2015 WINTER MEETINGS THREAD

[smootness]

Might be the most generic and vague response at an attempt to be specific I've ever read.

For real. Still, I appreciate at least the attempt, Niners. We're at least starting to get somewhere.

My issue is that trading Heyward for Miller, adding a lead-off hitter and Markakis would have in no way made us a contender. The reason we're going on the extreme toward rebuilding is because by doing that, it ensures you end up better on the back end. Doing it your way, 'balancing the extremes,' would have only ensured that we won a few more games last year and 2016 (78-82 or so), which is not enough to compete, while significantly hurting us down the road.

How could we have balanced the extremes anyway? The only way for us to add the talent we did for the future was by getting rid of current assets. We had a decision to make: try to compete in the near-term before completely collapsing, or sell off all the current assets for future ones.

It would have taken a lot to turn that 2014 team into a contender; we may not have been able to do it no matter what we tried. And had we done that, our farm system right now would completely and totally suck. We would be screwed.

 

[Heyward]

To me, Soler is a chance worth taking. I certainly wouldn't give Tehran up in a deal with Ender, but if be willing to part with pitching prospect like Jenkins in a deal.

The reason bring, when you look at all the talent that we have acquired. The one thing that we are lacking is middle of the order power hitting tripe prospects. Certainly there are a few, but I think most will agree that our elite talent at this point in time is more beginning of the order speed type guys.

I've said many times if were going to do this (build like the Braves from the 90s), then from a positional player perspective we need to find our modern day version of Justice and Gant to build the lineup around. Freeman and Soler could be that duo.

Soler certainly has his question marks, but his upside is also tremendous. He could be a legit 30-40 hr type guy, and in this era of pitching dominanted game that could be a great commodity and advantage. And if we believe that Mallex is indeed the next Kenny Lofton or even Michael Bourne, then a deal centered around Ender IMO is a no brainer.

If Soler for Inceirte and a lesser pitching prospect is on the table, you gotta consider it.

Obviously Julio AND Ender is too much.

But if Jenkins/Ender for Soler is there, something to consider, we dont have the resources to sign a Upton, Cespedes, etc.

 

[NinersSBChamps]

Might be the most generic and vague response at an attempt to be specific I've ever read.

I was sitting at the mall of America on a bench. Didn't really have time to get specific.