with experience in handling big stars like Harper - he's handled Bonds and Kent in San Francisco, Sosa and Aramis Ramirez in Chicago, and Junior, Votto, Phillips, and Dunn in Cincinnati.